Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[anna2103]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I got one for my 2015 flight - no apparent changes.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Got new e-tickets only for flights in 2016.
Nothing for this year flights.

Now I'm starting to receive new e-tickets for this year flights. Got 1 out of 7 so far... I'm just thankful for having access to this thread otherwise I would feel even more confused.

 

[JessicaTam]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I recently tried to book a TG F seat but had not forewarned my CC company that there is nothing wrong with buying from Colombian websites.

I have fixed that now, but the seat has not returned to inventory. How long should I expect to wait before looking at other options? It has been nearly 48 hours.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I recently tried to book a TG F seat but had not forewarned my CC company that there is nothing wrong with buying from Colombian websites.

I have fixed that now, but the seat has not returned to inventory. How long should I expect to wait before looking at other options? It has been nearly 48 hours.

In my experience, 72 hours. But you can call LM if u have the PNR number to undo the booking and it will be returned to the inventory immediately. I once accidentally put the wrong CC number and that's what they did.

 

[kpc]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I recently tried to book a TG F seat but had not forewarned my CC company that there is nothing wrong with buying from Colombian websites.

I have fixed that now, but the seat has not returned to inventory. How long should I expect to wait before looking at other options? It has been nearly 48 hours.

I'll give it another 24-48 hours....it should return unless someone else has snapped it up

 

[Finale]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I recently tried to book a TG F seat but had not forewarned my CC company that there is nothing wrong with buying from Colombian websites.

I have fixed that now, but the seat has not returned to inventory. How long should I expect to wait before looking at other options? It has been nearly 48 hours.

I experienced the same issue with CC and forgot to take note of a reservation number (yes it was showing somewhere on the page). They came back 3 days later.

 

[smit0847]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

28 degrees regularly blocks lifemiles transactions

 

[JessicaTam]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

In my experience, 72 hours. But you can call LM if u have the PNR number to undo the booking and it will be returned to the inventory immediately. I once accidentally put the wrong CC number and that's what they did.

I'll give it another 24-48 hours....it should return unless someone else has snapped it up

I experienced the same issue with CC and forgot to take note of a reservation number (yes it was showing somewhere on the page). They came back 3 days later.

Thanks. I will hang on another day or so. I did see the PNR but didn't take a note of it until too late.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thanks. I will hang on another day or so. I did see the PNR but didn't take a note of it until too late.

I always take the PNR now while it's processing my CC. Knowing that LM is very temperamental, there had been so many times it crashes on the last step yet the award seat has disappeared (I would say 20% of my bookings). Having the PNR makes life a lot easier. If the transaction went through they will just ticket it. If not, I could get them to undo the booking and do it again.

 

[JessicaTam]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I recently tried to book a TG F seat but had not forewarned my CC company that there is nothing wrong with buying from Colombian websites.

I have fixed that now, but the seat has not returned to inventory. How long should I expect to wait before looking at other options? It has been nearly 48 hours.

The seat came back. So now booked in TG new F BKK-SYD. Happy!

 

[RB]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

The seat came back. So now booked in TG new F BKK-SYD. Happy!

Not sure if you have seen photos yet but I will be posting some in my trip report today

 

[JessicaTam]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Not sure if you have seen photos yet but I will be posting some in my trip report today

I have seen a few reports from various websites. That's what made me persevere instead of the 773 direct to MEL. So far I am in 2A with an EF seat alert in for 1A.

 

[Limewood]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

How does Avianca Life Miles stack up against likes of AA and AS (buy miles) programs?.

Is it any easier to get J/F award seats?

 

[JessicaTam]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

How does Avianca Life Miles stack up against likes of AA and AS (buy miles) programs?.

Is it any easier to get J/F award seats?

A few months ago LM 'fixed' a lot of the tricks that were available to those in the know. It is now on a par with AA for value, with a couple of exceptions:

LM only book single class redemptions with a maximum (generally) of 8 hours between sectors. So it is not possible to book (say) SYD-BKK in F followed by BKK-SIN in J. Connections have also become very difficult to book without contacting LM direct.

On the other hand LM does allow points + pay, whereas you need the full amount in points with AA.

 

[luxury-lizard]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

How does Avianca Life Miles stack up against likes of AA and AS (buy miles) programs?.

Is it any easier to get J/F award seats?

Other experts will chip in - but LM points are cheaper than AA (when bought using one of their promos) but they generally require more points for an award and their "rules" are more restrictive. That being said - it is the only way (I know of) to get (cheap) points in a program which is part of Star Alliance. The LM web site is also bug-ridden and booking an award online (which you must do or pay a $150 fee) can be problematic.

 

[sergeyvzn]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

How does Avianca Life Miles stack up against likes of AA and AS (buy miles) programs?.

Is it any easier to get J/F award seats?

cheaper to buy miles, I'd say it's probably the cheapest now? You only need to have about 40% of the miles on your account, the rest can be bought at the award booking stage by selecting Miles + Pay, it;s very cost effective with the cost of 0.015 US cents per mile

It's good for simple, point to point itineraries, plenty of J/F seats to get out of Australia on Thai and Air India but that's pretty much it. There are occasional Air China seats and others but you have to make an effort to find them.

Anything apart from a simple point to point is a struggle, you often have to break it up into sectors and book them separately that obviously costs more. Can't get anything other than economy on Singapore Airlines out of Australia

Still, there are gems there, like ANA F seats out of Japan (and, hopefully, soon out of Sydney), Lufthansa F at T-14, Singapore J seats out of Singapore, lots of Avianca/Taca seats in Latin America to name just a few

I'm using a Lifemiles booking in January to get to Sao Paolo from Australia on South African out of Perth, plenty of J seats on South African Airlines and it's 80K in J. Considering how difficult (almost impossible in fact!) to get from Australia to South America on points, it's a steal

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

How does Avianca Life Miles stack up against likes of AA and AS (buy miles) programs?.

Is it any easier to get J/F award seats?

Avianca works out to about 1.5c per mile if you take advantage of their 2-4-1 promos. You can also 'top up' miles needed for an award with cash, again at 1.5c per mile (you need only have 40% of the base award in actual miles in your account, and can top up from that point on).

Availability is good for star alliance. Getting that availability through Lifemiles however is not.

Since late last year, a glitch with the award engine means virtually no itineraries with connecting flights will display, or be able to be booked, using the on-line tool.

The call centre can only book what we can see on line, so the work around is to piece together an itinerary for each leg, take screen shots of all those flights, then take a screenshot showing the itinerary as a whole cannot be booked. Those screenshots have to be sent by email, and they'll call you for payment if they make the booking (that's not a given).

While that's not so difficult - there are rules when you try to find each segment of an itinerary... no connections over 8 hours. And you can't choose any weird itinerary you want like you could with US Airways. Lifemiles will only book what the system was able to book online before the glitch. How do you know what it could book before the glitch? You don't really, unless you were searching at the time.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Still, there are gems there, like ANA F seats out of Japan (and, hopefully, soon out of Sydney)

It's available now and wide open! You can easily connect to JFK, ORD, LHR, CDG, DUS just to name a few. Not to mention almost all Asia is in your reach for 40000 oneway in J ($600 USD! Way cheaper than AA $900+)

 

[aaronjames000]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

It's available now and wide open! You can easily connect to JFK, ORD, LHR, CDG, DUS just to name a few. Not to mention almost all Asia is in your reach for 40000 oneway in J ($600 USD! Way cheaper than AA $900+)

Sydney to Japan in ANA F available now? Or just the connecting flights out of japan?

 

[aaronjames000]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Sydney to Japan in ANA F available now? Or just the connecting flights out of japan?

Silly me I should think before I speak! ANA J out of sydney and yahoo it is open wide! Time to ditch my TG J booking!