Lifemiles headache for infant booking

[doomsie]

Hi all,

In need of some help. Managed to get Lifemiles business class bookings for the wife and me for a trip to Canada flying Air Canada. Trying to add a lap infant to the booking is proving a headache.
Have tried ringing Air Canada but am getting passed off saying that they can't add the lap infant as Lifemiles/Avianca, as the travel agent, is the only one that can add to the booking.
Lifemiles/Avianca say that Air Canada is the only one that can issue the lap infant revenue ticket as they are the carrier. Have read other threads and adding the infant seems to be done via the carrier but Air Canada won't play ball. They can't add the lap infant ticket to my itinerary unless I fork out $1600+ for the ticket (which seems to be about 10% of their flexi fare rather than the normal business fare). AC did say that the fare would be cheaper if I had purchased the adult tickets through them instead.

Any one out there with some advice on how to complete this booking? Can a third party travel agent add the lap infant or am I screwed and have to fork out the $1600+?

 

[travelislife]

It should definitely be the operating carrier. I.e Air Canada who issues it. And yes often is 10% of full fare.

Have done this many time on Thai with infant tickets in conjunction with award.

 

[I love to travel]

I would call AC again a different ageny might get you a different result.

 

[doomsie]

This is really becoming a trying experience. Have rung Air Canada in about 3 different countries (always some Indian dude) about 5-6 times now as well as Avianca multiple times. Each says the other has to do the booking. AC say its not their ticket stock. Avianca says they can't add the infant.
Seems like no one wants to add or sell the infant ticket to me.
HELP!!!!

 

[travelislife]

It HAS to be Air Canada. Do Air Canada have an office in Australia? Maybe approach them. An experienced travel agent in Australia could probably do it too.

 

[doomsie]

Update on booking. Air Canada are a bunch of cough who don't even know their own Star Alliance booking system. Don''t beat your head up against a brick wall with them. By chance I went to the local Flight Centre (of all places) and found a travel agent who was reasonably knowledgeable and booked the infant at 10% of the business saver award (not the full fare so saved $1000) and linked it to my booking in about 20 minutes!! All shows up on my itinerary now with infant linked to me. Happy days.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

In my experience it's the agent who sells the ticket that has the control to add an infant. in this case it would be lifemiles. It always pays to know what the agent charges for infants as costs can vary. For example - infants on Cx using avois are free, but +10% of revenue fare using asia miles.

 

[robd]

Just thought I'd add to this for reference. I redeemed Lifemiles for United tickets a few months ago (it's an international flight from LAX-SJD), and today wanted to add an infant to my daughters ticket . I had Jnr#1 (lives in US) call United who said 10% of adult fare required but also said they could not ticket it as they didn't know the fare and told her to call Avianca LM. She called Avianca LM who said TACA issued the ticket and to call them. At this point Jnr#1 handballed to me. After reading the above, I called the United Australia contact number and the agent issued the ticket without any problems.