Avianca LifeMiles – Bookings and Discussion

[Jacques Vert]

I guess i will lose my last 10k miles when they expire soon.

Just make a refundable booking for a hotel on points, wait a few days and then cancel it. The points go back to your account and within a few hours your expiry date will reset. I've done it a couple of times.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just make a refundable booking for a hotel on points, wait a few days and then cancel it. The points go back to your account and within a few hours your expiry date will reset. I've done it a couple of times.

brilliant! thanks! I had completely forgotten about that!

 

[Gold Member]

Just make a refundable booking for a hotel on points, wait a few days and then cancel it. The points go back to your account and within a few hours your expiry date will reset. I've done it a couple of times.

No need to wait a few days. You can cancel it immediately without affecting your points reset.

 

[Jacques Vert]

No need to wait a few days. You can cancel it immediately without affecting your points reset.

True. However I feel it will look more genuine in the extremely unlikely event that my account is audited. (Yeah, I know I'm a bit paranoid.)

 

[boomy]

Another successful redemption today.

MUC-IST-HKG TK J 75k miles plus $US147 taxes.

Booked in July which is a tricky month for award seats.

Couldn’t find TK seats on UA or SQ. In fact there was nothing in J on *A and OW for the dates I needed. As shocking as it might sound LM had the best award availability on this occasion!

 

[Gold Member]

@boomy I expect a full and detailed TK champagne analysis on both legs.

 

[boomy]

@boomy I expect a full and detailed TK champagne analysis on both legs.

Was planing to drink only water and keep hydrated but if you insist then I’ll take one for the team

 

[margouille]

I've never tried redeeming via Lifemiles before. Can you redeem for flights from Australia to Europe and how many miles would that be? The redemption chart doesn't show Oceania/Pacific at all. I know there are flights to Europe available for my travel dates but Lifemiles only finds them when I look for them as 2 separate bookings instead of connecting flights. Do I need to call them?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've never tried redeeming via Lifemiles before. Can you redeem for flights from Australia to Europe and how many miles would that be? The redemption chart doesn't show Oceania/Pacific at all. I know there are flights to Europe available for my travel dates but Lifemiles only finds them when I look for them as 2 separate bookings instead of connecting flights. Do I need to call them?

IIRC australia is classified as ‘others’?

You can only book what you see on line, And the call centre has the exact same booking engine we do. So they will not be able to combine the flights into a single ticket as a ‘through’ fare for the lower number of points.

LM is an extremely difficult program to be getting in to. Best avoided!

You may have success if you can find flights which don’t have long layovers or transits. You might need to search from all aussie gateways, and select different european ports until you find something.

 

[boomy]

Very hard to find AU to EU these days. TG is your best bet and must be same day connection as LM system doesn’t seem to allow overnight (even <24h) layovers.

There was short period of time few weeks ago with very good availability from various EU ports to SYD (not vv) on TG for 85k miles but unfortunately all gone now and replaced by phantom AI awards.

 

[WilsonM]

I've never tried redeeming via Lifemiles before. Can you redeem for flights from Australia to Europe and how many miles would that be? The redemption chart doesn't show Oceania/Pacific at all. I know there are flights to Europe available for my travel dates but Lifemiles only finds them when I look for them as 2 separate bookings instead of connecting flights. Do I need to call them?

Following on, as others have alluded to LM is best used for very straightforward, point-to-point redemptions. There are specific sweetspots that people use LM for - Asia - Australia for 40k in J on BR/NH for example, but you should only be purchasing LM if you can directly see award availability on their website, at the very least (conferring with AC/UA is better!).

Had a bit of success recently - after cancelling a BR TPE-BNE booking and getting slugged with the 200USD cancellation (actually relatively painless to cancel - I just called the US call centre with my skype number, and was connected quite quickly), I managed to book TK for LAX-IST-VIE early next year for 63K LM + ~60USD. I was trying to get to Zurich, but even though there were flights from IST-ZRH that lined up it wouldn't work, and on the day there was no LX or LH availability

 

[Rifty6210]

Is it just me or has anyone else been unable to search HND as their origin/destination? I only see NRT. Been trying to find NH awards ex Syd but I can’t even search HND… thank you

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Is it just me or has anyone else been unable to search HND as their origin/destination? I only see NRT. Been trying to find NH awards ex Syd but I can’t even search HND… thank you

No, not coming up for me either. I also tried ‘TYO’ (no match), and tried a round trip with a potential destination of HND (instead of origin). Again, no matches.

 

[blacksultan]

Trying to book bkk - mel around 29 July on Thai. Any tips ? . Any issues with ghost booking at the moment ?

 

[blacksultan]

Are there any dangers with booking partner airlines through lifemiles ?

 

[boomy]

Trying to book bkk - mel around 29 July on Thai. Any tips ? . Any issues with ghost booking at the moment ?

Thai doesn’t show ghost availability on LM these days.

Are there any dangers with booking partner airlines through lifemiles ?

Not really, just need to make sure the booking is ticketed and call them if you notice any changes made by the partner airline.

 

[blacksultan]

Thai doesn’t show ghost availability on LM these days.



Not really, just need to make sure the booking is ticketed and call them if you notice any changes made by the partner airline.

Thanks ! Any difference in availability if one. Calls ?

 

[boomy]

Thanks ! Any difference in availability if one. Calls ?

Nah, call centre can only book what’s available online.

 

[SYD_based]

Hi all,

Finally got my first redemption on BKK-MEL in September for 40k in J. Question, they only give you a reservation number so you're practically unable to check anything to do with your booking.

At least from memory with previous award redemptions on other programs, you're always given a proper E-ticket/booking reference with the airline to manage your booking on the home airline's website/app. Is this not the case with lifemiles? Will I have to wait until 24 hours prior to departure to be able to check/do anything?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hi all,

Finally got my first redemption on BKK-MEL in September for 40k in J. Question, they only give you a reservation number so you're practically unable to check anything to do with your booking.

At least from memory with previous award redemptions on other programs, you're always given a proper E-ticket/booking reference with the airline to manage your booking on the home airline's website/app. Is this not the case with lifemiles? Will I have to wait until 24 hours prior to departure to be able to check/do anything?

TBH I think I’ve ever only received one or two ‘real’ tickets in my entire time with Lifemiles! Otherwise you should get a booking reference (6 digit). You can use that on the Thai Airways site under ‘manage booking’ to access you booking, select seats, check the ticket number, etc.