Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Oh my goodness! TG has done it again! Now they have changed my flight (glad you asked the question coolkid so I decided to check again!), then have changed my NRT to BKK flight to 773 and the flight number has changed to TG 643 instead of TG 641! Now I need to call LM to get it synchronised again. My trip is only in 2 weeks!!! (Of course, neither TG nor LM told me about it. You just need to constantly check on CMT or TG website to update changes)

Now I only have 2:50 in BKK F lounge.......

 

[Alanslegal]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I may have been lucky but never traveled on a full A380 F cabin (to/from CDG & HKG) so that may be the reason I had no issues with noise, space and privacy (unlike on the terrible A340) and the toilets are actually one of my favourite features. In fact they are the best I've seen in any F (EK/EY A380 showers excluded).

But the thing I like the most about A380 is the certainty. You know exactly what product you will end up getting when you book unlike the old/new cabin gamble with B747s.

I'm with you there; for me I am a tad bias as I love the A380s so that type of plane over any other if it's a full plane or not it is still relatively quiet and way better than the old school F that you may get which has very limited privacy in any instance. The a380 toilets r large, i would judged that it is the same size as EKs but they have a shower where TG has a powder/dressing area. After flying SQ R and EK F on this current trip, I will be downgrading big time flying home with TG 475 later tonight.

 

[mrpooky]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Oh my goodness! TG has done it again! .

This seems to be an ongoing problem.

I've never flown F, but I have ~150K LM miles that I bought the year before last, topped up with a couple of K this year to extend their expiry, and have been seriously contemplating using them for a treat to experience F at least once in my life. But TG is the only LM-available F out of Australia these days, isn't it? I'm not sure that I'm willing to take the risk, given how often there are cries of frustration such as VAG newbie's, above.

Is ANA F out of SYD really going to happen sometime soon for LM rewards? Can anyone advise a LM- and F-virgin on other options than TG?

Thank you,

mrpooky.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

This seems to be an ongoing problem.

I've never flown F, but I have ~150K LM miles that I bought the year before last, topped up with a couple of K this year to extend their expiry, and have been seriously contemplating using them for a treat to experience F at least once in my life. But TG is the only LM-available F out of Australia these days, isn't it? I'm not sure that I'm willing to take the risk, given how often there are cries of frustration such as VAG newbie's, above.

Is ANA F out of SYD really going to happen sometime soon for LM rewards? Can anyone advise a LM- and F-virgin on other options than TG?

Thank you,

mrpooky.

So far I never heard of TG swapping their B747s with B777s (J class only) in SYD so your only "concern" will be getting the old F product and maybe departure time changes.
If you book only SYD-BKK or even with later connection (6-8) hours you should be fine.

Worst case scenario, if TG decide at some point to cancel the not-very-profitable F service to SYD you can simply cancel your booking and pay $USD50.

I wish ANA will fly F to SYD but no one knows.

 

[kpc]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Worst case scenario, if TG decide at some point to cancel the not-very-profitable F service to SYD you can simply cancel your booking and pay $USD50.

wash your mouth out boomy...for even thinking that!!:shock:

I wish ANA will fly F to SYD but no one knows.

Ditto 100%

 

[trixydoza]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

So far I never heard of TG swapping their B747s with B777s (J class only) in SYD .

They can change them:

THAI NW14 Sydney Operation Changes as of 24JUN14 | Airline Route

THAI has updated its Bangkok – Sydney schedule for Northern Winter 2014/15 season, which sees 3 weekly TG471/472 service operated by Boeing 777-300, starting 26OCT14, instead of Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

and then reverse them:

THAI Reverses Frankfurt / Sydney NW14 Operation Changes | Airline Route

Bangkok – Sydney Boeing 747-400 continues to operate 10 weekly flights, instead of planned 3 weekly 777-300 (TG471/472) and 7 weekly -300ER (TG475/476). First Class service will be maintained on/after 26OCT14, on TG471/472

and it's just generally very annoying. We've stopped using them for that reason.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

If you book on the 'flagship' morning departure from SYD you should be pretty much ok for F class. This equally applies to most TG routes... the main flight of the day usually seems to stay relatively in tact, but the second flight of the day can be much more prone to have equipment and schedule changes.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

wash your mouth out boomy...for even thinking

You are right. I have some bookings from next month to April next year so must be positive!

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

This seems to be an ongoing problem.

I've never flown F, but I have ~150K LM miles that I bought the year before last, topped up with a couple of K this year to extend their expiry, and have been seriously contemplating using them for a treat to experience F at least once in my life. But TG is the only LM-available F out of Australia these days, isn't it? I'm not sure that I'm willing to take the risk, given how often there are cries of frustration such as VAG newbie's, above.

Is ANA F out of SYD really going to happen sometime soon for LM rewards? Can anyone advise a LM- and F-virgin on other options than TG?

Thank you,

mrpooky.

Whether ANA fly F or not doesn't depend on LM, but on ANA, and the demand from Australia. In the short term I would say unlikely. There is no competition. In fact, ANA is already offering the best J product between Australia and Japan already (JAL's sky suite is seasonal. QF's business suite is not fully into action yet).

UA is the other one that offers F to australia, but their product is really meh.....

To be able to fully enjoy F, u gotta get out of Australia. Consider a trip to US with stopover in Tokyo. So do 2 redemptions, J to Japan and F to US.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

They can change them:

You got me worried there for a moment.

 

[smit0847]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

If you book on the 'flagship' morning departure from SYD you should be pretty much ok for F class. This equally applies to most TG routes... the main flight of the day usually seems to stay relatively in tact, but the second flight of the day can be much more prone to have equipment and schedule changes.

This. You're also much more likely to have new F on the morning departure than the evening one.

 

[mrpooky]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

To be able to fully enjoy F, u gotta get out of Australia. Consider a trip to US with stopover in Tokyo. So do 2 redemptions, J to Japan and F to US.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. From what I've read on here, TG F, even when it does come through, isn't actually that great a product anyway.

So would you recommend ANA F from Japan, or is there better F-class redeemable through LM from Asia?

Initially I was excited by the thought of using LM miles for SIN F suites, but they sound impossible to get now, and the stories from a couple of years ago about LHA through FRA sounded great -- mainly because of the on-ground treatment -- but also gone now. I flew ANA once in Y and once with an upgrade to J, but that was almost 15 years ago. I have no idea what they're like these days.

I'll probably only ever do this once, so I guess I want to try to make the most of it.

mrpooky.

 

[smit0847]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

They can change them:

THAI NW14 Sydney Operation Changes as of 24JUN14 | Airline Route

THAI has updated its Bangkok – Sydney schedule for Northern Winter 2014/15 season, which sees 3 weekly TG471/472 service operated by Boeing 777-300, starting 26OCT14, instead of Boeing 747-400 aircraft.

and then reverse them:

THAI Reverses Frankfurt / Sydney NW14 Operation Changes | Airline Route

Bangkok – Sydney Boeing 747-400 continues to operate 10 weekly flights, instead of planned 3 weekly 777-300 (TG471/472) and 7 weekly -300ER (TG475/476). First Class service will be maintained on/after 26OCT14, on TG471/472

and it's just generally very annoying. We've stopped using them for that reason.

That was a few weeks of sleepless nights last year!

 

[trixydoza]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Consider a trip to US with stopover in Tokyo. So do 2 redemptions, J to Japan and F to US.

Or J to SIN, and F to US via NRT.

NH NRT to US is 90,000, whereas NH SIN-NRT-US is just 99,000 LMs.

 

[luxury-lizard]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Has anyone had any luck calling LM to book TG Europe-BKK-SYD as a single award (instead of using the screenshot method)?? I read another another forum (FT) that some people have been able to do this - completing the transaction in a single call; i.e. not waiting for the return call from LM for payment.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. From what I've read on here, TG F, even when it does come through, isn't actually that great a product anyway.

So would you recommend ANA F from Japan, or is there better F-class redeemable through LM from Asia?

Initially I was excited by the thought of using LM miles for SIN F suites, but they sound impossible to get now, and the stories from a couple of years ago about LHA through FRA sounded great -- mainly because of the on-ground treatment -- but also gone now. I flew ANA once in Y and once with an upgrade to J, but that was almost 15 years ago. I have no idea what they're like these days.

I'll probably only ever do this once, so I guess I want to try to make the most of it.

mrpooky.

I haven't tried it myself yet (although I got one booked next Apr, LAX-NRT-SIN, hehehe), I heard it's very very good.

The other one worth trying (with great availability) that is on my list, is Asiana A380 suite. You need to position yourself to ICN, which is very easy with LM.

Other than TG, NH and OZ, I don't think there are that many F you can book with LM (I won't waste my LM on UA F, unless it's a tagged flight to NH/OZ and the only one available, otherwise might as well stick with NH J)

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Has anyone had any luck calling LM to book TG Europe-BKK-SYD as a single award (instead of using the screenshot method)?? I read another another forum (FT) that some people have been able to do this - completing the transaction in a single call; i.e. not waiting for the return call from LM for payment.

If you are looking at secondary European cities (eg Scandinavia) you don't need screenshot or call in. Just book online. If LHR and CDG, you can't call. LM agent can see what you see online. Someone I know already tried it and was told that LM email department has different access to award inventory so they can do it manually, but not with phone agent.

 

[luxury-lizard]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Ok thanks - I am looking for CDG-BKK-SYD so will screen shot and send off all necessary details for booking - here's hoping.

 

[trixydoza]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I haven't tried it myself yet (although I got one booked next Apr, LAX-NRT-SIN, hehehe), I heard it's very very good.

I've just done SIN-NRT-SFO-NRT-SIN on NH F. If you can handle the roughly 6AM start out of SIN, the daytime flight is a good opportunity to enjoy F and the catering is very decent. Catering out of NRT is magnificent (and the menus for NRT-SFO and NRT-SIN were identical), out of SFO was much less so.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Has anyone had any luck calling LM to book TG Europe-BKK-SYD as a single award (instead of using the screenshot method)?? I read another another forum (FT) that some people have been able to do this - completing the transaction in a single call; i.e. not waiting for the return call from LM for payment.

You don't have to wait for them to call you, once you receive confirmation email for your new combined booking request just call LM when it's convenient for you, give the reservation code and ask to pay the taxes.