MilesBuzz! - Mexicana "refuse" to honour 55,555 promotion

Here is the response I got back from Mexicana regarding my accrual of points with Austrian Airlines (Lauda Air), my understanding was that V class accrued, and this was confirmed by Mexicana before I applied for the miles, now they are backflipping and tell me it can't accrue miles. This basically means i miss out on my 55,555. I've noticed a few other people here affected by Mexicana's decisions regarding this promotion. Has anyone else had difficulties similiar to this?

Keen to know if other flyer talker's have had on this experience....

This is inspite of them on prior to accruing the travel saying:

EMAIL FROM MEXICANA:

All classes provided apply for credits, credit of mileage is based on the
distance between each of cities,
Regards
MEXICANA AIRLINES FRECUENTA DEPT.
3201 CHERRY RIDGE DRIVE SUITE 200
SAN ANTONIO TX 78230 USA
TOLL FREE 1800 531 7901 EXT 2241

> ----------
> To: SAT Frecuenta Help

> Could you please advise whether the following airlines which I am
> looking to credit my miles for, will accrue points with Frequenta, and at
> what rate (based on class):
>
> Austrian Airlines / Lauda Air, Class "V"
> Singapore Airlines, "Class Y" (SIN-KUL)
> Singapore Airlines, "Class M" (SIN-KUL)
> Thai Airways, "Class Y"
> Scandinavian Airlines, "Class M"
> Lufthansa, "Class M"
>
>
> Regards,
>

AND here is their response now, AFTER i've accrued my travel with them:


We have received information directly from Austrian Airlines in reference to
the classes of service, which are valid for accrual:

"First Class - Not Available
Business Class - C, D, J
Economy Class - Y
Economy discounted - B, H, K, L, M
Classes not valid for accrual - O, V, Z"

Considering your flight made on May 31st, 2002 with Austrian Airlines from
SYD-KUL in V class, as per Austrian Airlines information, there is no
accumulation of miles in this segment.

We appreciate your understanding and your patience to this matter. We
investigated all the necessary details regarding the accumulation of miles
for this fight and as per the same Austrian Airlines information; this class
of service is not valid for receiving credit.

Once again, Thank you for your understanding.

Rgds.


[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 08-09-2002).]

[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 08-09-2002).]

ouch!!! so what has lauda to say about it?

[This message has been edited by franjelley (edited 08-09-2002).]

This is insane.
Regardless if you get miles for that flight, the deal was that you are FLYING five different carriers, which you did.

I would email Star Alliance directly in Frankfurt.

If you think that's bad, what about MX's response to me: "Lufthansa does not accept real credits after their segments have been flown". Basically they understand that I flew 5 airlines, and there's not doubting that my miles should've posted and were eligible for miles.

This is all BS. If and when I get my miles, I'm cutting up my MX card, and then it's Adios Mexicana.

goodo

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Setjet:
This is insane.
Regardless if you get miles for that flight, the deal was that you are FLYING five different carriers, which you did.

I would email Star Alliance directly in Frankfurt.</font>

Are you saying even award flights should count? Do you have a reference?

------------------
The Star Alliance Award Comparison Chart (http://hagbard.0-24.net/starawards.html)

'V' class on OS can be 'interpreted' as award-flight (but is also used for paid discounted economy).

I myself don't know anything about Mexicanas' ff-prgram (and the arrangements they have with any other StarAlliance carrier regarding mileage-credit-qualifying flights).

What I know is, that any paid flight (-class) on LH and OS (OS, NG, TY) 'gives' miles (and status miles) into rtheir own miles&more-prgram (this doesn't necesarily mean that these also applies to other ff-pgrams=. I would recommend such a simple confirmation from miles&more (or OS or LH) and than again contact/'confront' Mexicana with such a reply.

If you need some assistance from OS (Austrian, Lauda, Tyrolian) email the problem/question (as short as possible) using Austrian Airlines email Address for special questions
http://www.aua.com/quicklink.asp?show=kontakt

For those in need to contact LH (and or LH's miles&more service), you may contact (email) using http://www.lufthansa.com/fly/en/faq/faq_welcome.html and submit a question or give them your personal feedback.

Hasta la vista!

After seeing Mexicana totally move the goal posts and change their own clear website rules re their Frequenta program that 100s of us here signed up for here wanting to move miles in Hilton, NOTHING would surprise me with these yo yos. I posted as much as a warning on the MX board when this promo started.

All the same .. good luck. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

------------------
~ Glen ~

How long have you been a member of MX's program and do you hold elite status, kawoh? A long standing member with higher status could surely convince them that they may be losing a valuable customer by not honoring this segment. I am sure the small print on the rules for the promo do say something like "paid published fares which are eligible for mileage accrual".

Hi,

I am a relatively new Mexicana member but was most likely to accrue everything with them based on their quick responses, but what they've done now just makes dealing with them painful.

Yes, it was in the T&C's fares which can earn mileage, as rudi has mentioned, AUA have confirmed the fare is elgible for accrual on their program. Seems like ozstamps says, "Mexicana shift the goal posts to suit them". Definitely a freddie if they had one for the "worst frequent flyer program":

Dear kawoh!

Yes it is possible to accrual miles on OS/NG in V-Class.Have a nice flight!

Yours sincerely


Correspondence
Miles & More Service Centre
miles&more.service@aua.com
www.aua.com (http://www.aua.com)
Tel.:0043-1-680 55 44 11
Fax:0043-1-680 55 44 14

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Samstag, 10. August 2002 06:55
To: miles.more.service@aua.com
Subject: V class economy fare


Hi,

Could you please advise whether a SYD-KUL V class on Lauda Air (OS/NG) is valid for mileage accrual?

Regards,

kawoh

Unfortunately, Miles&More is not Frequenta, and the latter is the carrier that has the right to accept or reject any fare from a STAR partner carrier. If you had this confirmation from Frequents prior to submitting this segment, you would have a case. The email from M&M means nothing to MX.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Shareholder:
Unfortunately, Miles&More is not Frequenta, and the latter is the carrier that has the right to accept or reject any fare from a STAR partner carrier. If you had this confirmation from Frequents prior to submitting this segment, you would have a case. The email from M&M means nothing to MX.

</font>

If you read the very first post of this thread you'll see that he has an email from Frecuenta as well.

------------------
The Star Alliance Award Comparison Chart (http://hagbard.0-24.net/starawards.html)

What you are describing may violate u.s. consumer protection laws. technically the program notice made a promise. Not sure it will get you anywhere, but if will certainly get their attention if you file a formal complaint.

file a complaint to both the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and the Federal Trade Commission (the FTC doesn't normally regulate air carriers but the question here is whether the promise was made by the carrier or the frequent flyer program and the ftc may thus be the agency)

The department of transportation is

http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/airconsumer/problems.htm

the Federal Trade Commission is www.ftc.gov (http://www.ftc.gov) go to the "file a complaint" link.

I doubt that US consumer protection laws can be of any help here for goodo.

The consumer here is from Australia and the ff-program is from Mexico.

But I am pretty sure that finally Mexicana will give in - their first (wrong) answer was, that LH wouldn't 'allow' these credits, which is proven wrong.

Thanks Rudi for helping me to contact LH.

I sent them an email and this is the reply I received today:

"Thank you for your email.

We regret that you received a false information in connection with the
retroactive credit of bonus miles for Lufthansa flights.

If a Lufthansa flight has not been credited automatically, it is possible to
credit it after it was taken provided that the flight has not yet been credited
to another Frequent Traveller Programme and the customer sends in a copy of his
ticket and the original boarding passes of his flights.

We hope this information is of help.

Sincerely,
Your Lufthansa Miles & More Team"

Hopefully armed with this MX will give me the miles I deserve.

goodo

This is the reply I received from MX:

"I am really sorry that you have misunderstood my explanation,
Mexicana will give you a credit for your Lufthansa Flights, as a Lufthansa
adjustment, It is not Lufthansa system that works like that, it is the
mexicana System that, after your Lufthansa flights are taken, we try to give
the mileage manually, and there is an automatic response of lufthansa that
it will be verified and gives a pending status, that pending Status might
last for a year, there is nothing we can do about it; but, I will send copy
of your request to our headquarters office in Mexico City, because I don't
want you to have the impression that this is my decision,
You can be sure I will try to do my best for my Mexico office to help you,
and I will keep you informed"

It certainly doesn't sound great. Why should it take a year to verify?

goodo

to me that last communication from mexicana suggests that ultimately you will be successful..but what do i know...its pretty weird...

I think MX is a Joke! I called and reserved a ticket to GDL I asked for a Y or B refundable ticket... Well I was issued a H ticket for around $400 USD, and I did not do the trip, and they will not refund it! I made it clear to the agent that I needed a refundable ticket, and they will not refund me, I am about to call the credit card to get my money back. I think MX needs to make things more clear, it seems that they may have communicatin problems. I am not bad mouthing MX as I do like them and fly them when I can, but these small problems can cause a lot of grief.

Fran,

Whilst it seems like goodo is on the right track, that is how they always seem. I'll guarantee this, that goodo will still have inevitably more hiccups before the 55,555 appears, I however suspect they may never appear, regardless.

Does anyone know to verify flight info whether MX would have to call LH or is it all done through computers?

thanks
goodo

Hi everyone,

Just an update -

MX have done the right thing and credited my a/c with the points for travel including the 55,555 bonus.

Thanks MX for sorting this out. My faith in MX has been restored.