Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[HWilliams]

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

This is a nice find actually. FCO is I think 772ER which as far as I know should be reconfigured with the extra wide (first generation) business seat by now. Officially even US Airways would let you book this as it's not 77W or A380...the LM logic is possibly the same.

So I'm concluding that the 77W and A380 are ideal and they only come up 2 weeks before. You can find SQ flights in advance, but you will not get full 77W or A380 flights. Is this right?

 

[anat0l]

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

I've booked a friend on the A345 to EWR before.

Done it personally before, too. Too bad it's gone now. Availability was pretty sparse - like finding a tree in the desert.

I haven't tried looking for the SQ new J let alone new F (or even Suites) products on LM before, except between SIN and Australia where they do sporadically prop up. Maybe intra-Asia (i.e. tag routes) would be good candidates too.

It's going to get interesting after US DM leave *A whether there might be a surge in AV LM which will cause the other partners to "block" availability to LM in an somewhat similar way to US... yes, I know the latter is a bit of a conspiracy theory....

So I'm concluding that the 77W and A380 are ideal and they only come up 2 weeks before. You can find SQ flights in advance, but you will not get full 77W or A380 flights. Is this right?

LH F also opens some availability 14 days before departure, too, and can be found using AV LM. This might change drastically starting in January if the Lufthansa Group follow through with their plans, but until then......

2 weeks before departure is living life on the edge, but if you can tolerate that (and it doesn't affect your entry / exit conditions), it's one way to get some good products. At worst, unless it's silly season there's usually a backup option anyway (e.g. TG, CA). And unlike US DM, with AV LM there is no expedited ticketing fee.

 

[anat0l]

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

Has anyone flown BR?! Are the soft+hard products any good? I think I have a 332 flight with them booked TPE-VIE. Will I get pants wedgy during flight?

Haven't flown BR, but the A332 J is Premium Laurel class, which is an angle flat seat. Will you get pants wedgie on the flight? Depends on your sleeping technique.

 

[bcworld]

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

So I'm concluding that the 77W and A380 are ideal and they only come up 2 weeks before. You can find SQ flights in advance, but you will not get full 77W or A380 flights. Is this right?

Yes...you will not get many SQ/SQ connections until T-14 days.

As for the cabins...many people like them (the 77W and A380), some on the basis I think that they seemingly offer so much space. However I am not particularly sold on them. I flew SQ218 in J last month...allegedly I had one of the best seats in row 11. The cabin was very worn...the latch that folds the foot rest in place was very precarious. In bed mode, yes it's very wide, but I am short and even thought there was in issue with the length...other non bulkhead rows would be even worse. In seat mode...well it's a bench with pretty limited recline. The CX J seat is leagues ahead of it IMO...without having to be 30+ inches wide!

 

[bcworld]

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

I haven't tried looking for the SQ new J let alone new F (or even Suites) products on LM before, except between SIN and Australia where they do sporadically prop up. Maybe intra-Asia (i.e. tag routes) would be good candidates too.

If we're talking J class there is nothing 'sporadic' about it...the 77W/A380 availability is there day in day out. Also as a separate search SIN-LHR...easy to get, no problems...plus many other long haul routes.

 

[anat0l]

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

As for the cabins...many people like them (the 77W and A380), some on the basis I think that they seemingly offer so much space. However I am not particularly sold on them. I flew SQ218 in J last month...allegedly I had one of the best seats in row 11. The cabin was very worn...the latch that folds the foot rest in place was very precarious. In bed mode, yes it's very wide, but I am short and even thought there was in issue with the length...other non bulkhead rows would be even worse. In seat mode...well it's a bench with pretty limited recline. The CX J seat is leagues ahead of it IMO...without having to be 30+ inches wide!

Well, you'll have some chance to burn on CX J within the next month if all goes to plan! (Of course, you could do it now if you had the right instruments, but you know what I'm alluding to )

The "old" (or rather, still current) SQ longhaul J seat certainly shows some age. One problem with many kinds of leather is that it doesn't age too gracefully at all, and I certainly noticed this when I flew the SQ A345 in September this year. Yes that seat/bed latch is a bit precarious, but it usually holds after bashing it with your fist.

I sat in a non bulkhead row which means sleeping you actually do on an angle (not an angle to the floor, i.e. vertical plane, but in horizontal plane). Also, the seat was so sensitive that if the person in front moved even slightly, you felt that motion all the way from your feet up. Maybe other J products are similar like this if they involve components "connected" to your fellow pax's seat in front, but go figure.

The new SQ longhaul J product looks good - admittedly only seemingly a "reupholster" of the current product but it seems it has a bit more longevity to it. Unfortunately, it's likely not being rolled out at a fast enough pace.

That said, I'm probably with you. On balance, CX J looks nicer than SQ J. Not to mention that CX generally has better lounges, an amenity kit in J (SQ J doesn't have one) and notwithstanding BTC, better food in J. Maybe the only thing apart from the wide bed that SQ pips on CX is better Champagne.

That said anyway, the SQ longhaul J product is more than satisfactory.

 

[anat0l]

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

If we're talking J class there is nothing 'sporadic' about it...the 77W/A380 availability is there day in day out. Also as a separate search SIN-LHR...easy to get, no problems...plus many other long haul routes.

Must've been different to when I was searching. That was a while ago now, though.

I was referring to F but I've had problems locating adequate J options in the past, too. Anyway....

 

[HWilliams]

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

I think I will book the F TG, which looks fantastic and if something comes up (as another poster stated), I will try and book the SQ F instead and cancel the TG. The main appeal of SQ F is that I'm assuming it leaves from Melbourne, which will save them the domestic flight from Melbourne to Sydney.

F ends up being around $525 more than J assuming you get points for 1.5c. I don't get why most people go J, seems like very good value to upgrade to F.

I never really paid attention to the different planes when flying, but just to get an idea was the Boeing 777-200/300 & 747-400 good choices for TG J?

 

[bcworld]

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

I think I will book the F TG, which looks fantastic and if something comes up (as another poster stated), I will try and book the SQ F instead and cancel the TG. The main appeal of SQ F is that I'm assuming it leaves from Melbourne, which will save them the domestic flight from Melbourne to Sydney.

F ends up being around $525 more than J assuming you get points for 1.5c. I don't get why most people go J, seems like very good value to upgrade to F.

You won't get F from MEL...end of story.

People go for J because as you've found out LM does not offer mixed class itineraries...so while I can leave MEL after work on a midnight flight on TG or SQ I would otherwise have to inconvenience myself in both directions by travelling to/from SYD. If I could book e.g. MEL-BKK-LHR with only the BKK-LHR flight in F for F miles I would.

A detailed explanation of TG's seats is almost too complicated to go into but none of the ones you mention would be considered good for overnights...for that you need the 2 class 777-300ER or A380.

 

[Keith009]

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

We thought the Suites cabin looked slightly worn when we flew on them in Oct compared to my first flight in the same cabin in 2008. Didn't notice anything overly obvious, just a generally tired feeling and the seat felt a little lumpy. The OH's seat also had mechanical issues on the 2nd leg (the buttons stopped working and he couldn't bring his seat back into take off position) but the cabin was so empty and we simply moved to a spare seat for meals and landing. I hope they get a refresh/touch up at some stage, even if not a new product.

Maybe the only thing apart from the wide bed that SQ pips on CX is better Champagne.

Depends... Deutz is nasty stuff, but give me Billecart-Salmon NV over Charles Heidsieck NV any day.

 

[bcworld]

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

That said, I'm probably with you. On balance, CX J looks nicer than SQ J. Not to mention that CX generally has better lounges, an amenity kit in J (SQ J doesn't have one) and notwithstanding BTC, better food in J. Maybe the only thing apart from the wide bed that SQ pips on CX is better Champagne.

That said anyway, the SQ longhaul J product is more than satisfactory.

More than satisfactory of course!

Funny you mention better food...I'd rate CX on a par with TG...I think SQ wins that one (in J).

 

[anat0l]

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

More than satisfactory of course!

Funny you mention better food...I'd rate CX on a par with TG...I think SQ wins that one (in J).

Unless CX J have degraded in food quality. I'd go CX > SQ > TG... the difference between SQ and TG, maybe marginal.

SQ J does have BTC to reduce the guesswork, but otherwise some of their food can be at best boring and at worst, not good! (I won't say a disaster - it's not that bad or inedible - but the food isn't always produced to great standard or the dish thought out well).

Only thing that CX J might be chargeable with for food is that it is usually quite rich, and for some people, maybe a tad overseasoned.

 

[dalereardon]

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

Hi,

Can someone do me a quick favour in terms of the award chart? I'm blind and can't read the award miles table properly.

Wondering what the points required for:

Aus to Singapore or Malaysia in both J and F
Aus to Europe in J and F
Singapore or Thailand to Europe in J and F



That way I can work out the points if can get a flight on one booking or have to split into 2 redemptions.

Thanks for the help.

Dale.

 

[bcworld]

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

Unless CX J have degraded in food quality. I'd go CX > SQ > TG... the difference between SQ and TG, maybe marginal.

SQ J does have BTC to reduce the guesswork, but otherwise some of their food can be at best boring and at worst, not good! (I won't say a disaster - it's not that bad or inedible - but the food isn't always produced to great standard or the dish thought out well).

Only thing that CX J might be chargeable with for food is that it is usually quite rich, and for some people, maybe a tad overseasoned.

Think about the main courses. To me, at least it seems as if SQ made some attempt to plate them up. CX and TG both look very much like they just reheated the contents of the porcelain dish. Exhibit A from CX163 last month...Pork Neck in miso sauce...revolting it was too!

 

[casanovawa]

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

Aus to Singapore or Malaysia in both J and F
Aus to Europe in J and F
Singapore or Thailand to Europe in J and F

Oz to south Asia is 95k in J and 130k in F
Oz to Europe is 175k in J and 210k in F
South Asia to Europe is 130k in J and 170k in F

This if i am reading the chart correctly and if i have the most up to date versiion...

 

[anat0l]

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

Think about the main courses. To me, at least it seems as if SQ made some attempt to plate them up. CX and TG both look very much like they just reheated the contents of the porcelain dish. Exhibit A from CX163 last month...Pork Neck in miso sauce...revolting it was too!

That's definitely a downer on CX J presentation, let alone the taste! Usually they prepare better meals than that IME. I hope this tide has not turned (a new spanking product forsaken on the food!).

Last good dish I had in CX J was this pancetta-wrapped fish with cream sauce and roasted vegetables. Now that I reflect on it, CX J doesn't exactly have the best food presentation, does it? Still, the dish below was tasty!

I present the following SQ J dish, a Berkshire (think it was) roast pork with vegetables, fondant potato and jus.

Biggest disappointment was that the pork was dry. Yes a plane dries out things really easily but I wouldn't say dry unless I really meant it. The jus was thin and wasn't enough of it to compensate for the dry pork. The fondant potato was hardly that at all - it was more like those potato chips which you bought with your fish yesterday, and now you've warmed them up the next day. The best element on the dish was the roasted vegetables! Once again, edible, but not spectacular. The chicken tagine I had on QF J on the return journey probably looked uglier than this but it tasted fantastic.

They had run out of Singapore Chicken Rice by the time I was served, but looking at a photo of it from another report, it didn't look all that exciting to be honest.

Anyway, dragging the thread a fair bit off on a tangent here.......

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

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

Well, you'll have some chance to burn on CX J within the next month if all goes to plan! (Of course, you could do it now if you had the right instruments, but you know what I'm alluding to )

No I don't know what you are alluding to. Can you give me a clue? This sounds like something I would like to know

 

[Flashback]

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

That would be a rather long flight as the LHR flight goes via BKK I believe. Product wise would be a great alternative to TG and there always appears to be stacks of availability on BR.

I have my B-I-L booked onto this flight (well, LHR-BKK) but not till March..... if no one else has tried before then, will report back! It looks quite decent. Using it for a LHR-BKK-PER, nice 1 stop journey.

 

[diningdecadence]

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

Oz to south Asia is 95k in J and 130k in F
Oz to Europe is 175k in J and 210k in F
South Asia to Europe is 130k in J and 170k in F

This if i am reading the chart correctly and if i have the most up to date versiion...

Fyi dale- pretty sure this is the return costing. Or, alternatively 2 pax 1 way.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

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

frankly I'm shocked that anyone would rate CX J meals higher than SQ J meals. Both SQ and QF J meal presentation is leap years ahead of anything CX has put in front of me.