Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[noviceFF]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

One more question please, when you purchase the miles, does the bonus miles get added to your account at same time as the purchased ones??

 

[Jonova]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Yes all miles should appear straight away

 

[LittleFokker]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

huh! I bought 23,000 (plus bonus) miles to top up an account and I just noticed that I can go back and purchase another 68,000 (with 81,600 bonus) if I so desire !

The terms and conditions say 1 transaction per account and 150K max - looks like neither are enforced at the moment.

 

[burmans]

Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

huh! I bought 23,000 (plus bonus) miles to top up an account and I just noticed that I can go back and purchase another 68,000 (with 81,600 bonus) if I so desire !

The terms and conditions say 1 transaction per account and 150K max - looks like neither are enforced at the moment.

This is not unusual, certainly has happened in the past a number of times.

 

[anat0l]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Using the screenshot technique, how long, on average, does it take to complete a booking, from sending the initial request email to fully ticketed?

Assume there are no issues with the routing (except that you just can't bring it up online) or your payment method.

A couple of times I've wanted to use AV LM for some bookings, but they have been pretty close to the date of departure. As a result, if LM can't display them online, I either have to take a more convoluted option or another programme.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Using the screenshot technique, how long, on average, does it take to complete a booking, from sending the initial request email to fully ticketed?

Assume there are no issues with the routing (except that you just can't bring it up online) or your payment method.

A couple of times I've wanted to use AV LM for some bookings, but they have been pretty close to the date of departure. As a result, if LM can't display them online, I either have to take a more convoluted option or another programme.

Depends on how busy is the support team.
Once it took me less then 48 hours to get it ticketed but on another occasion I waited 4 days until finally got approval with an apology it took so long because they had higher requests then usual and then another day to get it ticketed so 5 days in total.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Using the screenshot technique, how long, on average, does it take to complete a booking, from sending the initial request email to fully ticketed?

Assume there are no issues with the routing (except that you just can't bring it up online) or your payment method.

A couple of times I've wanted to use AV LM for some bookings, but they have been pretty close to the date of departure. As a result, if LM can't display them online, I either have to take a more convoluted option or another programme.

Things usually take a couple of days, but you can shorted the process slightly by having everything they need your initial email to them.

If you simply send the three screenshots and your FF number, you'll have another 24 hours to wait while they write back asking for all the stuff like 'best time to call' etc.

 

[luxury-lizard]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Things usually take a couple of days, but you can shorted the process slightly by having everything they need your initial email to them.

If you simply send the three screenshots and your FF number, you'll have another 24 hours to wait while they write back asking for all the stuff like 'best time to call' etc.

Great tip - can you list all the required info - e.g. full name of passengers, passport details, in additional to best time to call and phone number(s).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Great tip - can you list all the required info - e.g. full name of passengers, passport details, in additional to best time to call and phone number(s).

The information they require is (copied from their e-mail to me after I sent them the three screen shots):

• The frequent flyer number from where you want to redeem your miles.
• Phone number to contact you, please specify the country it belongs to.
• The passenger's information, gender, name and date of birth according to the passport.
• The screenshots of our website showing lack of available seats when looking the complete route (MEL-HKG).

 

[anna2103]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Just to add, I would send an email to lifemiles support about 12 hours with urgent in this subject line saying you need this booked quickly - this has worked me for a few times

 

[Flippantflyer]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Using the screenshot technique, how long, on average, does it take to complete a booking, from sending the initial request email to fully ticketed?

Assume there are no issues with the routing (except that you just can't bring it up online) or your payment method.

A couple of times I've wanted to use AV LM for some bookings, but they have been pretty close to the date of departure. As a result, if LM can't display them online, I either have to take a more convoluted option or another programme.

I've done a few recently and each time they've given me PNRs for the flight overnight, and called me to ticket them (after payment) the next evening.

I've actually found the system surprisingly reasonable (although obviously it would be much better if the website just worked).

 

[Flippantflyer]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

I've done a few recently and each time they've given me PNRs for the flight overnight, and called me to ticket them (after payment) the next evening.

I've actually found the system surprisingly reasonable (although obviously it would be much better if the website just worked).

By the way I was also unable to book single segment Air China flights (PEK-MEL) online without the screenshot method.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

By the way I was also unable to book single segment Air China flights (PEK-MEL) online without the screenshot method.

was that on the CA177/178 via Shang Hai?

those flights varied... sometimes they'd allow you to book to PEK, sometimes they'd only let you book to PVG (this was before the glitch).

with the new non-stops MEL-PEK there doesn't seem to be any difficulty.

 

[Flippantflyer]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

was that on the CA177/178 via Shang Hai?

those flights varied... sometimes they'd allow you to book to PEK, sometimes they'd only let you book to PVG (this was before the glitch).

with the new non-stops MEL-PEK there doesn't seem to be any difficulty.

No it was CA 165 direct PEK-MEL... I was booking 4 seats, maybe that's it?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

No it was CA 165 direct PEK-MEL... I was booking 4 seats, maybe that's it?

The screen shot method is not supposed to create availability where there is none. If Air China releases only 1 seat (or 2 or whatever), that's what's there for the booking. If the screen shot method worked to book 4 seats that's good, but not really what it was designed for.

A friend of mine was looking to bring four family members from China to Australia - made the booking a few weeks ago. They were prepared to split the party, 2 from PVG and 2 from PEK. However, after they had booked the two seats from PEK, another two seats opened up a couple days later. (There was a delay in making all four bookings because they mucked up the order of the names, and by the time that was sorted out the next two seats were there).

 

[Flippantflyer]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

The screen shot method is not supposed to create availability where there is none. If Air China releases only 1 seat (or 2 or whatever), that's what's there for the booking. If the screen shot method worked to book 4 seats that's good, but not really what it was designed for.

A friend of mine was looking to bring four family members from China to Australia - made the booking a few weeks ago. They were prepared to split the party, 2 from PVG and 2 from PEK. However, after they had booked the two seats from PEK, another two seats opened up a couple days later. (There was a delay in making all four bookings because they mucked up the order of the names, and by the time that was sorted out the next two seats were there).

No the website showed 4 bookable business seats for the route, it just errored out when I tried to actually book them is all. Which is why I screen shot it and send to support. Glad your friend managed to get seats all together in the end!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

No the website showed 4 bookable business seats for the route, it just errored out when I tried to actually book them is all. Which is why I screen shot it and send to support. Glad your friend managed to get seats all together in the end!

Ah... understand now

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

No the website showed 4 bookable business seats for the route, it just errored out when I tried to actually book them is all. Which is why I screen shot it and send to support. Glad your friend managed to get seats all together in the end!

That happens all the time, classic LM problem. Occasionally you can be lucky. I once booked 2 J seats on LH ZRH-NRT. It errored out at the end and half of the required miles were deducted. I did have the PNR numbers though. I contacted LM and they say it was already ticketed without further deducting my miles.

So I end up with 2 J seat for the price of 1. For about 60 min I hated LM, but then I fell in love with it again....

 

[Flippantflyer]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

That happens all the time, classic LM problem. Occasionally you can be lucky. I once booked 2 J seats on LH ZRH-NRT. It errored out at the end and half of the required miles were deducted. I did have the PNR numbers though. I contacted LM and they say it was already ticketed without further deducting my miles.

So I end up with 2 J seat for the price of 1. For about 60 min I hated LM, but then I fell in love with it again....

Well that is interesting! You know what, as it happens they did exactly the same for my flights (took the correct amount of cash but only half the correct amount of points)! Actually the second time I've been lucky with LM in this way (onther time they deducted the points but didn't actually charge my credit card for the cash component).

If this is a regular thing it makes the effective cost of their points even better value

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Any recent reviews on SAA? Thinking of booking PER-JNB-GRU but last time I flew SAA from PER it was on an old A340, not really the best J product to be stuck in for 22 hours...
Wondering if they improved anything since.