Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[smit0847]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

New TG operatio changes (Aug 26) THAI W15 Operation Changes as of 26AUG15 | Airline Route

My TG660 to HND will get 747 from Oct 25 (as planned) but it's TG so I will need to keep my finger crossed until November when I fly.

MXP loses F, NRT loses most of its F services.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

That's probably a fair refelction of the star alliance rules - but individual airlines have their own independent lounge access policies.

Many airlines will offer connecting F->J pax access based on the arriving flight (especially if no F on the connection). Among those are CX, OZ, LX, LH.

I am in a real dilemma now. If I can still get access to F lounge then I might consider accepting the inevitable. It's a risk I take when I book with TG....

But looking at the alternatives. ANA has been fully booked out on the date I am traveling. SQ is on waitlist. QF has zippo as usual. JAL has one first class seat still available but I have to wait for my Asia Miles to transfer.

Did anyone have any experience in cancelling LM ticket with cancellation fee waived because of involuntary change?

 

[anat0l]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Likely worth noting, although of course the A380 options still exist, but they have limited runs:

Asiana Eliminating First Class on Most Aircraft - View from the Wing

 

[trixydoza]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Did anyone have any experience in cancelling LM ticket with cancellation fee waived because of involuntary change?

Tried it this morning, no go. But for USD50, not worth making a fuss. I feel a kind of Stockholm Syndrome in that I'm just so happy when a cancellation works the first or second time around.

 

[FreddyFattler]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Sorry to be a pain, i know it's probably been posted a thousand times, but could someone please let me know what info to include in the email re screenshot method to avoid several back and forths?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Sorry to be a pain, i know it's probably been posted a thousand times, but could someone please let me know what info to include in the email re screenshot method to avoid several back and forths?

• 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.

Plus the three screenshots and once sentence explaining 'I am trying to book from [x] to [y] but due to system problems this connection will not display for bookings departing Australia'.

It's not a huge issue if you don't provide everything they need - they will set up the booking and email you for adidtional information. Just adds an extra day to the process due to the time differences.

 

[luxury-lizard]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Sorry to be a pain, i know it's probably been posted a thousand times, but could someone please let me know what info to include in the email re screenshot method to avoid several back and forths?

I recently made a "screen shot" booking and provided the following (just to be sure I didn't miss anything):-

Full name of each passenger as shown in passport
Date of birth
Male/female
Passport number / country of issue / expiry date
LifeMiles number for each passenger
telephone number to call you and best time expressed as local time and time in Columbia

 

[luxury-lizard]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I recently made a "screen shot" booking and provided the following (just to be sure I didn't miss anything):-

Full name of each passenger as shown in passport
Date of birth
Male/female
Passport number / country of issue / expiry date
LifeMiles number for each passenger
telephone number to call you and best time expressed as local time and time in Columbia

oops forgot to mention - LM # where to deduct miles and if (and how many) miles you wish to buy at point of booking

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I learned from FT TG forums that arrival in F is sufficient for access to the F Lounge, as long as your next flight is on an international TG flight. For F spa services, unless you're flying out on TG F, then maybe you won't get those.

That's probably a fair refelction of the star alliance rules - but individual airlines have their own independent lounge access policies.

Many airlines will offer connecting F->J pax access based on the arriving flight (especially if no F on the connection). Among those are CX, OZ, LX, LH.

I found this flow chart stating the lounge access policy for TG. Looks like you guys are right. If I still have F lounge access, and still minimum 30 min massage (hopefully they will grant me 1 hr), 5.5 hrs of A330 J is not too bad, even though it's a red eye flight in angled lie flat.

So I thought I might post it for anyone else that might be affected. (source: Thai Royal Orchid Spa and First Class Lounge Access - Efficient Asian Man)
I hope things haven't changed since........

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I found this flow chart stating the lounge access policy for TG

Which is exactly the same answer as given up-thread. Yet the earlier replies were somewhat simpler

The chart you posted is not an official lounge access chart, it holds no weight of and in itself.

 

[Gogo65]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I've emailed LM asking them to send me e-ticket for flights booked a while ago and got this reply:

"Regarding your request, we have verified your reservation; which shows departure time changes in the flight. In order to confirm your itinerary, you should get in contact with our Avianca's Call Center as the ticket must be synchronized with the new schedule times."

Since when we need to call LM to confirm time changes? I had minor changes a few times before (this one is 30 min) and never had to confirm any by phone.

HI everyone,
I had something similar with United airlines, so I'm coming here for advice.
I originally booked a Sydney-Calgary (SYD-SFO-YYC) flight using lifemiles.
Originally my SFO-YYC was ticketed as UA 1564 (Which I questioned here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-airlines-flight-number-difference-69772.html)
I was eventually able to allocate seats but the flight number changed to UA 865, everything else stayed the same.
However, I went on and paid for an economy plus seat this week, and I ended up with a message on my united booking saying I needed to get my ticket reissued. I contacted United in Australia and they said that due to a schedule change, I need to contact Avianca directly to have the ticket reissued.
I emailed Avianca and they have said I must call them as the flight has been cancelled. I have just checked online at United and everything seems ok, and the message has been removed regarding having the ticket reissued.
Do I need to call Avianca? or should I just front up to the airport (the flight is on the 17/9).
Thanks
gogo

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

HI everyone,
I had something similar with United airlines, so I'm coming here for advice.
I originally booked a Sydney-Calgary (SYD-SFO-YYC) flight using lifemiles.
Originally my SFO-YYC was ticketed as UA 1564 (Which I questioned here http://www.australianfrequentflyer....-airlines-flight-number-difference-69772.html)
I was eventually able to allocate seats but the flight number changed to UA 865, everything else stayed the same.
However, I went on and paid for an economy plus seat this week, and I ended up with a message on my united booking saying I needed to get my ticket reissued. I contacted United in Australia and they said that due to a schedule change, I need to contact Avianca directly to have the ticket reissued.
I emailed Avianca and they have said I must call them as the flight has been cancelled. I have just checked online at United and everything seems ok, and the message has been removed regarding having the ticket reissued.
Do I need to call Avianca? or should I just front up to the airport (the flight is on the 17/9).
Thanks
gogo

You should call Avianca.

This will ensure the ticket is now correctly associated with your booking, that United has received payment, and that either you or the airline isn't going to be in a mad scramble on the day of departure to fix it up if there is a problem.

If UA advises you to call I would take that advice.

 

[Gogo65]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

You should call Avianca.

This will ensure the ticket is now correctly associated with your booking, that United has received payment, and that either you or the airline isn't going to be in a mad scramble on the day of departure to fix it up if there is a problem.

If UA advises you to call I would take that advice.

Thanks Mel traveller, I will call then, just seems a pain.....

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thanks Mel traveller, I will call then, just seems a pain.....

It is a pain. They will have trouble finding the right department to reissue the ticket. It takes more than 30 minutes.

You will get used to it if you have a booking with TG. They change schedule all the time.

 

[hummel]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I got lucky and had the 77W a few times out of MEL, was a nice product.

These days I've burnt my LM with one last MEL-BKK-CTS redemption over cup weekend. Whether I take it is a whole other matter!

So my father flew MEL-BKK overnight... he got the 77W. He's probably done 12 of these flights in the past 12 months and only got it once so I had a skype message at midnight last night telling me finally!

Had a look at the past flights and it hadn't been 77W since at least the 13th of this month!

 

[tm.smile]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

It is a pain. They will have trouble finding the right department to reissue the ticket. It takes more than 30 minutes.

You will get used to it if you have a booking with TG. They change schedule all the time.

When I had an issue with a TG schedule change a couple months ago, didn't take very long. Spending a short amount of the time saves for any issues which may cause much longer delays at the airport.

 

[smit0847]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

So my father flew MEL-BKK overnight... he got the 77W. He's probably done 12 of these flights in the past 12 months and only got it once so I had a skype message at midnight last night telling me finally!

Had a look at the past flights and it hadn't been 77W since at least the 13th of this month!

Im doing this flight in dec. Im fully expecting a 772.

 

[hummel]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Im doing this flight in dec. Im fully expecting a 772.

Expect nothing with TG... we've all done enough flights with them to know that.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Expect nothing with TG... we've all done enough flights with them to know that.

You can expect a fairly decent drinks trolley (they mix a good dry martini). And economy food served on crockery.

My advice for anyone in business class on a 772/773 wanting sleep is to ask the crew before take-off if there are any spare blocks of three seats in economy. They'll hold those for you before economy pax have a chance to snag them. With the business class pillow and duvet you can get a more comfortable sleep.

 

[robd]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I'm looking to use LM's one way from EUR (AMS or FRA) next year. I would be happy to book J, but am a bit scared we might end up on the angle seats on the BKK-MEL leg, so I'm thinking perhaps F instead FRA - SYD. Is TG921 to BKK with the arrival time of 06:25 able to be paired with either TG471 departing at 07:00 or TG475 at 19:20? Or do both flights miss on MCT for TG471 and over 8hr transit for TG475?