Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[burmans]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Yes I know this. But it tends to be a lot more subtle (specific date ranges) than the entire month of January all of which isn't really peak, especially in the premium cabins as mentioned. This is a new thing for TG, certainly in the 6 years that I've been playing.

Yes, but of course about the only thing that you can rely on with TG is that they will frequently be unreliable!

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Yes I know this. But it tends to be a lot more subtle (specific date ranges) than the entire month of January all of which isn't really peak, especially in the premium cabins as mentioned. This is a new thing for TG, certainly in the 6 years that I've been playing.

Definitely new. That's why I said it might be a sign that TG actually makes money on SYD/MEL. Just like their Japan route, they are more stingier on those routes.

 

[smit0847]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Definitely new. That's why I said it might be a sign that TG actually makes money on SYD/MEL. Just like their Japan route, they are more stingier on those routes.

About 3 months ago both flights MEL-BKK on Boxing Day had J availability. Thats arguably the busiest intl travel day of the year.

 

[bcworld]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

About 3 months ago both flights MEL-BKK on Boxing Day had J availability. Thats arguably the busiest intl travel day of the year.

For Y class maybe (although I think the weekend before Xmas would edge it out)...for J it would be quiet time.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Interesting, with the Cyber sale I was limited to buy approx 60k miles as the "system" was saying I had reached the limit of 375k miles for the year.

My account was counting a cancelled flight ( which redeposited the points ) as earned in the annual total. So I did not buy.

Today, with the new promo I can easily buy 101k plus bonus no problem.

I am another person with the love/hate relationship..... well, more love than hate with this program anyway

 

[burmans]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

My friend just made an email inquiry to LM, and this is their reply:

In regard to your first inquiry, a connection must not exceed 24 hours when traveling with our Star Alliance partners since Stop Overs are not allowed; you may confirm this policy in the section by accessing our Terms and Conditions. However, it is possible to add one Stop Over using the "Multi-city" tool only when redeeming Round Trip tickets through the option Enjoy → Air Tickets by accessing our website with your username and password.

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So as long as it's within 24 hours it's good. It's official.

Yes, it doesn't mean the rule won't change tomorrow. But it's the same for every FFP. At least for the moment, this is their official reply.

That's good to have on record. Personally I think the 8 hour "rule" actually reflected a LM bug/quirk rather than official policy and this reply tends to support that.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

My friend just made an email inquiry to LM, and this is their reply:

In regard to your first inquiry, a connection must not exceed 24 hours when traveling with our Star Alliance partners since Stop Overs are not allowed; you may confirm this policy in the section by accessing our Terms and Conditions. However, it is possible to add one Stop Over using the "Multi-city" tool only when redeeming Round Trip tickets through the option Enjoy → Air Tickets by accessing our website with your username and password.

---------------------------------------------
So as long as it's within 24 hours it's good. It's official.

Yes, it doesn't mean the rule won't change tomorrow. But it's the same for every FFP. At least for the moment, this is their official reply.

have they updated the general website to allow connections over 8 hours? (ie for all other flights that don't connect out of Australia)

If this is a system wide update that's excellent news.

 

[bcworld]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Don't know if anyone is sitting on a booking with TG for TG916/7, the second daily 77W operated BKK<>LHR next year, but it seems like TG management played a game of chicken with the slotmasters at LHR and lost! The last TG916/7 will be at the end of the Winter season (26 Mar) whereas I'm sure it was in the schedule for longer than that! It seems like TG will have received no cash for this slot when they could've sold it off for millions.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I don't think so. All online booking is still restricted by the 8hr rule. But I haven't really sat down and played with it.

Right - so what makes you think they will simply extend the 8 hour rule to the tens of thousands of passengers who might now like to send in screenshot instead of booking on line?

While I'm happy this 'rule' is in place for now, I don't think it is a sure bet by any means going forward.

 

[vae086]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Practically not much difference for me, except that I might now try to submit screenshots that involve connections more than 8 hours but under 24 hours. The request still has to go through the 'gatekeeper' at support, where the agent may or may not forward the request to the 'specialized department'.

 

[burmans]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Right - so what makes you think they will simply extend the 8 hour rule to the tens of thousands of passengers who might now like to send in screenshot instead of booking on line?

While I'm happy this 'rule' is in place for now, I don't think it is a sure bet by any means going forward.

I don't disagree with the comment but would have to suggest he's got better evidence of this new "rule" than ever existed on the supposed 8 hour rule. I've yet to see any evidence of this being a rule whatsoever, aside from the fact that very few people have managed to find flights with longer stopovers than 8 hours. But there have been some reports which suggest maybe it's not actually the coded rule in play here. I will of course admit I'm wrong if anyone can provide written evidence of this rule on any Lifemiles/Avianca site (as opposed to speculation on AFF/FT/bloggers etc.).

I still think it's fair more likely this is a bug around matching flights in their IT system (probably when the flight period spans a day). The recent widespread acceptance of routes (via email) not appearing online would in my view tend to support the view the IT system is not applying the rules correctly. Maybe it's me, but I find it hard to regard something that is unpublished, plenty of reports of people having stopovers greater than 8 hours and now written confirmation of contradictory information is actually a "rule".

 

[cleaver]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

This may be a stupid idea, or it could be pure genius.

You can book domestic travel on LM, for example, Air India MAA-DEL or DEL-BOM.

Has any madman tried the same for Australia? For example PER-BKKx-SYD or PER-SINx-SYD? 33k points in J from 'other' to 'other'. Obviously not available via the booking engine so would require screenshots.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I don't disagree with the comment but would have to suggest he's got better evidence of this new "rule" than ever existed on the supposed 8 hour rule. I've yet to see any evidence of this being a rule whatsoever, aside from the fact that very few people have managed to find flights with longer stopovers than 8 hours. But there have been some reports which suggest maybe it's not actually the coded rule in play here. I will of course admit I'm wrong if anyone can provide written evidence of this rule on any Lifemiles/Avianca site (as opposed to speculation on AFF/FT/bloggers etc.).

I still think it's fair more likely this is a bug around matching flights in their IT system (probably when the flight period spans a day). The recent widespread acceptance of routes (via email) not appearing online would in my view tend to support the view the IT system is not applying the rules correctly. Maybe it's me, but I find it hard to regard something that is unpublished, plenty of reports of people having stopovers greater than 8 hours and now written confirmation of contradictory information is actually a "rule".

Perhaps 'rule' is not the right term... maybe 'limitation' or 'restriction' would be better.

On line only allows 8 hours or less. Call centre agents can only book what's on line. That's pretty much where the restriction came into play.

The issue will be that it is manifestly unfair that everyone outside Australia can only book subject to the on-line limitations, but sending in a screenshot will allow you greater flexibility.

This would mean everyone wanting to use the screenshot method should be entitled to do so. I don't think that's what avianca has in mind. Once this gets picked up by the major blogs, I would think LM would restrict the availability of connections to 8 hours or less, to match on line.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

This may be a stupid idea, or it could be pure genius.

You can book domestic travel on LM, for example, Air India MAA-DEL or DEL-BOM.

Has any madman tried the same for Australia? For example PER-BKKx-SYD or PER-SINx-SYD? 33k points in J from 'other' to 'other'. Obviously not available via the booking engine so would require screenshots.

it has been tried before, GUM-TYO-USA. runs into issues of cabotage, so even in the unlikely event LM tickets it for you in error, the airlines won't let you fly it (which you probably wouldn't find out until check in)

 

[cleaver]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

it has been tried before, GUM-TYO-USA. runs into issues of cabotage, so even in the unlikely event LM tickets it for you in error, the airlines won't let you fly it (which you probably wouldn't find out until check in)

Just popped into my head as you hear about people flying PER-SINx-MEL for the AFL grandfinal.

Having a look, I can get most of the way through booking PER-DPSx-MEL on Garuda on their website and SYD-CGKx-PER. But with MA, EK, Air NZ - a third party site will let you do it - but their websites won't.

What would make it not cabotage? Having two separate bookings and or clearing immigration at the stopover point?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Just popped into my head as you hear about people flying PER-SINx-MEL for the AFL grandfinal.

Having a look, I can get most of the way through booking PER-DPSx-MEL on Garuda on their website and SYD-CGKx-PER. But with MA, EK, Air NZ - a third party site will let you do it - but their websites won't.

What would make it not cabotage? Having two separate bookings and or clearing immigration at the stopover point?

It appears that a stopover will break the cabotage issue.

It seems there's a whole body of law around the issue of cabotage, and might depend on how each country views the issue. So it's not entirely clear whether two separate tickets would be enough to get around the issue if the sole purpose of those two tickets was to circumvent the law.

The question is whether you'd be caught these days on separate tickets? I suppose if you had one ticket PER-SIN, and the check-in agent was looking for an onward ticket out of SIN and you produced an immediate connection SIN-MEL, the agent might have some issue.

Note also some airlines have their own interpretation. UA for example refused award travel on their connecting service MEL-SYD where the passenger had an immediate onward connection SYD-BKK on TG.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Their online search engine is very buggy and we all know that. The IT glitch is a perfect example. As we are unable to book online with flights transiting in SE Asia online, does that make it a "limitation" or "restriction"?

What makes me think that they'll extend the 8hrs? Because LM said so! My friend specifically asked:



And LM replied:



I was just simply happy to share such a good news with the fellow forum users and I don't think I deserve to be accused like that. I could have kept this all to myself but I wanted to contribute as I got help from many others. As someone has pointed out before, that some AFF users can be quite rude, and this is a perfect example. TBH, I'm hurt.

If you think I'm preaching heresy, then fine, don't believe in it and don't do it. Screenshot is an effort worked out by many of us, and with our effort, we deserve to have access to more flights than tens of thousands of other users simply sit at home and do nothing and expect others to do the hard work.

Of course, if you are worried that other people would buy miles because they read my comment, and got rejected because connection is >8hrs. Well, this is what happens when you play mileage game. You take advice from other's experience and it mightn't work out. Eg. I trusted you that I'll be allowed into F lounge in BKK flying in F and departing in J on same day. If I don't get admitted, I'm not gonna hold you responsible!

Expressing a word of caution should not be construed as a criticism.

I still believe there are more reasons than not to approach this with caution, not least because of the inequity presented by this solution to LM members in other parts of the world. LM in the USA/Sth America can't access the screenshot method because of their location. Not because of their 'laziness'. Once this comes out they will likely demand to have equal access. What happens then?

Either way, I would not have formally raised the issue by writing to LM. One of two things could have happened... either the advice came back that connections indeed have to be less than 8 hours, and this would have closed the loophole already enjoyed by some. Or the advice comes back that they will allow connections of more than 8 hours, which then potentially opens up the problems mentioned above. It's potentially a lose-lose.

 

[anat0l]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

My friend just made an email inquiry to LM, and this is their reply:

In regard to your first inquiry, a connection must not exceed 24 hours when traveling with our Star Alliance partners since Stop Overs are not allowed; you may confirm this policy in the section by accessing our Terms and Conditions. However, it is possible to add one Stop Over using the "Multi-city" tool only when redeeming Round Trip tickets through the option Enjoy → Air Tickets by accessing our website with your username and password.

---------------------------------------------
So as long as it's within 24 hours it's good. It's official.

Yes, it doesn't mean the rule won't change tomorrow. But it's the same for every FFP. At least for the moment, this is their official reply.

For some reason that doesn't fill me with confidence, but all the same, if it's under 24 hours, give it a go anyway, particularly if it's only say 9 or 10 hours and/or it looks like the only practical connection.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Expressing a word of caution should not be construed as a criticism.

I still believe there are more reasons than not to approach this with caution, not least because of the inequity presented by this solution to LM members in other parts of the world. LM in the USA/Sth America can't access the screenshot method because of their location. Not because of their 'laziness'. Once this comes out they will likely demand to have equal access. What happens then?

Either way, I would not have formally raised the issue by writing to LM. One of two things could have happened... either the advice came back that connections indeed have to be less than 8 hours, and this would have closed the loophole already enjoyed by some. Or the advice comes back that they will allow connections of more than 8 hours, which then potentially opens up the problems mentioned above. It's potentially a lose-lose.

Understand. Obviously I got too excited.

Posts deleted.....

 

[Flashback]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Understand. Obviously I got too excited.

Posts deleted.....

I disagree. Didn't reference the 8 hour limit online in the query to LM and really who cares. As if one question to a random agent will have any effect.