Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[Rallo]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Well it has all gone pear shaped now , LM now tell me because of the cancelled flight from BKK-CDG and I am on the next days flight it is deemed a stopover and they refuse to reticket the second leg.

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Well it has all gone pear shaped now , LM now tell me because of the cancelled flight from BKK-CDG and I am on the next days flight it is deemed a stopover and they refuse to reticket the second leg.

Wow...that's very unreasonable!

 

[anat0l]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Well it has all gone pear shaped now , LM now tell me because of the cancelled flight from BKK-CDG and I am on the next days flight it is deemed a stopover and they refuse to reticket the second leg.

Wow...that's very unreasonable!

Agreed wholeheartedly.

Don't suppose there's any rerouting available via FRA? Might have to skin some knuckles at TG to lever them to LM.

Still sucks... as if LM can't process an involuntary ticket change, especially when they don't have to do anything except spit out a new e-ticket.

 

[Rallo]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

That is what I don't understand , Thai are happy for the stopover but the operator at LM wouldn't budge although he did advise that if Thai release seats on Syd-BKK the next day then they would reticket as it avoids the stopover.

 

[Flashback]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

That is what I don't understand , Thai are happy for the stopover but the operator at LM wouldn't budge although he did advise that if Thai release seats on Syd-BKK the next day then they would reticket as it avoids the stopover.

What about HUACA?

 

[Rallo]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

What about HUACA?

I have thought of that or call Thai tomorrow and check if they can release inventory on the next days flight , is there way to check what what is available I thought that it was O class inventory?

 

[Flashback]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I have thought of that or call Thai tomorrow and check if they can release inventory on the next days flight , is there way to check what what is available I thought that it was O class inventory?

I imagine you could use ANA, UA or LM search.

 

[Keith009]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I have just spent 30 minutes I will never get back trying to convince the LifeMiles call center that "KL" means Confirmed from Waitlist. They were insistent that our new flight hasn't been confirmed by Thai as it's not showing "HK." I had to explain that "KL" means Thai has confirmed my booking which was previously waitlisted and it's up to the booking office to accept this change and convert to "HK" status, but as I don't speak Amadeus (only know Sabre), to please speak with his supervisor or helpdesk to figure out how to do this in Amadeus.

Now I'd have HUACA'd but we'd already been on hold for over 15 minutes by that point. The LifeMiles service center does not process reissues and transferred us to another team.

Finally, I was told that they'd send my ticket to their reservations department for a reissue which should take about 24 hours, but if they have any problems they'd call me back on my mobile. I am cautiously optimistic.

 

[Keith009]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I have thought of that or call Thai tomorrow and check if they can release inventory on the next days flight , is there way to check what what is available I thought that it was O class inventory?

Standard process according to Thai Australia is your original ticket issuer (ie LifeMiles) needs to waitlist the flights first before Thai opens up inventory, but as it seems beyond the capability of LifeMiles to understand what needs to be done, you will need to find someone at TG who's willing to touch your reservation in the first place given they're not technically allowed to touch 'agency bookings' even if they caused the schedule change in the first place. I had no luck over 4 calls with TG Australia, possibly because I'm departing ex-ZRH rather than ex-AU. In the end it was TG Switzerland who put us on waitlist on the flight we needed - they then need to send an urgent telex over to load control which only operates during Thai business hours to release seats for your PNR. Make sure they extensively comment in your PNR that you need the seats as a result of an involuntary schedule change.

 

[quokka77]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

To the poster asking for tips on how to get your booking altered directly by Thai in the face of their changes to flight schedule: I don't have any special tip, I guess I just got lucky. To the posters who recommended I ring Avianca to make sure it was ticketed with the "new" (read original) timing, I haven't done this yet. Tickets are def showing as confirmed (with eticket numbers) on both classic checkmytrip and Thai's site. Do I really need to ring them?? Thanks, Q

 

[Keith009]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Woke up this morning to find our BKK-SYD sector cancelled (?!).

Rang Avianca right away and was passed to their "Protections Department." And got the most helpful Avianca staff member encountered so far. He got on the phone with Thai to sort it out. Now back to waitlisted on 26 Sep but without the back up of a confirmed flight on the 27th. Apparently his entire team is watching my PNR and it should all be fixed up and reticketed in the next 24 hours or so after TG load control releases the seats.

The explanation was that as my ticket wasn't reissued in time, Thai had cancelled the flight. I'm skeptical. A glance on CMT suggests that someone, somewhere tried to cancel and rebook and failed to get the seats back for the 2nd sector as my first flight had clearly been rebooked (seat allocations gone, and there's a new Thai 'native' PNR).

I'll believe it when I see the reissue ETR. Despite all the stress, it is actually quite funny in a "you couldn't make this up" kind of way.

 

[Rallo]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Woke up this morning to find my BKK-SYD sector cancelled (?!).

Rang Avianca right away and was passed to their "Protections Department." And got the most helpful Avianca staff member encountered so far. He got on the phone with Thai to sort it out. Now back to waitlisted on 26 Sep but without the back up of a confirmed flight on the 27th. Cue more urgent telexes to TG load control. Apparently his entire team is watching my PNR and it should all be fixed up and reticketed in the next 24 hours or so.

The explanation was that as my ticket wasn't reissued in time, Thai had cancelled the flight. I'm skeptical. A glance on CMT suggests that someone, somewhere tried to cancel and rebook and failed to get the seats back for the 2nd sector as my first flight had clearly been rebooked (seat allocations gone, and there's a new Thai 'native' PNR).

I'll believe it when I see the reissue ETR. Despite all the stress, it is actually quite funny in a "you couldn't make this up" kind of way.

Sounds like you need to join me at Lifemiles Anonymous at the local bar , I have had some luck I have spoken to Thai Australia who have waitlisted us for the next days SYD-BKK flight which avoids the stopover headache, I should know know with 24 hours.

 

[Keith009]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Waitlist cleared (again) and tickets reissued.

Rang up TG who confirmed that they've received the new ticket numbers and coupons for all sectors. Seats allocated.

Only curiousity was the etickets have been reissued from 202 (Taca) paper to 134 (Avianca) paper. Makes sense as the 'protections department' appears to sit in Avianca.

Unfortunately TG is now saying that we're not eligible for a day room as this is a redemption.

Fingers crossed nothing untoward happens between now and September... I certainly won't be booking our flights between SYD and BNE until much closer to departure!

 

[hummel]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Waitlist cleared (again) and tickets reissued.

Rang up TG who confirmed that they've received the new ticket numbers and coupons for all sectors. Seats allocated.

Only curiousity was the etickets have been reissued from 202 (Taca) paper to 134 (Avianca) paper. Makes sense as the 'protections department' appears to sit in Avianca.

Unfortunately TG is now saying that we're not eligible for a day room as this is a redemption.

Fingers crossed nothing untoward happens between now and September... I certainly won't be booking our flights between SYD and BNE until much closer to departure!

i've always wondering what the rule is with this. I was scheduled to have a 4hr layover at BKK at Easter but now have a 9hr Layover (Arrive 2200 Depart 0700). Would be nice not to have to pay for a room at the Novotel...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Unfortunately TG is now saying that we're not eligible for a day room as this is a redemption.

unfortunately that's pretty much the case with a lot of amenities when it comes to award bookings. QF/EK are two prominent exceptions with their limo service.

 

[Kangol]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Since when did TG offer a day room for transiting pax at BKK?
I think I have a ~12 hour connection... might see if they allow for more than one massage haha

 

[Keith009]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

unfortunately that's pretty much the case with a lot of amenities when it comes to award bookings. QF/EK are two prominent exceptions with their limo service.

Was just going by what another TG call center agent said to me previously when I rang up to chase my waitlist. She also suggested that TG would pay for my accomodation if i end up having to stay overnight as a result of the involuntary sched chg?! I did think it sounded too good to be true. Appears she's mistaken.

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Was just going by what another TG call center agent said to me previously when I rang up to chase my waitlist. She also suggested that TG would pay for my accomodation if i end up having to stay overnight as a result of the involuntary sched chg?! I did think it sounded too good to be true. Appears she's mistaken.

Some people on awards have definitely been given a room at the Novotel in this circumstance...as ever, it's totally random.

 

[Alanslegal]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Looks like I will be testing out the 14 seat F cabin tomorrow when I fly TG601 HKG-BKK 28MAR ... I have never been in that config before so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Happy Trails]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Looks like I will be testing out the 14 seat F cabin tomorrow when I fly TG601 HKG-BKK 28MAR ... I have never been in that config before so we'll see how it goes.

Seating-wise it's very similar to F on a QF 747.

Edit: I'm thinking of the 10 seat cabin per Aussie_flyer's comment below.