Avianca Life Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here

[smit0847]

The US DM successful bookings thread is always popular and with the random availability Life Miles sometimes throws up I thought it would be useful to have a thread listing those itineraries that can actually be booked and ticketed to give people an idea of what is and isn't possible (and what is phantom!)

I'll start the ball rolling:

Bookings already flown:

TXL-ZHR-BEG LX Y (only used points because there were no cheap rev options available).
IST-ZAG-DBV TK and OU Y (same reason as above)

Booked and ticketed but not yet flown:

MEL-SIN-BKK-HKT SQ (77W!) and TG J

BKK-SYD TG F

MEL-BKK-USM//USM-BKK-SIN-MEL TG and SQ J


I would be most interested to know if anyone has actually ticketed SQ A380 J?

 

[gupayami]

Just managed to get MEL-SIN-LHR in SQ J one way (B77W) for the sister exactly 14 days out from departure. She's rather chuffed

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Any chance of posting the points/taxes/booking fees involved?

 

[sighing]

1. SYD-ICN-CEB OZ J x 3 pax 47.5K points each. Online booking engine had trouble processing the flights and ended up making several calls to call centre before finalising (including sending screenshots of the error message in order to avoid the call centre admin fee).

2. BKK-SYD TG F x 2 pax 65K points each; TG J x 1 pax 47.5K points. All easily booked online. Already selected meals via Thai Airways online.

Points purchased over 2 accounts.

Sorry, not sure of taxes $.

 

[robd]

The US DM successful bookings thread is always popular and with the random availability Life Miles sometimes throws up I thought it would be useful to have a thread listing those itineraries that can actually be booked and ticketed to give people an idea of what is and isn't possible (and what is phantom!)

I'll start the ball rolling:

Bookings already flown:

TXL-ZHR-BEG LX Y (only used points because there were no cheap rev options available).
IST-ZAG-DBV TK and OU Y (same reason as above)

Booked and ticketed but not yet flown:

MEL-SIN-BKK-HKT SQ (77W!) and TG J

BKK-SYD TG F

MEL-BKK-USM//USM-BKK-SIN-MEL TG and SQ J


I would be most interested to know if anyone has actually ticketed SQ A380 J?

Thanks for opening up this thread. I'll be interested in the responses, having topped up a couple of accounts recently.

 

[burmans]

Thanks for opening up this thread. I'll be interested in the responses, having topped up a couple of accounts recently.

I'd be interested too though given LM is online we already have much more clarity on what can be booked by doing trial bookings, unless there is a significant likelihood of booking failing subsequent. While have seen a few stories about individual CC accounts not working I have a few plus know all the tricks to get them to work, so not overly concerned about this, maybe I'm wrong?

 

[robcuk]

I'd be interested too though given LM is online we already have much more clarity on what can be booked by doing trial bookings, unless there is a significant likelihood of booking failing subsequent. While have seen a few stories about individual CC accounts not working I have a few plus know all the tricks to get them to work, so not overly concerned about this, maybe I'm wrong?

We have flown the following:

SYD - CMB return in J on TG metal, we have also flown a single in J from ZRH via PEK & PVG to SYD & we have
a SYD - BKK return in J going on TG with the leg home via Sin on the SQ a380 dept on New years day.

 

[burmans]

We have flown the following:

SYD - CMB return in J on TG metal, we have also flown a single in J from ZRH via PEK & PVG to SYD & we have
a SYD - BKK return in J going on TG with the leg home via Sin on the SQ a380 dept on New years day.

CMB is of interest as for a while you couldnt get CMB to appear as a viable destination so good to see it is now allowed.

 

[robcuk]

CMB is of interest as for a while you couldnt get CMB to appear as a viable destination so good to see it is now allowed.

We had a long wait in Bkk but it was worth it!! Great place, well Sri Lanka not CMB! Used a Seaplane internally too which was good fun!

 

[burmans]

We had a long wait in Bkk but it was worth it!! Great place, well Sri Lanka not CMB! Used a Seaplane internally too which was good fun!

Yes, on my bucket list. Almost went there a year ago when I was suddenly unexpectedly between contracts (and that was when I couldnt find an option with LifeMiles I think). Essentially the thinking process was what is the furthest I can go with my points and CMB looked an option but then not available. But great to hear it is now.

 

[smit0847]

Yes, on my bucket list. Almost went there a year ago when I was suddenly unexpectedly between contracts (and that was when I couldnt find an option with LifeMiles I think). Essentially the thinking process was what is the furthest I can go with my points and CMB looked an option but then not available. But great to hear it is now.

CMBs about the furthest South Asian destination you can get with LMs isn't it?

 

[burmans]

CMBs about the furthest South Asian destination you can get with LMs isn't it?

Indeed it is! On most other program's is more expensive than other South Asia destinations so an example of good value on LM

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Took advantage of the 100% bonus miles offer & purchased 10,000 miles (received 20,000 in total) for a cost of USD300.00 total (no taxes). I had signed up for Avianca LM on 27 July 2013 so was eligible for the bonus buy offer. SO signed up on 04 August & didn't get the offer, not that he needed to.

Booked award travel for next April one way in J on United:

GUM/NRT UA828 (B777)
NRT/ORD UA882 (B744)
ORD/BOS UA478 (A320)

Cost per person using the minimum 10,000 points (25,000 all inclusive but why would you?) plus taxes USD236.40 plus award fee USD25.00 plus taxes USD32.44 = total pp USD293.84 for USD587.68 total redemption cost per couple or USD887.68 per couple if you include the initial points purchase cost.

Have got 30K USDM in the kitty to get to/from GUM so that'll be the next thing on the 'to do' list.

 

[smit0847]

Took advantage of the 100% bonus miles offer & purchased 10,000 miles (received 20,000 in total) for a cost of USD300.00 total (no taxes). I had signed up for Avianca LM on 27 July 2013 so was eligible for the bonus buy offer. SO signed up on 04 August & didn't get the offer, not that he needed to.

Booked award travel for next April one way in J on United:

GUM/NRT UA828 (B777)
NRT/ORD UA882 (B744)
ORD/BOS UA478 (A320)

Cost per person using the minimum 10,000 points (25,000 all inclusive but why would you?) plus taxes USD236.40 plus award fee USD25.00 plus taxes USD32.44 = total pp USD293.84 for USD587.68 total redemption cost per couple or USD887.68 per couple if you include the initial points purchase cost.

Have got 30K USDM in the kitty to get to/from GUM so that'll be the next thing on the 'to do' list.

I see where you are going with this - not many people realise GUM is listed in the same zone as AU in USDM and in the same zone as the US on LM!

If you can swing a free stopover getting to or from Guam we'll be reallllly impressed!!

 

[Timba-Jet]

I see where you are going with this - not many people realise GUM is listed in the same zone as AU in USDM and in the same zone as the US on LM!

If you can swing a free stopover getting to or from Guam we'll be reallllly impressed!!

Wow, I must look into this. I knew about the AU-GUM deal with USDM, but the connecting LM deal!!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

What I was impressed with is that the purchased LM points show up immediately in your account so you can do the award travel imnediately.

Another plus is being able to book the award yourself so no phone call necessary.

There doesn't appear to be an 'onhold' feature like US DM however we mainly had to use that while waiting for bought points to credit into account.

You can buy as little as 1,000 LM to qualify for 100% bonus whereas US DM IIRC you had to purchase 30K plus to get the 100% bonus.

 

[smit0847]

Wow, I must look into this. I knew about the AU-GUM deal with USDM, but the connecting LM deal!!

You'll probably be stuck with UA though as you can't select the carrier unless they fly the entire route. EVA do, and if you could fly them the entire way that would be a great option - Im not sure what US destinations match up with the GUM connection though so that they would come up in a LM search result.

If you could do mixed class bookings with LM (its crazy that you cannot), you could potentially fly from GUM on UA J and then get OZ F ICN-JFK or NH F NRT-JFK all for 'domestic' F points. Now that would be some REALLY good value!

 

[casanovawa]

Cost per person using the minimum 10,000 points (25,000 all inclusive but why would you?) plus taxes USD236.40 plus award fee USD25.00 plus taxes USD32.44 = total pp USD293.84 for USD587.68 total redemption cost per couple or USD887.68 per couple if you include the initial points purchase cost.

So that USD887.68 per person is J return Guam-Boston (or you could throw an open jaw in there...)

 

[smit0847]

So that USD887.68 per person is J return Guam-Boston (or you could throw an open jaw in there...)

No, the OP said it was one-way.

Intra-region awards are not as cheap on LMs as they are on USDM.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

The plan is probably Jan/Feb next year get some kind of cheap whY ticket or even award travel Aust to GUM as a positioning flight.

GUM vack to Aust would be the outbound sectors of the USDM ticket with the return legs booked for April to match up with our one way LM award ticket on UA.

From BOS we'll probably head south as the Caribbean is nice at that time of year. Then head from there to HNL AAgain.

The final sector home will probably be in whY on HA with VA Velocity points for 32.5K ff points each plus about USD37.00 in taxes pp.

You need to mix it up a bit these days as very rarely will one ticket thru one ff program suit everyone's requirements.

So that USD887.68 per person is J return Guam-Boston (or you could throw an open jaw in there...)

If it is that amount for 2 pax one way I guess it would be a similar figure return for one pax.

No, the OP said it was one-way.

Intra-region awards are not as cheap on LMs as they are on USDM.

It was a one way fare but for two pax.