Avianca Lifemiles cancelled redemption experience

[adam15]

Hi everybody,

I have been a lurker for quite a while. Haven't really posted until now. I didn't have much to add. But thanks to your efforts in producing this mine of information, I jumped on board lifemiles and recently completed the following trip with my 9 year old son:

MEL - BNE - NTL (VA) (pre sabre any seat flexi) (points and sc posted )
SYD - DRW (VA)
DRW - SIN (JQ)

SIN - HKG (SQ) - HKG - PEK (CA) (both Y lifemiles redemption: subsequently cancelled see below)

SIN - PEK (SQ: 773 J: lifemiles)
PEK - HKG (CA: 772 J) - HKG - BKK (TG: 744 J: lifemiles)
KBV - BKK (TG: 333 J) - BKK - SIN (TG: 333 J: lifemiles)

SIN - DRW (JQ)
DRW - MEL (VA)

Had to cancel SIN - HKG - PEK as SQ would not let us check in due to a belief that my itinerary would not allow the issuing of a 72 hour visa in Beijing. I will post about this later. Rebooked direct SQ J for the following day. The booking was visible not on sabre but on SQ website within 4 hours, at which time by coincidence my blood pressure also dropped Rang Avianca that night (by this time my original flight had already departed) to cancel. Had to pay the cancellation fee over the phone on the spot ($120). Was told that the points will be refunded within 2 weeks whereas the money would take 6 - 8 weeks.

Points posted within 5 days along with 2 refunds of $24.79 ea for what I can only guess is for the booking fee of $25 per person that applies for the inconvenience to them of using their online booking system .
Interestingly the points I received were the amount I would have spent if I had solely used points, (I used points plus pay on the minimum number of points).

The breakdown of the original booking was as follows:

Redemption requirement 35000 points (2 people). I paid:
14000 points
$US 267.96 (points plus pay)
$US 54.84 (Tax)
$US 50 (booking fee)


What I have had refunded so far:

35000 points :!:
$49.58 (presumably booking fee as it is closer to $50)

I am confident of receiving another $50 ish due to the timeframe in which the first payment was made being so different to the timeframe I was quoted on the phone. If I do receive this then we could be looking at a way to buy cheap points when there is no promo: ala priority club. Even if i do not receive any additional refund, I have paid 2 cents per mile.
Theoretically, in an ideal scenario of a one person booking and a considerably higher value award such as mel - cdg it would work out at 1.53 cpm or even cheaper if taxes are refunded :shock:.

I still have another 4 weeks to wait of the 6 -8 week timeframe so I will report back if anything happens!

 

[markis10]

H)

Had to cancel SIN - HKG - PEK as SQ would not let us check in due to a belief that my itinerary would not allow the issuing of a 72 hour visa in Beijing. I will post about this later!

It was good that it was cancelled, as a visa on arrival as a transit would not have been issued, you need to be going to a third destination, not returning to origin.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Sshhh!! Lucky you
There are reports on FT of people doing exactly this deliberately as a way to gain cheap points.
I thought that LifeMiles had realised this and closed the loophole.
Seems fair compensation to you for having to cancel the flights due to the visa issue
Welcome to AFF
Looking forward to hearing of your adventures !

 

[adam15]

Well picked up Marcus10,
I too was aware that the origin and destination needed to be different. I was after all coming from Singapore and leaving to Bangkok. I didn't think that the transit in Hong Kong would be considered as either a departure or arrival port. I was after all not going through immigration at Hong Kong. Well, I found out that it does! or at least that is SQ's interpretation. As nice as PEK airport is, the novelty wore off for my son within an hour of arrival let alone what would have been 1-2 days before being entitled to a 24 hour visa!
BTW: We only got my son's new passport 1 week prior to flying out so couldn't risk mailing to Melbourne to get an overpriced Chinese Visa before arrival.

 

[burmans]

I thought that LifeMiles had realised this and closed the loophole.

While there have been definitely been reports of people getting money not points back there also plenty saying they got points, in fact my (unscientific) polling would suggest around or slightly under 1/3 for money, 2/3 points. Clearly very variable outcomes, unfortunately no way of determining which way it will occur for any one cancellation!.

 

[1k650]

I did not know that they refunded the "booking fee" - is this confirmed ?

 

[adam15]

I did not know that they refunded the "booking fee" - is this confirmed ?

I am 99% sure that what I had had refunded was the tax component. The change in the exchange rate from booking - refund caused me to get confused.
Let it be known that this (getting confused) has been known to occur with far less complicated scenarios than this one ; just ask my wife.