I have had an ongoing subscription to the Club LifeMiles Plan 112K for over 5 years and they changed the plan to LifeMiles+ in early 2024. The new LifeMiles Plus plan added several interesting benefits (see the image below) and a couple of them particularly caught my attention (10% of miles back on Star Alliance flights and no fees for changes or cancellations). The LifeMiles+ subscription is more attractive to Avianca flyers due to the 25% instant discount for award redemptions.
LifeMiles+ Benefits
However, the LifeMiles Plan Lite (free for Amex LifeMiles Elite card holders) DOES NOT support free changes & cancellations of Star Alliance award bookings (it still gives you 10% miles back).
LifeMiles+ Plan Selection & Prices
Why did I keep my old LifeMiles Club subscription?
The monthly price to purchase miles is a lot cheaper with my old 112K LifeMiles Club subscription, and I will be paying less and earning more miles even after adding the LifeMiles+ Basic subscription to it.
When do the 10% miles back post to your account?
The miles are typically added to your account within 15 days after the Star Alliance redemption (see image below).
Can you change or cancel your old Star Alliance bookings for free after the LifeMiles+ subscription?
No. Free changes & cancellations are NOT applicable for redemptions made before the LifeMiles+ subscription date (see image below from T&C).
My experience with the Amex LifeMiles Elite card application
My application got declined due to having too many credit checks. I was just interested in getting the initial sign-on bonus anyway and did not plan on using the card benefits.
Conclusion
I kept the LifeMiles Club subscription for a long time just to accumulate some miles while not worrying about them expiring. I added a basic LifeMiles+ subscription to it just to enjoy the free changes and cancellations along with 10% mileage refunds. I tend to fly Star Alliance a lot and am planning to use LifeMiles over Aeroplan due to this new subscription.