Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[robcuk]

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

Hi robuck

Better of cancelling and re-booking as only costs $75 (original $25 plus $50 cancel fee) compared to $175 (original $25 plus $150 cancel fee) to change the dates etc.

Joe

I did think along the same lines just a little concerned the miles don't show up
in the accounts in enough time!

Cheers

 

[joeborgo]

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

Points show up within 24 hours

 

[robcuk]

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

Points show up within 24 hours

That seems a little too efficient!!:shock:

 

[FMX]

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

Hi robuck

Better of cancelling and re-booking as only costs $75 (original $25 plus $50 cancel fee) compared to $175 (original $25 plus $150 cancel fee) to change the dates etc.

Joe

In theory yes, but from what people have reported on FT so far it may take a while to get the refund (either miles or cash) when you cancel. So, personally, I'd rather pay the extra $100 than cancel, follow up on the refund and potentially not have any award seats available any more by the time I get it. I haven't actually had to cancel or change anything though LM yet, but given my experience in just booking a simple itinerary (3 phone calls totalling 3 hours), the simpler the process - the better.

 

[wafliron]

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

I recently cancelled a booking, can only be done by ringing the call centre. The fee is $50US per passenger and the points are credited - not the cash. Also taxes are refunded. Be prepared to spend at least half an hour on the phone.

Can I just clarify - when you say the "points are credited - not the cash", you're referring to the cash component of a min points + max cash booking being returned to you as points instead of cash? i.e. you essentially "buy" more points during the booking, so the refund is of those points, not the cash you used to buy them?

 

[bcworld]

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

Can I just clarify - when you say the "points are credited - not the cash", you're referring to the cash component of a min points + max cash booking being returned to you as points instead of cash? i.e. you essentially "buy" more points during the booking, so the refund is of those points, not the cash you used to buy them?

According to a thread on FT...LM have now cottoned on to what the tricksters were doing re refunds & are refunding miles + cash rather than miles alone e.g. no more buying miles at a discount by canceling.

 

[wafliron]

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

According to a thread on FT...LM have now cottoned on to what the tricksters were doing re refunds & are refunding miles + cash rather than miles alone e.g. no more buying miles at a discount by canceling.

For the record, that wasn't why I was asking - but thanks for the info.

 

[burmans]

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

According to a thread on FT...LM have now cottoned on to what the tricksters were doing re refunds & are refunding miles + cash rather than miles alone e.g. no more buying miles at a discount by canceling.

Although there have been mixed responses, so have said this, some that they have got the miles!

 

[scwappy]

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

Just booked a one way for my partner as he did not want to wait for any promo's. $2,300 all in from LHR to SYD flying Thai in First. Whilst the booking tool is painful its still incredibly easy.

Will be waiting for a promo to come along real soon. Full fare on Expedia was $5,400.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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

Just booked a one way for my partner as he did not want to wait for any promo's. $2,300 all in from LHR to SYD flying Thai in First. Whilst the booking tool is painful its still incredibly easy.

Will be waiting for a promo to come along real soon. Full fare on Expedia was $5,400.

Lifemiles runs 2 promos a year based on historical evidence. So maybe about April?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

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

lifemiles runs 2 promos a year based on historical evidence. So maybe about April?

Three i think, december is a possibility

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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

Three i think, december is a possibility

even better!

 

[smit0847]

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

It looks like I'll be going to BKK in October next year for a friends birthday. I think I'll book it through LM because it's as simple as an itinerary can get (and much cheaper than USDM on this route).

I was originally thinking a very simple J MEL-BKK-MEL on TG but as I'll most likely be travelling by myself I thought I might spoil myself and go BKK-SYD F on the way back (as you can book each one way separately). I'd then buy a rev ticket SYD-MEL. I've never travelled F and my understanding is that the A380 *should* be on this route daily by October 2013 so it would be great to experience it, not to mention experiencing the full BKK F ground service experience as I'll be commencing the return from BKK rather than just transiting through.

Then I got to thinking (as we do on this site).

If I could take an extra day or 2 off work at the end of the trip (and I'm travelling by myself), it's only a few hundred $ more to go AU-North Asia, rather than just South Asia. So, in theory, I could make BKK my stopover and somewhere in North Asia my destination (apparently you can do this if booking it through the call centre). So, say I picked a North Asian destination TG offer F to (say NRT or HKG). As you cant do mixed class redemptions on LM, unless I booked a separate F BKK-NRT, I could do J MEL-BKK-NRT then F back NRT-BKK-SYD. This is only about $150 more than doing MEL-BKK J then BKK-SYD F.

I thought TG will/is running an A380 BKK-NRT but cant find any availability in F on that route for late September or early Oct (not released yet or not available to LM?). Even if I picked somewhere like HKG and got a daytime 747 J up and overnight 747 F back I'd still be keen because although it's the F product it would be great to experience it, just to see what its like and then compare it to the A380 F on the last leg.

Is this a really dumb idea to have 6 + extra hours each of J and then F travel just for the fun of it because it's quite cheap? Can you do a turn-around on the same plane? (I.e. up in J back in F on the same plane?)

(I love flying by the way!)

 

[wafliron]

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

Is this a really dumb idea to have 6 + extra hours each of J and then F travel just for the fun of it because it's quite cheap?

(I love flying by the way!)

If you have the spare cash, not at all I say - especially in J/F I'd do it (and I love flying too - even in Y).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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

Is this a really dumb idea to have 6 + extra hours each of J and then F travel just for the fun of it because it's quite cheap? Can you do a turn-around on the same plane? (I.e. up in J back in F on the same plane?)

(I love flying by the way!)

I think it is a bit of a waste to fly anything extra in business class unless you really have to. Business class is ok for short flights, but on most airlines it is just premium economy with a lie flat sleeping surface. Your meals are still slopped up on one tray, you still have to follow the herd and eat when everyone else does. No PJs, no personalised service. Boredom still sets in after three hours and what can you do? Can't even sleep. And on TG the amenity kits and other services aren't even worth the bag they come in (ok, well maybe the new biotherm ones are ok, but the previous ones for about 10 years have been rubbish - poor quality and useful only for the mouthwash). And with zero special ground handling, and lounges pretty much on par with the domestic Qantas club in melbourne (which is pretty dire) I wouldn't bother.

I'd stick with everything in F if you really want to fly for the sake of flying.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

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

TG f award availability to NRT is never good. HND is more likely available.

good luck adding stopovers. I believe you will be unsuccessful.

 

[auriga]

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

I am not sure whether stopovers are impossible, or just hard to get. So, I wouldn't be counting on that.

 

[bcworld]

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

I am not sure whether stopovers are impossible, or just hard to get. So, I wouldn't be counting on that.

I asked about stopovers the other day on Taca chat and was told that it would price as a multicity. That may or not be true, anyway, I went ahead and booked online, 2 seats J Class:

MEL-SIN-DPS (SQ 773 & 772) Destination
DPS-SIN (SQ 772) Stop
SIN-MEL (SQ 773)

...as a multicity. As a multicity it cost an extra 7k miles + extra cash. I could have bought DPS-SIN on a low cost (Air Asia) for about $100 all up but opted for SQ on the same ticket in the end at roughly $100 premium.

The total was 43k miles + A$950pp...so at just shy of A$1600pp certainly not the best value redemption but I was looking at about otherwise $1200ish for the flights with Jetstar / Air Asia etc for the dates in question. I noticed SQ238/7 very occasionally gets substituted for a 77W so everything crossed for that or a rejig of the schedules!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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

I noticed SQ238/7 very occasionally gets substituted for a 77W so everything crossed for that or a rejig of the schedules!

you can track the 77w on the 237/8 on flight aware. it seems to be substituted once a week pretty regularly.

 

[auriga]

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

I asked about stopovers the other day on Taca chat and was told that it would price as a multicity. That may or not be true, anyway, I went ahead and booked online, 2 seats J Class:

MEL-SIN-DPS (SQ 773 & 772) Destination
DPS-SIN (SQ 772) Stop
SIN-MEL (SQ 773)

...as a multicity. As a multicity it cost an extra 7k miles + extra cash. I could have bought DPS-SIN on a low cost (Air Asia) for about $100 all up but opted for SQ on the same ticket in the end at roughly $100 premium.

The total was 43k miles + A$950pp...so at just shy of A$1600pp certainly not the best value redemption but I was looking at about otherwise $1200ish for the flights with Jetstar / Air Asia etc for the dates in question. I noticed SQ238/7 very occasionally gets substituted for a 77W so everything crossed for that or a rejig of the schedules!

The total is the same as doing it all as separate bookings?