Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[mhen]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Can I cancel a booking online or do I have to ring them ?

You have to ring. You need to have set up a pin for your account, you speak to a person and then you go through an automated credit card process to pay the $50 per person per ticket cancellation fee. Miles (including miles you purchased when using points and miles to book) come back in a few hours/day. Taxes take months.

 

[Nizar]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

You have to ring. You need to have set up a pin for your account, you speak to a person and then you go through an automated credit card process to pay the $50 per person per ticket cancellation fee. Miles (including miles you purchased when using points and miles to book) come back in a few hours/day. Taxes take months.

Thanks for the info, great to know this stuff beforehand.
Wow at "months" that's ages, when the taxes do finally come back, do they come back as cash or as miles ?

 

[mhen]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Thanks for the info, great to know this stuff beforehand.
Wow at "months" that's ages, when the taxes do finally come back, do they come back as cash or as miles ?

Cash to credit card that was used to pay them. I am waiting for two lots, agent told me it could take 2-3 months.

 

[bcworld]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Cash to credit card that was used to pay them. I am waiting for two lots, agent told me it could take 2-3 months.

It took less than 2 weeks for me.

 

[Nizar]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

It took less than 2 weeks for me.

Maybe its based on the number of the frequent flyer programmes you are a member of ? :mrgreen:
Lol sorry couldn't resist

 

[robcuk]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Maybe he was booking for his family of 11 lol ?

I didn't say it was for a one way flight nor for one person (Most people fly as a couple or a family) Try a simple return for two to LHR in F!

My original post stated CDG but I meant LHR!

CDG still comes in at $480.

LHR comes in at $966.52

 

[Flashback]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I didn't say it was for a one way flight nor for one person (Most people fly as a couple or a family) Try a simple return for two to LHR in F!

My original post stated CDG but I meant LHR!

CDG still comes in at $480.

LHR comes in at $966.52

That is the lovely APD in play there.

 

[bcworld]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

That is the lovely APD in play there.

And the APD just keeps going up as the AUD keeps going down!

 

[robcuk]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

And the APD just keeps going up as the AUD keeps going down!

Huge amount of tax! We are currently in Chicago and coming to an end of our summer holiday, we just used FRA to fly in and out of Europe.

 

[quokka77]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I couldn't get my Amex card to accept a Lifemiles transaction, despite ringing Amex to tell them what to expect. In the end I had to use my non-points-earning Visa (the horror!). Still, seeing the confirmation of $2600 transpac return J flight was worth it.

 

[quokka77]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I still have 165000 points left across 2 accounts from last offer, so won't participate in the current round. Anyone care to share fun itineraries they have managed to book? Personally I liked the look of PER to EZE on South African, but can't persuade the Minister for Families to approve my leave.

 

[dalereardon]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I am not quite sure what "you can't have mixed class tickets" means in practice.

Can you pay the points level of a F ticket all the way but part of your journey be in J? I wouldn't expect any point reduction just because can't get a F seat on one leg.

Or do you have to book the lower common demoninator or split into 2 awards?

Dale.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I am not quite sure what "you can't have mixed class tickets" means in practice.

Can you pay the points level of a F ticket all the way but part of your journey be in J? I wouldn't expect any point reduction just because can't get a F seat on one leg.

Or do you have to book the lower common demoninator or split into 2 awards?

Dale.

you cannot have a ticket which involves more than one class of service, regardless of the amount you are willing to pay.

you cannot combine first and business for example connecting from bangkok to a European city via Frankfurt (with the LH sector in business). or you cannot combine business class travel to china followed by a domestic china connection in economy. or more of a pain, you can't fly Thai business from say Mel, per or Brisbane to bangkok and then fly first class from there to Europe.

 

[gizzard]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

It took less than 2 weeks for me.

About that time for mine too.

I couldn't get my Amex card to accept a Lifemiles transaction, despite ringing Amex to tell them what to expect.

I was never able to get an Amex transaction through and, after checking with the cc company, found that there was nothing that they could do about it as it was Amex that were blocking it.

 

[sighing]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

I couldn't get my Amex card to accept a Lifemiles transaction, despite ringing Amex to tell them what to expect. In the end I had to use my non-points-earning Visa (the horror!). Still, seeing the confirmation of $2600 transpac return J flight was worth it.

I had no problem with my Amex card this morning. Are you using Amex via another bank or is your card direct with Amex? I made a purchase on my LM account and on my missus LM account, and then booked our trip to BKK next April for 3 PAX, all in J. Very happy with the booking!

 

[quokka77]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Amex-issued Amex, not bank issued.

 

[Nizar]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Is there a limit on how many tickets you can buy at the one time ?
Trying to get 4x J tickets shows absolutely no availability SQ to DEL even on the weekly view.
But when I search for 2x J tickets there is plenty of availability ?
I suppose I have to hope that SQ will release more seats to *A once the two have been snapped up or just be prepared to split up the family ?

I know there's no guarantees in life except death taxes and QF enhancements lol but does anyone know usually how long it would roughly take for SQ to replace its award inventory once taken up ?

Cheers

 

[markis10]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Is there a limit on how many tickets you can buy at the one time ?
Trying to get 4x J tickets shows absolutely no availability SQ to DEL even on the weekly view.
But when I search for 2x J tickets there is plenty of availability ?
I suppose I have to hope that SQ will release more seats to *A once the two have been snapped up or just be prepared to split up the family ?

I know there's no guarantees in life except death taxes and QF enhancements lol but does anyone know usually how long it would roughly take for SQ to replace its award inventory once taken up ?

Cheers

No limit on tickets but seat availability for Award bookings is always going to be problematic for 4, especially during peak/school holiday periods.

 

[travelislife]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Your best bet for 4 seats in J is Thai. They only ever list 2 seats but often another 2 are immediately released. The problem with Lifemiles is you can't put tickets on hold. A way around this would be to called up USDM and put 2 tickets on hold. Then go on to Lifemiles and see if the seats are available. If another 2 are there I would book them. Then call back up USDM and cancel the itinerary on hold with the same flights. Then hopefully that inventory drops back in. This isn't a foolproof method but the best I can think of at the moment.

 

[Nizar]

re: Avianca "Life Miles" - New FF program in *A

Your best bet for 4 seats in J is Thai. They only ever list 2 seats but often another 2 are immediately released. The problem with Lifemiles is you can't put tickets on hold. A way around this would be to called up USDM and put 2 tickets on hold. Then go on to Lifemiles and see if the seats are available. If another 2 are there I would book them. Then call back up USDM and cancel the itinerary on hold with the same flights. Then hopefully that inventory drops back in. This isn't a foolproof method but the best I can think of at the moment.

Thanks. "Immediately" was the word I was looking for read: hoping for lol. Good idea with USDM.

The thing is I have seen availability for 3x J tickets ex-SIN to Europe on SQ so obviously it differs by route/destination and the airline probably decides this based on factors like seasonality and average load at that time of year, etc.