Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[BacchusMarsh]

Re: Avianca Life Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here

The flight Icn-Syd is in Dec....when I looked at the seat map on Expert Flyer, the seat configuration in J is 1:2:1 hence the Smartium seats...of course, the aircraft may change between now and when I'm flying!

It might change for the better if it's in December, as when they used the A380 this past summer.

When you go to select your seat on Asiana, does it also show that layout?

 

[MaxLaughton]

Re: Avianca Life Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here

Looking to do MEL-BKK-NRT for later this year but returning ICN-BKK-MEL. The flights are all available as of now but will this be allowed if I go for it via screenshots? Or will I need to keep it simple and return from NRT as well?

Also not sure whether to do that or try to position from SYD for newer planes. Any idea whether MEL flights will get the newer planes any time soon or if this is worth it?

 

[BacchusMarsh]

Re: Avianca Life Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here

Looking to do MEL-BKK-NRT for later this year but returning ICN-BKK-MEL. The flights are all available as of now but will this be allowed if I go for it via screenshots? Or will I need to keep it simple and return from NRT as well?

Should only be an extra USD25 to book as two one-ways...

 

[bcworld]

Re: Avianca Life Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here

Also not sure whether to do that or try to position from SYD for newer planes. Any idea whether MEL flights will get the newer planes any time soon or if this is worth it?

MEL is more likely to have better product (chance of 77W, A359 depending on when and the whims of TG)...SYD will pretty reliably be on 747.

That's all assuming TG of course. Your benefit of positioning to SYD would be potential non-stops, but then as you really want to go from/to MEL that point is probably moot.

 

[I love to travel]

All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Cannot find any avilablity in Nov Dec or Jan - there was heaps last week. Anyone else having problems?

 

[bcworld]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Cannot find any avilablity in Nov Dec or Jan - there was heaps last week. Anyone else having problems?

The website is behaving erratically (more so than usual!). There is availability there, but it seems that it's not shown in the 5 day view. So I searched for 15 Nov...found availability, switched to the 5 day view then got nothing, including 15 Nov. So I think maybe if you get no match on your search day then you won't find it by showing more days. Use another search engine (UA) to find availability then try the matching dates on LM search.

 

[Rthursty]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

my point was they didn't use skype (didn't know they could) so they just used their regular telstra mobile to call London, USA and Columbia.

They just called again (using skype this time) and avianca is insisting it is a card block. They now can't either cancel or pay for the change. So they're stuck in limbo. (The airline is showing the seat for the revised date, but no good for travel).

My suggestion is this... they book and pay for an entirely new seat (one is still available). Contact the operating airline to advise there is now a duplicate booking, and which can and can't be cancelled. Then contact LM via email to have them sort out the redundant booking.

Any pitfalls anyone can see with that? (or alternative suggestions)

The flight is leaving in a few days, so kinda urgent.

edited to add - LM also suggested my friend could get a friend in New York to go into the city office to pay for the change. Somehow I have my doubts about that?

May I know the skype name/number of Lifemiles support?

 

[Rthursty]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Is there a free Skype account of lifemiles support?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Is there a free Skype account of lifemiles support?

Contact numbers can be found here: Call Center | Customer service line | Avianca

Ages ago toll free (1-800) number used to be free on skype. Dunno if it's still the case or not. If so, the USA one should be ok

 

[Finale]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I find hangouts more reliable than skype especially with key pads. I ran into key pad issue too often with skype but never once with hangouts. It offers free calls to US/CA number as well.

 

[auriga]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Yes, the toll free US number works on Skype.

 

[tallboy]

Re: Follow up on request using 3 screenshots

Apologies if this has been asked/answered before, I searched but could not find:

Can anyone advise if there is a maximum number of screenshots that can be used to book an itinerary? (ie., apart from the first showing no availability, are three screenshots allowed?).

I am looking for MEL-BCN in J and can't find with less than 3.

Thanks in anticipation.

tb

I dont think there is any limit. I have done 3 before. Also dont worry about not avaliable screenshot I haven't done this for about 6 months and they have never asked for it.

Thanks to those who responded.

The travel request was for April 2017, and the following took place in late February:

I used a 'standard' screenshot request email with the usual information. I also indicated that the traveller (not me) would be happy to accept suggestions for alternate routings if available. I sent four screenshots ~ one of the unavailable sectors and three showing a fairly complex routing but where all sectors were showing available:

MEL-BKK (TG)
BKK-HAN-ICN (OZ)
ICN-IST-BCN (TK).

A bit of a marathon, but connection times were reasonable.

LM sent back an email after about 24 hours with a booking using the alternate routing of MEL-BKK-CAI-BCN, using TG and MS (Egyptair). The itinerary was more direct and time efficient, but didn't suit the traveller.

We decided not to call and confirm the itinerary, but the next evening Diego from Avianca called to ask if we were going ahead with it. We declined, but asked if he could search for some other available routings, which he was happy to do. He was very patient and helpful, but to cut a long story short, after one more late night call, where we took a while to connect with him, we settled on the following:

MEL-SIN-PEK (2 x SQ A380s)
PEK-IST-BCN (TK B77W & A330)

The above includes a 9-hour afternoon layover in PEK, which the traveller is quite happy with.

Diego found the SQ availability for us (not visible via LM online) and we pointed him toward the TK availability.

Interestingly, he also found & proposed LX from PEK-ZRH-BCN, but it required a longer (16hr) layover in PEK, involving an overnight stay, which he was however prepared to ticket for us.

Hopefully a few data points to assist others.

Many thanks to Diego from Avianca

TB

 

[Rthursty]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thanks for your reply . I could not use the toll free number but used the number in Bogota and it worked fine. It didn't cost much on Skype as I used only half an hour.

 

[I love to travel]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Cannot find any avilablity in Nov Dec or Jan - there was heaps last week. Anyone else having problems?

A data point for some. LM website is really wonky at the moment. Availability comes up for routes where you know their is availability eg SIN to BNE and United can see it only very spasmodically. You need literally to do about 7-8 searches and eventually the website produces the seat. SO the take home message is just keep searching for your SQ J seats on allowable routes - the 777 aircraft change is not the problem. I got my seats ticketed fine too so its not phantom availability.

 

[st4ffh]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

I've noticed that there's a fair amount of availability visible on United's award booking engine, but not seemingly available to LM (even for non-stop flights or itineraries where the connection is shorter than 8 hours). Is there some trick to unlock this space?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

I've noticed that there's a fair amount of availability visible on United's award booking engine, but not seemingly available to LM (even for non-stop flights or itineraries where the connection is shorter than 8 hours). Is there some trick to unlock this space?

Welcome to AFF.

You could try selecting the specific airline from the drop-down list. This will force the flights on to your preferred carrier and will often show up the same results as on UA.

Selecting 'star alliance' may also bring different flight combos up.

In some cases LM returns results over and above what's displayed on UA, so worth going through the various airlines in the drop down to see what's there.

Failing all of that, if you can find individual sectors on LM, you can screenshot them and send them in (along with the total trip coming back 'not available'). LM will then book it manually for you.

 

[yeahbut]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Booked a business class redemption through Lifemiles. ADL - SIN on Singapore Airlines and then SIN - ZUR - LHR on Swissair. Got the e-tickets and selected a seat on ADL-SIN sector, but e-ticket number isn't recognized on the Swiss site for seat selection. Anyone else experienced this? Or should I be calling the Swiss office in Sydney?

Thanks

 

[bcworld]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Booked a business class redemption through Lifemiles. ADL - SIN on Singapore Airlines and then SIN - ZUR - LHR on Swissair. Got the e-tickets and selected a seat on ADL-SIN sector, but e-ticket number isn't recognized on the Swiss site for seat selection. Anyone else experienced this? Or should I be calling the Swiss office in Sydney?

Thanks

Doesn't LX use Amadeus? If so you could try your LifeMiles PNR, not a ticket number.

 

[Glider_]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Got the e-tickets and selected a seat on ADL-SIN sector, but e-ticket number isn't recognized on the Swiss site for seat selection. Anyone else experienced this? Or should I be calling the Swiss office in Sydney?

Thanks

I had something similar on a LM Swiss redemption, I rang Swiss and they did the seat selection over the phone.

 

[Cynicor]

Re: All the SQ J class seems to have disapperaed

Anyone else having issues trying to send an email to LM? It doesn't seem to want to send, gets rejected as "unsolicited"...