Avianca Life Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here

[burmans]

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

I was aware but I think when I looked to was really hard to get flights except in Y. Personnally I think this sort of example is the best value around and a reason to be a member of different FF programs. There are some subtle differences between programs that can be leveraged off indeed.

 

[bcworld]

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

That is interesting! I'd certainly noticed that the booking engine doesn't seem to put even short SQ-SQ connections together on routings like MEL-SIN-LHR.

Sure enough though, within 2 weeks of departure it doesn't seem to have a problem with it! The plot thickens with LM and SQ!

My successful LM bookings are:

EDI-FRA-PEK-MEL on LH/CA
MEL-BKK-FRA-EDI on TG/LH
MEL-SIN-DPS/DPS-SIN/SIN-MEL on SQ (booked as multicity)
MEL-SIN-ICN on SQ (77W MEL-SIN)
ICN-HNL on OZ
HNL-ICN-HKG on OZ

 

[lobo76]

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.

Ah ok thanks for that, it gives a better idea of the method to these bookings, I've been floundering trying to find anything for less than 35k which considering I missed the double offer is actually more exy than Expedia

 

[Peter78]

So far, I have booked four one-way flights using Lifemiles, instead of two return journeys. All points have been purchased during 2:1 promotions and the following are the flights I booked. Values (points and US$) are for two and hopefully are interesting as reference points:

SYD-BKK-ZUR, booked March 2013, flights in August, F on TG. Can't find confirmation email right now but we again used 40% points plus co-payment
TOS-OSL-FRA-SIN, booked March 2013, flights in September, J including SQ A380. 52K points + $1,154.14
SYD-BKK, booked April 2013, flights in December, J on TG. 86K points + $462.35
VTE-BKK-SYD, booked April 2013, flights in January 2014, J on TG. 38K points + $882.72.

Everything went well with the exception of the return journey from Europe, which will be coming up next week. No flights to Sydney were displayed so we decided to book the flight to Singapore only, and use QF points to get back to Sydney. Very happy about the A380 redemption, and the J flights to Thailand/ Laos for our Christmas break were excellent value.

 

[robcuk]

Over the last few days I've snagged the following

FRA - KIX LH F (747-400)
KIX - BKK TG F (a380 I think)
BKK - SYD TG F

I have requested the 3 hour porsche 911 experience at FRA so the autobahn awaits plus I'll still have just under 4 hours in the FCT after I've dropped the 911 off - happy days.

Unfortunately the booking did cost me a few miles as I booked it in two stages but I wasn't too concerned as I had to try LH F while it was still open to LM and while I had the opportunity to be flexible with my flight back to SYD.

 

[Alanslegal]

I have requested the 3 hour porsche 911 experience at FRA so the autobahn awaits plus I'll still have just under 4 hours in the FCT after I've dropped the 911 off - happy days.

After the 911, hop into a Panamera from the FCT to the plane

 

[smit0847]

KIX - BKK TG F (a380 I think)

They've been planning to do it A380 for a long time but I doubt it will ever happen. I think they have just received their 5th A380 to do BKK-LHR but will this have time to do a KIX turnaround too?

 

[robcuk]

They've been planning to do it A380 for a long time but I doubt it will ever happen. I think they have just received their 5th A380 to do BKK-LHR but will this have time to do a KIX turnaround too?

TG623 / THA623 Live flight info - Flightradar24

 

[bcworld]

They've been planning to do it A380 for a long time but I doubt it will ever happen. I think they have just received their 5th A380 to do BKK-LHR but will this have time to do a KIX turnaround too?

I don't think there's any current A380 plans for LHR.

 

[zainman]

Flew the TG A380 HKG-BKK 2 days ago and I think it's fantastic. The whole feel is much better than the EK A380 F cabin which is all fake wood/gold. I would not hesitate to fly TG A380 in F again! Also, their magazine said they have 6 A380's in their fleet.. is that the current number or the final number they hope to have?

 

[Foreigner]

Glad to have found this thread...still on the learning curve.

 

[Keith009]

Only dipping my toes in this program as it's not somewhere I want to bank huge amount of miles given its propensity to devalue without notice, but have been able to burn the following so far:


SQ J: SIN-BNE-SIN x 2 (for my parents - outbound leg around Chinese New Year)
SQ J: BNE-SIN x 2 (on Good Friday!)
TG F: ZRH-BKK-SYD x 2 (Sept 2014) -> hoping to either switch to ex-CDG (where we're actually departing from) or LH ex-FRA at T-14. The $300 change fee will be offset by not having to spend an extra night we don't need in ZRH (though 25 Hours in Zurich West looks like a pretty funky hotel).

 

[robd]

I did my first LM redemption yesterday. Not exactly excited with the routing, but it has been stated many times that direct routing AUS-US in premium cabins is extremely difficult to virtually non existent.

OZ J: SYD-ICN-HNL for 2 pax. Cost 60,000 LM's plus US$1,226.14. Therefore = ~ AUD$1,150 each.

Great price but it doubles the travel time to 20hrs+ :shock:

No problems at all with the process. Receipt received from LM. Confirmed via Checkmytrip with ticket numbers issued.

 

[LA10]

I did my first LM redemption yesterday. Not exactly excited with the routing, but it has been stated many times that direct routing AUS-US in premium cabins is extremely difficult to virtually non existent.

OZ J: SYD-ICN-HNL for 2 pax. Cost 60,000 LM's plus US$1,226.14. Therefore = ~ AUD$1,150 each.

Great price but it doubles the travel time to 20hrs+ :shock:

No problems at all with the process. Receipt received from LM. Confirmed via Checkmytrip with ticket numbers issued.

Robd, how far ahead did you book? I am thinking of booking something like this for my parents.

Thanks!

 

[robd]

Robd, how far ahead did you book? I am thinking of booking something like this for my parents.

Thanks!

The booking is for September 2014. There was a good range of dates available.

 

[LA10]

Thank you.

 

[bcworld]

Last night booked a simple SYD-BKK-LHR TG F for next Xmas. It's interesting that the flights are too far out to be booked on TG's own website but I can grab them using LM!

Ticket numbers were visible in CMT and on the Thai Airways check booking function about 2 minutes after purchase!

No TG flights showing for dates after 25 Dec so haven't booked a return flight yet. Will probably book J on the return straight into MEL. Would like to do the BR/TG combo but the layover time is likely too great for LM. Now that SQ have pulled the advance Aus availability it has killed a lot of previous options I used to see e.g. LHR/EDI-IST-SIN-MEL. So it will likely be TG/TG...the other likely options involving CA.

 

[seritonin]

Just booked for a friend, J on A380 SQ227 SIN-MEL <14 days, took 12 hours to get ticketed but all good to go.

 

[Nizar]

Last night booked a simple SYD-BKK-LHR TG F for next Xmas. It's interesting that the flights are too far out to be booked on TG's own website but I can grab them using LM!

Ticket numbers were visible in CMT and on the Thai Airways check booking function about 2 minutes after purchase!

No TG flights showing for dates after 25 Dec so haven't booked a return flight yet. Will probably book J on the return straight into MEL. Would like to do the BR/TG combo but the layover time is likely too great for LM. Now that SQ have pulled the advance Aus availability it has killed a lot of previous options I used to see e.g. LHR/EDI-IST-SIN-MEL. So it will likely be TG/TG...the other likely options involving CA.

Maybe give LH F a go within 14 days of your intended date once the plan B TG return is in place ?

 

[SingaporeDon]

Only dipping my toes in this program as it's not somewhere I want to bank huge amount of miles given its propensity to devalue without notice, but have been able to burn the following so far:

TG F: ZRH-BKK-SYD x 2 (Sept 2014) -> hoping to either switch to ex-CDG (where we're actually departing from) or LH ex-FRA at T-14. The $300 change fee will be offset by not having to spend an extra night we don't need in ZRH (though 25 Hours in Zurich West looks like a pretty funky hotel).

Cheaper to cancel and rebook assuming you have enough miles to book the ex-CDG first and then cancel the previous ticket. Entails the hassle of calling Lifemiles to cancel but then cancelation also allows you to effectively buy miles at 1.5 cents per mile even when the bonus promo is not on