LatinPass/GlobalPass - Getting Great Service from Customer Service

Given that many in the past have received what has been described as less than stellar service, it only seems appropriate that when I have received not just good, but excellent service from someone at GP, that it should be pointed out. Daniella in Customer Service has been helping me out with some flight arrangements for getting parts of my family down to Costa Rica and beyond to celebrate my father's 70th birthday. I've given her enough combinations of flight options, and have even asked her to cancel options that I had requested (because a sibling changed her mind about what she wanted), and Daniella has made all the changes promptly and with a real cheefulness and "can do" attitude that has been refreshing. I'd like to hear what level of service others feel they have been receiving of late. Am I the exception, or has the atmosphere at Global Pass truly improved since the Mileage Run horror stories?

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Happy Travels,

Rhinochaser

My response is hot and cold.

Getting availability is my only bone of contention right now. They don't seem to make this very easy at all, I always feel like I'm throwing darts.

However, once they find the flights, things are going exceedingly well these days. I arranged for a ticket for my sister to Buenos Aires with about 40 days notice over the busy Christmas travel season. I'm beginning to think it was pure luck. They issued the tickets promptly and we are ready to go. A good use of miles.

I have found redemption on GP Partner airlines to be the extremely easy. Often easier than the larger FF plans. Just phone Avianca, Aeropostal or Taca and make a reservation. Call GP and they issue the ticket - no worries!

Now KLM is a different story. But the issues with KLM are not unique to GP. I am a member of KLM FD and it is insane to try and get mileage tickets from their partners (MH / Jet Airways). It is the phone / fax / phone / call bacl next week scenario. I think that what we are upset with is not GP but the archaic way KLM alots mileage seats to their partners.

I don't think that it has much to do with archaism as such and more to do with the low level of integration between the partners in question and the fact that not all seats in a given bucket are available (i.e. a commercial decision rather thana technical issue). If CO and MH gave unlimited access to their award bucket inventory for KL awards, then I am sure that some system could be sorted out. If, as I suspect, KL are only given a sub-quota, then the process has to be handled manually.
The same applies (in reverse) for GP awards on KL. Not all seats available on KL for KL or WP awards are available for Globalpass.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by davistev:
I have found redemption on GP Partner airlines to be the extremely easy. Often easier than the larger FF plans. Just phone Avianca, Aeropostal or Taca and make a reservation. Call GP and they issue the ticket - no worries!</font>

Do you tell them you are making a frequent flyer ticket reservation, or just don't say anything?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tfjim:
Do you tell them you are making a frequent flyer ticket reservation, or just don't say anything?</font>


I tell them. No problems so far.

I think you have to tell them that it's a ff ticket--otherwise it gets booked into the wrong fare class. Am I wrong?

You are right! I have booked flights with Taca out of Toronto, Canada & Avianca out of New York - never a problem getting a reward seat.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by davistev:
I have found redemption on GP Partner airlines to be the extremely easy. Often easier than the larger FF plans. Just phone Avianca, Aeropostal or Taca and make a reservation. Call GP and they issue the ticket - no worries!

Now KLM is a different story. But the issues with KLM are not unique to GP. I am a member of KLM FD and it is insane to try and get mileage tickets from their partners (MH / Jet Airways). It is the phone / fax / phone / call bacl next week scenario. I think that what we are upset with is not GP but the archaic way KLM alots mileage seats to their partners.</font>

I had an excellent, excellent experience with GP/LP this past week. I had a bit of free time coming up so I called up last Tuesday to TACA to book a ticket to somewhere warm. They were very helpful and I was able to book business class to Roatan and back with about 12 days notice. Of course I'm paying the $50 expedite, but that's business I guess. I called to GP/LP to get the ticket number, etc. No problems and the agent said I would get the ticket by Friday. Well, I figured she meant this coming Friday, ~9 days from when I made the reservation. To my shock and amazement the ticket showed up last Friday, 3 days after I made the reservation. So either they're really paying attention to customer service, or there's not much going on so taking care of me was easy. In either case I'm extremely satisfied with the results. Business class to Central America for $67.