Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

[Finale]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion



Ie 'TG changes its mind. Again'.

Good news for SYD. It does look like the A340s have all been taken out of service? I cant even remember which routes they used to fly?

Sydney got it for a bit as well early this year

 

[hummel]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Just wanted to report that I emailed Avianca on Sunday afternoon to call me regarding cancelling my booking for this coming weekend (MEL-BKK-KIX) and received a call back from them on Tuesday afternoon from their American call centre.

I had decided to give it to Wednesday before I called via skype but happy to report miles are back in my account.. no taxes yet but they can take a while.

 

[LuisT]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Will the screenshot method work for connections in Europe? I know it's mostly used for problems with Australian connections.

Trying to book FRA-SYD and can find LHR-SYD and FRA-LHR but the booking engine won't display it...

Thanks

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Will the screenshot method work for connections in Europe? I know it's mostly used for problems with Australian connections.

Trying to book FRA-SYD and can find LHR-SYD and FRA-LHR but the booking engine won't display it...

Thanks

Should be fine to use the screenshot method. The glitch is 'worldwide' involving connections. Not just those ex Australia.

 

[LuisT]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thanks. Sent the email and waiting to hear back...

 

[LittleFokker]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Looks like the Lifemiles CC system is having problems (as of 4:30pm today). Anna, who was helping me process a cancellation, huffed and puffed as the system acted up. Ended up suggesting I call back tomorrow to try again. She was pretty frustrated that she couldn't complete my cancellation because of IT. And it was all going so well up to then...

 

[PatMcrotch]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Can anyone tell me what info they ask for on the phone when you book via the screenshot method?

Can I include some info in the email to save time on the phone?

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Can anyone tell me what info they ask for on the phone when you book via the screenshot method?

Can I include some info in the email to save time on the phone?

All you need is:
Passenger information: Name, gender and DOB as in passport (whether you wanna include your middle name is up to you, I don't. But first and last name must match).
Phone number to contact you including the country code.

The phone call is just to get your credit card detail to complete the ticketing process. Even if you give CC detail to them they can't ticket it for you.

 

[PatMcrotch]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thanks.

Do they ask for the billing address of your CC on the phone?

 

[jgm]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Thanks.

Do they ask for the billing address of your CC on the phone?

Yes at least they did for me.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I just got this email from Thai Airways:

"After full review of the entire situation, we are very sorry that we are not in a position to comply with your request to allow Royal First Class Lounge access to you when travelling TG640 on 13 February 2015 from Bangkok to Narita.

We would respectfully ask you for your kind understanding that we have to abide by the regulations and again regret for any inconvenience it may cause.

Yours Sincerely

Assistant International Relations Manager
Customer Relations Service Department " Just to recapitulate, for those who don't know. I have a F booking from SYD-BKK-NRT on TG next Feb. My flight from BKK-NRT has been downgraded to business class because they change the aircraft from A380 to A330. My understanding was that I still have access to Royal First Class lounge, but I wanted to make sure with TG as I have been denied access to NZ lounge while traveling EVA J, so I wanted something official from TG. Is there a number I can call to clarify the issue for anyone who has experience? Seriously, this will be my last time redeeming LM on TG. Really terrible service.

 

[Alanslegal]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

My experience is that you will be escorted to the Royal First Class lounge. Although you have access to that lounge, you may not get a private lounge suite area and you definitely will not be eligible for the one hour full body massage.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I just got this email from Thai Airways:

"After full review of the entire situation, we are very sorry that we are not in a position to comply with your request to allow Royal First Class Lounge access to you when travelling TG640 on 13 February 2015 from Bangkok to Narita.

We would respectfully ask you for your kind understanding that we have to abide by the regulations and again regret for any inconvenience it may cause.

Yours Sincerely

Assistant International Relations Manager
Customer Relations Service Department " Just to recapitulate, for those who don't know. I have a F booking from SYD-BKK-NRT on TG next Feb. My flight from BKK-NRT has been downgraded to business class because they change the aircraft from A380 to A330. My understanding was that I still have access to Royal First Class lounge, but I wanted to make sure with TG as I have been denied access to NZ lounge while traveling EVA J, so I wanted something official from TG. Is there a number I can call to clarify the issue for anyone who has experience? Seriously, this will be my last time redeeming LM on TG. Really terrible service.

What is your exact itinerary and stopover time? (I know LM doesn't allow stopovers, but has there been a reschedule to include a stopover?)

If you are flying SYD-BKK-NRT on the same day/immediate connection, your buggy pick-up from the inbound SYD flight will take you directly to the TG First lounge. There is no need to call or seek clarification on this. It will happen automatically. Spending time on the phone or writing emails is only going to lead to grief. The official policy for star alliance is that the next onward flight must be in First class for First lounge access. TG however overlays their own policy, which is that arriving F gets F access while waiting for their connecting flight (provided it is an international connecting flight).

If you have a stopover, the rules are more muddied. I'd certainly try for F access (if the flight was the next day), but in reality, you're only entitled to business class access as your flight is in business class, and this is most likely what TG will have been paid for.

 

[VAG newbie]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

What is your exact itinerary and stopover time? (I know LM doesn't allow stopovers, but has there been a reschedule to include a stopover?)

If you are flying SYD-BKK-NRT on the same day/immediate connection, your buggy pick-up from the inbound SYD flight will take you directly to the TG First lounge. There is no need to call or seek clarification on this. It will happen automatically. Spending time on the phone or writing emails is only going to lead to grief. The official policy for star alliance is that the next onward flight must be in First class for First lounge access. TG however overlays their own policy, which is that arriving F gets F access while waiting for their connecting flight (provided it is an international connecting flight).

If you have a stopover, the rules are more muddied. I'd certainly try for F access (if the flight was the next day), but in reality, you're only entitled to business class access as your flight is in business class, and this is most likely what TG will have been paid for.

It was definitely a layover. Same day departure. Arriving at 3:50pm, departing at about 10:30pm. It was a first class redemption so TG must have already been paid first class fare (although it was redemption rate). It was TG that unilaterally downgraded me.

Anyway, I'll just ignore it and let it just happen. I guess I was gonna push for 1hr massage but looks like it's not happening. But thank you both for sharing your experience. I guess in the future we just gotta be careful with TG. First class service is not guaranteed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

It was definitely a layover. Same day departure. Arriving at 3:50pm, departing at about 10:30pm. It was a first class redemption so TG must have already been paid first class fare (although it was redemption rate). It was TG that unilaterally downgraded me.

Anyway, I'll just ignore it and let it just happen. I guess I was gonna push for 1hr massage but looks like it's not happening. But thank you both for sharing your experience. I guess in the future we just gotta be careful with TG. First class service is not guaranteed.

TG may not have been paid the First class rate. Your ticket has now been issued in business class, so they will likely only be getting the business class 'fare' for that sector. That you haven't received a refund of those miles, due to LM's policies, is not TG's issue.

TG didn't unilaterally downgrade you... they swapped the plane. There is no first class. They have reaccommodated you in the highest cabin available. They didn't take your Fcl seat and give it to someone else. This is something even EU261 compensation wouldn't cover, and that's some of the strictest in the world.

The issue of TG F connecting to TG J and lounge access has been raised many times. And the process is well established. You have nothing to worry about (unless they've changed the rule in the last week!). You will be entitled to a 30 minute massage. You can always ask for a 1 hour massage, but 'pushing' for it would have no real basis.

First class service is never guaranteed. When you buy regular revenue tickets you simply cancel and book on another airline (SQ) that does offer F. With redemptions, your options are limited.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I really don't see any reason to blame TG for swapping planes. Other airlines do that as well and TBH the ground service they provide F pax connecting to J (F lounge + 30 min massage) is above and beyond what most airlines offer.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I really don't see any reason to blame TG for swapping planes. Other airlines do that as well and TBH the ground service they provide F pax connecting to J (F lounge + 30 min massage) is above and beyond what most airlines offer.

I actually can't think of an airline that doesn't allow their own Fcl arriving pax access to the Fcl under the same circumstances.

The massage is a perk of flying TG (although also offered by other airlines such as VS), but the OP would have had that anyway by virtue of business class.

 

[boomy]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

I actually can't think of an airline that doesn't allow their own Fcl arriving pax access to the Fcl under the same circumstances.

The massage is a perk of flying TG (although also offered by other airlines such as VS), but the OP would have had that anyway by virtue of business class.

Although it's not a flagship lounge, I was denied access at CDG *A F lounge when connecting from F to J (according to the rules). If TG would want to I'm sure they could somehow use *A T&Cs to deny F lounge access.
What I wanted to say is that buggy service, F lounge access and 30 min massage (more than most airlines offer to their F pax) make the connection from F to J in BKK as pleasant as it can be.

 

[PatMcrotch]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Are they removing the A380 from the BKK-NRT route altogether or did VAG just get unlucky?

 

[Alanslegal]

re: Avianca "Lifemiles" - Questions and Discussion

Are they removing the A380 from the BKK-NRT route altogether or did VAG just get unlucky?

Its Thai Airways - they swap them like musical chairs - you don't know what plane you get until you're actually on on-board

That said, they have very good premium award availability (maybe not to JP) so am very grateful they have been around for us to use out points for.