Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Any update as to which J product TG are operating on the overnight MEL-BKK flight?

According to the latest 'product and service' guide I got from Thai via email, they're showing Melbourne flights with angled semi-lie flat type seats (they're not angled full flat unfortunately): http://www.thaiairwaysau.com.au/vwm...aft_Guide_25_March_to_24_October_2015_web.pdf

Flightaware also confirms a regular 772.

 

[Flippantflyer]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

seems the problem with LM and Air China may be much deeper... even flights showing available on Uinted and LM are currently returning a 'sorry, can't be booked' message.

i guess a screenshot would be worth pursuing, at least for flights we know are available according to UA.

Who knows what's happening with LM, or if this is going to extend to availability on other airlines via LM exAu in due course.

Yep I have noticed this for air china flights for the last few weeks at least. I have pursued bookings for them via screenshot with a 50% success rate - managed to book once and was told there weren't actually any seats the other time.

It's probably worth asking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Yep I have noticed this for air china flights for the last few weeks at least. I have pursued bookings for them via screenshot with a 50% success rate - managed to book once and was told there weren't actually any seats the other time.

It's probably worth asking.

well... that seems to have pretty much shot the program ex Australia

 

[appaz]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

well... that seems to have pretty much shot the program ex Australia

I've found some flights out of Perth on TG, PER-BKK-SGN all on the 787...

will it let me book it if they come up on the search?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

I've found some flights out of Perth on TG, PER-BKK-SGN all on the 787...

will it let me book it if they come up on the search?

lol... yeah... I was accounting for TG when I said 'pretty much shot'. TG's business product ex Australia, with the exception of F, is not something I consider these days.

but yeah - if you found it on Lifemiles, select the flights and click 'next'. If you get past that stage (ie to the payment screen) you should be good to go.

 

[coolkid101]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

well... that seems to have pretty much shot the program ex Australia

i'm still deciding whether to speculatively buy LM with the currently 120% promo.. last day today...

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

i'm still deciding whether to speculatively buy LM with the currently 120% promo.. last day today...

I think it depends on how much you like star alliance redemption as there is no other cheap ways to do it. I am already prepared to take a positioning flight to SIN/NRT to make the best use of LM.

Take my recent booking for example, I booked LAX-NRT-SIN on NH first class for 41000LM + $917USD (~$1150 AUD), then booked a separate SIN-BNE J with SQ using my KF points for another 46750 miles + $229 in YQ (ouch!). Total miles used 87750 + $1350 AUD. If I had used KF miles to redeem the same itinerary, LAX-NRT-SIN-BNE (it has to be in SQ metal), it would cost me 119000 KF miles plus $1180 in YQ+taxes! Yes, you can argue that SQ suite is probably better, but for a saving of ~20000 miles, I can live with first class without a door. (The SIN-BNE segment will be in J anyway as there is no F to BNE.)

 

[TheBOSman]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Why do the Americans always get the good stuff?

You really should give us more credit . Pretty much the only way I booked my last few LM awards sadly...

 

[Fifa]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

I have just received an email from Lifemiles:

"We extended the promotion Buy Miles 2x1 until June 3[SUP]rd[/SUP]. That´s five more days to receive more LifeMiles! Remember, if you buy LM1,000 you receive LM2,200 to fly to more than 1,300 destinations and enjoy with our wide network partners, hotels nights, rental cars, among other options."

 

[Foreigner]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

My emails are in Español!

 

[casanovawa]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Just got back recently from a RTW trip where I used a few LM tricks such as the trip to FRU where I flew the SQ A380 in J to FRA for about $500 and then the SAW trick to Canada in J for again about $500 or so...

Such a pity that the program has gone to pieces of late...

 

[HBA747]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Hey Guys and Gals,

Just looking at a one-way from SIN-SYD via BKK on TG. Separate searches show SIN-BKK in J available, and BKK-SYD in F available, but obviously the search engine won't show this as one itinerary.

I called the lifemiles number, however they can't even find availability in F from BKK to SYD on the date. I am looking at using the screenshot method as discussed. I have read through plenty of pages on here, however the full 461 pages is a little too much. Could someone tell me which email is the best to go with? I can see a few on the lifemiles website, however I want to get this locked in ASAP with the miles sale nearing a close.

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Hey Guys and Gals,

Just looking at a one-way from SIN-SYD via BKK on TG. Separate searches show SIN-BKK in J available, and BKK-SYD in F available, but obviously the search engine won't show this as one itinerary.

I called the lifemiles number, however they can't even find availability in F from BKK to SYD on the date. I am looking at using the screenshot method as discussed. I have read through plenty of pages on here, however the full 461 pages is a little too much. Could someone tell me which email is the best to go with? I can see a few on the lifemiles website, however I want to get this locked in ASAP with the miles sale nearing a close.

Thanks so much in advance!

[email protected]

Although I believe LM won't allow you to mix cabin so unless you find SYD-BKK in J they won't book it for you.

However, I could be wrong. With the screenshot methods we have discovered things that weren't possible with LM before. If you can mix cabin as one award, please report back as it will open a new chapter in AFF history and you will be remembered as the hero who opened the new chapter.

 

[HBA747]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

thanks for the quick reply! I hope to be that "hero". We shall soon see and i'll be sure to report back.

What time frame do you normally find with responses from lifemiles support?

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

thanks for the quick reply! I hope to be that "hero". We shall soon see and i'll be sure to report back.

What time frame do you normally find with responses from lifemiles support?

Usually overnight, but up to 72 hours with a follow up email. They replied apologizing for the delay due to excessive amount of request recently. But overnight 90% of the time.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Hey Guys and Gals,

Just looking at a one-way from SIN-SYD via BKK on TG. Separate searches show SIN-BKK in J available, and BKK-SYD in F available, but obviously the search engine won't show this as one itinerary.

I called the lifemiles number, however they can't even find availability in F from BKK to SYD on the date. I am looking at using the screenshot method as discussed. I have read through plenty of pages on here, however the full 461 pages is a little too much. Could someone tell me which email is the best to go with? I can see a few on the lifemiles website, however I want to get this locked in ASAP with the miles sale nearing a close.

Thanks so much in advance!

The Lifemiles call centre can only see what we see on line... that's the way it was even before this 'glitch'. You could only book what you could see.

Emailing the Lifemiles support email gets someone to access the seats through another method, with greater flexibility than the call centre.

The award terms and conditions state mixing of cabins is not allowed for star alliance partner redemption tickets, so this is not something I'd expect to be able to get around just because of the glitch.

 

[coolkid101]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

[email protected]

Although I believe LM won't allow you to mix cabin so unless you find SYD-BKK in J they won't book it for you.

However, I could be wrong. With the screenshot methods we have discovered things that weren't possible with LM before. If you can mix cabin as one award, please report back as it will open a new chapter in AFF history and you will be remembered as the hero who opened the new chapter.

was SIN-BKK-SYD a valid routing before the glitch?

HBA do keep us informed... with all the suggested itins from AUS - SIN/BKK/KUL discussed in previous posts i believe the return has been the harder ticket to find.

 

[coolkid101]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

Just got back recently from a RTW trip where I used a few LM tricks such as the trip to FRU where I flew the SQ A380 in J to FRA for about $500 and then the SAW trick to Canada in J for again about $500 or so...

Such a pity that the program has gone to pieces of late...

pardon the ignorance but could you tell me what tricks these were and what the itineraries were? thanks!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

pardon the ignorance but could you tell me what tricks these were and what the itineraries were? thanks!

There were a couple of tricks... either misscoded cities (in the wrong mileage zone) or tickets to lower award zones, but with a connection in a higher zones... and of course you could just hop off the plane at the connecting city and get the award on the cheap. I think almost all of them have been fixed with the changes last year.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - Questions and Discussion

was SIN-BKK-SYD a valid routing before the glitch?

Yes, it was and still is a valid routing. There is actually no routing rules on where you can transit, that's how all the hidden city tricks came in. It was possible to fly from SYD to NRT transiting in YVR in J with AC and NH, all for just 40k miles. As long as there is no mixed cabin and less than 8 hrs transiting time, LM searching engine used to come up with all sorts of weird routings. Unfortunately that's all been "fixed" with the glitch.

Currently, it is possible to book BNE to SIN via TPE on EVA online, so if you
can do that, I'm sure SYD to SIN via BKK is not too off.