Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[boomy]

You've mentioned service, wine list and bed being better on LH, add to that the amenities (TG significantly behind on the design and quality). I'd also argue the food is better, but that's subjective.

I left out the food on purpose because I think it's overrated on LH. I'm also a fan of BTC option TG offers but well aware they are not the best in the air when it comes to food quality. Now about the amenities, LH switched from Rimowa to an absolutely hideous kit, seriously one of the ugliest I've ever seen in F. At least they kept La Prairie creams inside which my +1 loves but I don't use any creams so TG is the winner for me for the much better looking kits.

 

[boomy]

I'm undecided whether to take the plunge with the current LM offer. I have no existing points with it.

My main interest is one-way J SYD to East Coast USA or Eastern Canada, mid-2018. However I could not a single date that was not "sold out". Just for an experiment, I tried dates this year and found only a few very long routes via NZ.I thought I had finally found one in F, but when I looked the details, the whole flight was actually economy (but still priced at 105k points).

Is it always this bad? Or is this one of the "glitches"?

I'm assuming it can't be that bad all the time, otherwise nobody would every use it.

From SYD to USA the biggest issue will be the first leg to Asia, from there finding availability with NH or OZ shouldn't be too difficult. If you can either position yourself in Asia or taking a longer route as I'm doing next year with TG and OZ is another option. Screenshots may be required tho.

 

[drron]

TG in the last 12 months have really upgraded their food-but you have to like Thai food.Their Thai dishes I have had on the last 2 flights have been fantastic.

 

[Cynicor]

Can anyone get to southern Africa at all from AU anymore? Any tips on my searching? I'm looking late Nov/early Dec return. Thanks!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Can anyone get to southern Africa at all from AU anymore? Any tips on my searching? I'm looking late Nov/early Dec return. Thanks!

It is possible from PER, but a circuitous routing. LM is wanting to do PER-SIN-ADD-JNB (SQ/ET/ET). Depending on the day it is either all business class or mixed cabins.

That's with smartsearch. Although UA is returning wide open with SA out of PER for November it isn't showing on LM.

 

[Cynicor]

Thank you. I have next to no net access here, it takes minutes to load even this forum! Maybe I should get some United miles... I think they are on sale or am I wrong? Do you have a thought on J to SA from PER via United's program (I've never used it)?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thank you. I have next to no net access here, it takes minutes to load even this forum! Maybe I should get some United miles... I think they are on sale or am I wrong? Do you have a thought on J to SA from PER via United's program (I've never used it)?

Thank you. I have next to no net access here, it takes minutes to load even this forum! Maybe I should get some United miles... I think they are on sale or am I wrong? Do you have a thought on J to SA from PER via United's program (I've never used it)?

searching is easy on united's home page, just check the 'award' box for availability. it seems wide open in November and much of next year. December looks patchy, I didn't check January.

UA's 100% bonus finished I think, but they might have another flash sale for the next couple of days? 75%. Or that might have been AA - they all seem to be having sales ATM.

Edited: UA does have a 75% flash sale on now for a couple of days. Works out to 2.25c per mile (USD). To Sth Africa its 85K UA miles, so AUD2284 each way before taxes. Not the best value.

 

[auriga]

I hope they are not going to block seats from showing/restrict availability

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I hope they are not going to block seats from showing/restrict availability

They already do. LM blocks a lot of LH F (far less availability than showing through UA or AC) and CA (although this might be coming back in a limited way). SA (out of PER at least) is another.

 

[auriga]

They already do. LM blocks a lot of LH F (far less availability than showing through UA or AC) and CA (although this might be coming back in a limited way). SA (out of PER at least) is another.

Yeah, I am aware of that.... sad

I mean, like blocking Asiana, blocking Thai, blocking Eva as well on top of all that....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yeah, I am aware of that.... sad

I mean, like blocking Asiana, blocking Thai, blocking Eva as well on top of all that....

Oh, yeah. They block all of those too. But less extensively. The availability on LM rarely matches what can be found on UA, although oddly LM had more availability TPE-PVG on BR than UA did. But that was about the only time where LM exceeded UA.

 

[BobbyFlyer]

Help appreciated here please!!!
We had family booked from TG BKK-KIX connecting NJ KIX-CTS in Dec and SWMBO and I were in F and 2 kids in J for first leg. Thought all was good until checked flights recently. Plane has been downgraded from a 747 to a 777-300 (not happy!) but therefore our F tickets are no longer valid as we are have to be in J. We currently have no e-ticket therefore for flights. Kids tix are fine.
I rang Thai and whilst they have allocated our seats in J they need our tickets to be reissued....rang Avianca tonight, they cant reissue as there is no award J availability for that date....caught in a loop here.
Please any advice appreciated as to what to do here!!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Help appreciated here please!!!
We had family booked from TG BKK-KIX connecting NJ KIX-CTS in Dec and SWMBO and I were in F and 2 kids in J for first leg. Thought all was good until checked flights recently. Plane has been downgraded from a 747 to a 777-300 (not happy!) but therefore our F tickets are no longer valid as we are have to be in J. We currently have no e-ticket therefore for flights. Kids tix are fine.
I rang Thai and whilst they have allocated our seats in J they need our tickets to be reissued....rang Avianca tonight, they cant reissue as there is no award J availability for that date....caught in a loop here.
Please any advice appreciated as to what to do here!!

You can email or call the TG office in Perth (or if they don't have a dedicated office there, Melbourne). When the aircraft was downgraded TG should have mapped you across to business class, but may not have mapped you across to an award fare code.

This is fairly easy for them to fix, but may take a couple days. The Melbourne office can take care of it, sending a message to head office to convert the existing seats to awards. Once done, you can call Avianca/Lifemiles to reissue the ticket.

 

[BobbyFlyer]

You can email or call the TG office in Perth (or if they don't have a dedicated office there, Melbourne). When the aircraft was downgraded TG should have mapped you across to business class, but may not have mapped you across to an award fare code.

This is fairly easy for them to fix, but may take a couple days. The Melbourne office can take care of it, sending a message to head office to convert the existing seats to awards. Once done, you can call Avianca/Lifemiles to reissue the ticket.

Thanks MEL_Traveller. You've saved me again! I do still like Lifemiles, but wish it came with a little less angst!!

 

[mushypeas]

is there a glitch with Air Canada & AirNZ? Every time I select the flight, select how many miles I end up with an error - I've tried BNE > YVR & MEL > YVR ... both with the same error (the screen before it shows the taxes):
--
Sorry, There was problem while processing your transaction.
Please try again.If the problem persists or you need additional information please contact LifeMiles Support.
--
Do I have to jerk about sending screen shots and whatnot?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

is there a glitch with Air Canada & AirNZ? Every time I select the flight, select how many miles I end up with an error - I've tried BNE > YVR & MEL > YVR ... both with the same error (the screen before it shows the taxes):
--
Sorry, There was problem while processing your transaction.
Please try again.If the problem persists or you need additional information please contact LifeMiles Support.
--
Do I have to jerk about sending screen shots and whatnot?

Air Canadia should be bookable, Air NZ not o much - there's a known glitch where it incorrectly applies the fare class (shows F but it books into Y). You could try screenshot, but you'd need to confirm availability of the NZ sectors in the class you want.

 

[BobbyFlyer]

Looks like new flight booking engine is live again.....albeit it doesn't show any flights on it that I can find (even I know they were there yesterday!)....all a bit amateurish.....

 

[I love to travel]

Looks like new flight booking engine is live again.....albeit it doesn't show any flights on it that I can find (even I know they were there yesterday!)....all a bit amateurish.....

Are you only working the amateurish bit out

 

[BobbyFlyer]

Are you only working the amateurish bit out

Ha!...yes I keep forgetting who I'm dealing with!!

 

[jgm]

is there a glitch with Air Canada & AirNZ? Every time I select the flight, select how many miles I end up with an error - I've tried BNE > YVR & MEL > YVR ... both with the same error (the screen before it shows the taxes):
--
Sorry, There was problem while processing your transaction.
Please try again.If the problem persists or you need additional information please contact LifeMiles Support.
--
Do I have to jerk about sending screen shots and whatnot?

I had to use screen shots to book BNE-YVR on AC.