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Booking Infant Awards: Impressed with Avianca Call Center!

Booking Infant Awards: Impressed with Avianca Call Center!

Old Apr 24, 2013, 2:47 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: May 2005
Location: SFO
Programs: SQ QPPS, *A Gold, EK Skywards Gold
Posts: 671
Impressed with Avianca Call Center!

I've read many posts on Avianca Lifemiles where people have complained of ineptness on the part of Avianca call center agents. I wanted to share my very positive experience I had this week relating to a Lifemiles reservation.

I was trying to book a Star alliance award ticket from US to Asia, and I had issues completing the reservations on their website. The site gave me an error and I could not complete the booking. I called Avianca's toll free number and chose the option for Lifemiles and was connected to a relatively easy to understand agent. She asked me what the problem was and she offered to make the booking for me while also waiving the normal call center fee. She was able to snag the award seat, deduct the miles and get my credit card info over their automated system. She did say it would take 2-12 hours for the ticket to be issued, and sure enough within 2 hours ticket numbers showed up on the reservation.

I then had the uneviable task of adding an infant-in-arms ticket to the booking. Once the adult ticket was issued I called Avianca again and was advised that typically the infant ticket is issued by one of the operating carriers, but they said they would do it for me as a service. Fare was quoted and cc info obtained. After a day when I still did not see the ticket for the infant issued I called back and was advised that the credit card was charged and ticket would be issued by the end of the day.

Now came the real surprise. Once I hung up within a few minutes, I got a call from the same agent who said he had given me inaccurate info and that my credit card was not charged yet as it had to go through their internal validation process. He apologized profusely for the wrong info he had given earlier and told me to wait a day for the ticket to be issued. Sure enough the process was completed the next day.

All in all I had a very satisfying experience with Avianca's call center. Are they perfect? Ofcourse not. They have a lot of issues especially with ticket issuance and credit card validations. But the good thing is that they try very hard and try to do their best to resolve issues. Can't say the same for most of the US based airline agents that answer calls!

Way to go Avianca ! Hope you can improve on other areas too!

Last edited by JDiver; May 10, 2013 at 6:41 am Reason: restore original post title
kaushik123 is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2013, 3:12 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Melbourne/Bangkok
Programs: A3*G, QF PLATINUM, BA GOLD, VA GOLD, HH DIAMOND
Posts: 2,245
You can add the infant in future by contacting the operating carrier as mentioned by that agent. Ive done it on a tg booking by calling my local tg office.
Aussie_flyer is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2013, 4:02 pm
  #3  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
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I'm glad it worked out for you, but don't get too used to it
SilverChris is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2013, 4:09 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by SilverChris
I'm glad it worked out for you, but don't get too used to it
Agreed! But, wanted to share my experience to imply that there is hope!
kaushik123 is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2013, 6:10 pm
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
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Originally Posted by kaushik123
...Way to go Avianca ! Hope you can improve on other areas too!
I hope they leave some of the other areas unimproved.
zbenye is offline  
Old Apr 24, 2013, 9:38 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Originally Posted by zbenye
I hope they leave some of the other areas unimproved.
No kidding!
Minos is offline  
Old Apr 25, 2013, 8:21 pm
  #7  
 
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i heard taca's agent is much better! is that true!
Yi Yang is offline  
Old Apr 26, 2013, 3:36 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Programs: US*G BR*CE
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Originally Posted by Yi Yang
i heard taca's agent is much better! is that true!
I find that AV and TA agents are about the same.
However, I've called TA several times, and whenever they put me on hold, the system seems to just cut me off. This doesn't seem to be an issue with AV's system.
smillwelly is offline  
Old Apr 27, 2013, 8:58 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by zbenye
I hope they leave some of the other areas unimproved.
+1
AA_EXP09 is offline  
Old May 1, 2013, 6:47 am
  #10  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
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Is there a new policy, when I have tried to purchas a ticket for an infant no matter the age, they always tell me that I have to redeem to separe tickets
miranda.mario is offline  
Old May 1, 2013, 3:55 pm
  #11  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Originally Posted by miranda.mario
Is there a new policy, when I have tried to purchas a ticket for an infant no matter the age, they always tell me that I have to redeem to separe tickets
You cant redeem an infant award ticket but you can buy one with the operating carrier
Aussie_flyer is offline  
Old May 2, 2013, 1:49 pm
  #12  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
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Originally Posted by smillwelly
I find that AV and TA agents are about the same.
However, I've called TA several times, and whenever they put me on hold, the system seems to just cut me off. This doesn't seem to be an issue with AV's system.
I had the same experience with AV, haven't tried TACA. I read somewhere that their call center might eventually move to US, but I can't find the source.
gabe7676 is offline  
Old May 9, 2013, 12:31 pm
  #13  
 
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Oslo
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Originally Posted by Aussie_flyer
You cant redeem an infant award ticket but you can buy one with the operating carrier
Do you know what to do with multiple operating carriers?
chrisljo is offline  
Old May 9, 2013, 5:37 pm
  #14  
 
Join Date: Apr 2002
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Originally Posted by chrisljo
Do you know what to do with multiple operating carriers?
Any good TA can ticket that. Or call the airline issuing the ticket (usually the longest leg).
erik123 is offline  
Old May 9, 2013, 5:55 pm
  #15  
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Originally Posted by erik123
Any good TA can ticket that. Or call the airline issuing the ticket (usually the longest leg).
Not necessarily-look at resolution 302
AA_EXP09 is offline  

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