Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[Aussie_flyer]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

One thing I did notice when I did a transfer was that my partner's name and email address came up automatically as soon as I put in the account number! Isn't this a huge security risk?

i saw the name but not email.

 

[timmitch]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

sorry dazz81 i must of missed that bit. well might be time to buy some miles and give it a go.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Just reading it again that is listed as my E ticket number although that is for Mad - Syd. Would that cover both legs or just the confirmed leg?

it should apply to the whole booking, depending on how many segments you have. I got 2 ticket numbers from US recently for a simple return flight to Europe though.

 

[robcuk]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

it should apply to the whole booking, depending on how many segments you have. I got 2 ticket numbers from US recently for a simple return flight to Europe though.

Ok, well hopefully ill have an email from them in the morning. Fingers crossed its a simple fix.

 

[robcuk]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Ok, well hopefully ill have an email from them in the morning. Fingers crossed its a simple fix.

Well unfortunately I didnt have an email from Avianca or lifemiles this morning so I checked my reservation on the
Thai site and I now have a flight from MAD to BKK confirmed. However, its just a shame its for the 1st of Jan as
my flight for SYD from BKK departs 2 days prior on the 30th!!!

So, after a brief online chat with Avianca I rang Thai in BKK and they confirmed there is no award seating for what I
originally booked online, hence the waitlist, why i was allowed to book it if it was unavailable is anyones guess!?

I then spoke to Avianca & after being cut off several times I was advised that I had to speak to TACA as they issued
the ticket. Ok.... Again, I was cut off on 2 occasions after waiting for 15 minutes & eventually I gave up and decided
to use the TACA online chat. I spoke to Bryan who looked into it & told me I should receive an email from the
reservations dept. within 24 hours regarding the problem. Im not optimistic about receiving it.

Hopefully, if they cant get me on my original flight they will cancel it, ill a receive a $$ refund & the miles placed back
into my account. Im beginning to rate the USDM customer service now

 

[timmitch]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

well this might just turn me off and i might stick to plan A and fly qantas and hope for an upgrade

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Well unfortunately I didnt have an email from Avianca or lifemiles this morning so I checked my reservation on the
Thai site and I now have a flight from MAD to BKK confirmed. However, its just a shame its for the 1st of Jan as
my flight for SYD from BKK departs 2 days prior on the 30th!!!

So, after a brief online chat with Avianca I rang Thai in BKK and they confirmed there is no award seating for what I
originally booked online, hence the waitlist, why i was allowed to book it if it was unavailable is anyones guess!?

I then spoke to Avianca & after being cut off several times I was advised that I had to speak to TACA as they issued
the ticket. Ok.... Again, I was cut off on 2 occasions after waiting for 15 minutes & eventually I gave up and decided
to use the TACA online chat. I spoke to Bryan who looked into it & told me I should receive an email from the
reservations dept. within 24 hours regarding the problem. Im not optimistic about receiving it.

Hopefully, if they cant get me on my original flight they will cancel it, ill a receive a $$ refund & the miles placed back
into my account. Im beginning to rate the USDM customer service now

yeah. It might take a while, or a couple of calls with US, but once its done you don't really have to worry that it's on request or anything. At least it's confirmed.

I guess the best use of Lifemiles would be in conjunction with an award booking tool such as ANA or awardtravelr. If they show availability then you'd be fine to book through lifemiles (no request status).

 

[robcuk]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

yeah. It might take a while, or a couple of calls with US, but once its done you don't really have to worry that it's on request or anything. At least it's confirmed.

I guess the best use of Lifemiles would be in conjunction with an award booking tool such as ANA or awardtravelr. If they show availability then you'd be fine to book through lifemiles (no request status).

I did check with awardtravelr, aeroplan, united & lifemiles & the flight showed on every site so i felt pretty safe in the knowledge
that there was availability. Infact MAD was the only city out of Europe on the TG network that had 2 seats on the 29.12 into
BKK. Once i had booked it all availabilty went.

Im guessing due to it being over the Xmas period its proving difficult to book award seats, perhaps booking a straight
forward trip in off peak periods wont encounter these problems & lifemiles are the way forward.

The livechat sounds great but over these past couple of days they basically tell you to call the centre!!

 

[fatlady]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Oh goodness! That is not good news! I did fear there would be significant language issues with a Latin American airline.

From all my intel the only time you would need to call the LM CC is where you want to add a stopover to your journey. This is 'free' except that you pay the call centre booking fee. Otherwise book the whole thing online - their website is pretty good.

Hopefully the more people that call up trying to book *A redemptions the more LM will realise how global their customers are and improve the language and knowledge of their CC staff.

If your friend does manage to make a booking through the CC can you please let us know what the booking fee is?

Thanks

my friend decided to give up and use her US miles instead. sorry about that! i wanted to know the fee too

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

I did check with awardtravelr, aeroplan, united & lifemiles & the flight showed on every site so i felt pretty safe in the knowledge
that there was availability. Infact MAD was the only city out of Europe on the TG network that had 2 seats on the 29.12 into
BKK. Once i had booked it all availabilty went.

Im guessing due to it being over the Xmas period its proving difficult to book award seats, perhaps booking a straight
forward trip in off peak periods wont encounter these problems & lifemiles are the way forward.

The livechat sounds great but over these past couple of days they basically tell you to call the centre!!

oh!! then that makes Lifemiles a bit screwy in terms of getting anything guaranteed

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

i wouldnt draw too many conclusions from just one or two bookings. The airline has only been in Star less than a month, I think a few teething problems would not be all that unusual.

 

[robcuk]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

i wouldnt draw too many conclusions from just one or two bookings. The airline has only been in Star less than a month, I think a few teething problems would not be all that unusual.

I think that's fair comment and the availability I found was on all the other sites not just Lifemiles so perhaps its
Thai airways causing the trouble.

 

[UpInTheAir]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Has anyone successfully completed a booking involving SQ J/F class on 77W/A380 yet? If someone wants to try it I'll happily re-imburse them the USD50 cancellation fee.
What is the call centre booking fee? I read one post saying it depends on the routing - any examples?
Are AU domiciled accounts taxes zero for miles purchases and transfers? I read one post but wondered if some others could confirm.
Many thanks.

 

[bcworld]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Are AU domiciled accounts taxes zero for miles purchases and transfers?

There are no taxes for AU purchasers / transfers.

Does SQ 77W/A380 premium still show up in results like it did in the beginning? I haven't noticed it on any recent searches. In fact MEL-SIN is only offering my MEL-BKK-SIN on TG.

You can safely assume it's not going to happen.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

There are no taxes for AU purchasers / transfers.

Does SQ 77W/A380 premium still show up in results like it did in the beginning? I haven't noticed it on any recent searches. In fact MEL-SIN is only offering my MEL-BKK-SIN on TG.

You can safely assume it's not going to happen.

The website clearly states SQ bookings will not be available until September, you can see this if you go into the SQ earning page. Yes I know there was some J class showing up initially but indeed these have vanished. SQ is not yet an option in the airlines list for redemptions either.

 

[bcworld]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

The website clearly states SQ bookings will not be available until September, you can see this if you go into the SQ earning page. Yes I know there was some J class showing up initially but indeed these have vanished. SQ is not yet an option in the airlines list for redemptions either.

I wonder why there is a delay with SQ but seemingly not other carriers? SQ's superiority complex at work again?

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

I wonder why there is a delay with SQ but seemingly not other carriers? SQ's superiority complex at work again?

Who knows... but I do hope we can see some availability come September. Unlikely anything in F but in J at least.

 

[smit0847]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

Who knows... but I do hope we can see some availability come September. Unlikely anything in F but in J at least.

It'll probably just be the 'regional' (non 77W/A380) J if its there at all.

If you are wanting to fly F through this program I would be looking at our good friends from Thailand.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

It'll probably just be the 'regional' (non 77W/A380) J if its there at all.

If you are wanting to fly F through this program I would be looking at our good friends from Thailand.

well there was no problems getting J on the BMI program with SQ 77W/A380 at the end, so you never know.

 

[bcworld]

Re: Avianca Transfer Miles promo (of course you need some miles to start with)

well there was no problems getting J on the BMI program with SQ 77W/A380 at the end, so you never know.

This appeared to be down to bmi's then ownership by LH though...and it seemed the me that right at the very end the access to SQ dried up.

I know Avianca does have a bit of a relationship with LH so maybe, just maybe...but I very much doubt it.