Last edit by: Tokyoite
Please do your homework before buying Lifemiles. It is what it is... for some that's useful, for others it's not.
Biggest complaints are about
- mixed class bookings are available but now many of the suitable connections dont show
- not being able to book anything that isn't available online (there are work-arounds, see screenshot method below)
- the quality of the call center (English speaking agents are scarce, you might get thrown in a loop with call transfers within their call center)
- no stopovers (>24H) or open jaws, but you can book one way awards
- no reservations on Certain subsidiaries of Star Alliance carriers (Lufthansa Cityline, Germanwings)
Problems with ticketing / lack of confirmation screen or email
- write down the confirmation number shown on the screen after confirming your purchase.
check here: http://serviciosenlinea.avianca.com/...doReserva.aspx
Sometimes, even if you cannot see the PNR, the record may have been created, so better to call them and give them flight details you were trying to book. They can find the PNR from those details.
- ticketing usually takes place within 10-15 min of booking
- but it may also take up to 2 days
- if miles have been deducted from your account and a temporary authorization has been placed on your CC, you're probably fine even if you did not see a confirmation screen
- if no e-ticket number is visible on checkmytrip.com after two days, you should contact LifeMiles. You can expedite the ticketing by emailing with your booking reference to: [email protected] after you have booked, especially if you have booked last minute flights, and need ticketing straight away
Screenshot method.
So, on a date you are looking for in the future, there is availability for LAX-NRT and NRT-BKK. But not LAX-NRT-BKK.
It may be a case of the LM system not offering the through connection.
Take three screen shots - two 'available' screen shots for LAX-NRT and NRT-BKK and the 'not available' screen for LAX-BKK.
Send them all off with a scan of your passport page (PDF) and LM will make the booking manually for you.
Send to these two email addresses, and CC yourself (just for your records)
[email protected]
[email protected]
Sample email:
====
Email topic: Urgent request for booking Lifemiles Award
====
Dear Sirs,
I have tried several times, over several days, but the following itinerary does not show on the website.
Please see the three attached screenshots I took just now.
Please do the manual booking First Class/Business class for xx,000 miles. (*Know how many miles the whole award should cost-here, to avoid surprises once ticketed)
The availability is only 1 seat for this date, so please process this request urgently before it is gone.
Los Angeles (LAX) - Bangkok (BKK)
Saturday August 11th 2018
NH 175 connecting to NH 807
(*Provide the specific flight numbers you want, to avoid surprises once ticketed)
My passport copy (Number xxxx, expiry 20xx/xx/xx, Nationality xxx) is attached in this email.
LifeMiles Number: xxx
First Name: xxx
Last name: xxx
Date of Birth: Month, date, year
Gender: Male/Female
Email: xxxx
Phone Number: +1-xxxx
Regards,
XXX
=========
Biggest complaints are about
- mixed class bookings are available but now many of the suitable connections dont show
- not being able to book anything that isn't available online (there are work-arounds, see screenshot method below)
- the quality of the call center (English speaking agents are scarce, you might get thrown in a loop with call transfers within their call center)
- no stopovers (>24H) or open jaws, but you can book one way awards
- no reservations on Certain subsidiaries of Star Alliance carriers (Lufthansa Cityline, Germanwings)
Problems with ticketing / lack of confirmation screen or email
- write down the confirmation number shown on the screen after confirming your purchase.
check here: http://serviciosenlinea.avianca.com/...doReserva.aspx
Sometimes, even if you cannot see the PNR, the record may have been created, so better to call them and give them flight details you were trying to book. They can find the PNR from those details.
- ticketing usually takes place within 10-15 min of booking
- but it may also take up to 2 days
- if miles have been deducted from your account and a temporary authorization has been placed on your CC, you're probably fine even if you did not see a confirmation screen
- if no e-ticket number is visible on checkmytrip.com after two days, you should contact LifeMiles. You can expedite the ticketing by emailing with your booking reference to: [email protected] after you have booked, especially if you have booked last minute flights, and need ticketing straight away
Screenshot method.
So, on a date you are looking for in the future, there is availability for LAX-NRT and NRT-BKK. But not LAX-NRT-BKK.
It may be a case of the LM system not offering the through connection.
Take three screen shots - two 'available' screen shots for LAX-NRT and NRT-BKK and the 'not available' screen for LAX-BKK.
Send them all off with a scan of your passport page (PDF) and LM will make the booking manually for you.
Send to these two email addresses, and CC yourself (just for your records)
[email protected]
[email protected]
Sample email:
====
Email topic: Urgent request for booking Lifemiles Award
====
Dear Sirs,
I have tried several times, over several days, but the following itinerary does not show on the website.
Please see the three attached screenshots I took just now.
Please do the manual booking First Class/Business class for xx,000 miles. (*Know how many miles the whole award should cost-here, to avoid surprises once ticketed)
The availability is only 1 seat for this date, so please process this request urgently before it is gone.
Los Angeles (LAX) - Bangkok (BKK)
Saturday August 11th 2018
NH 175 connecting to NH 807
(*Provide the specific flight numbers you want, to avoid surprises once ticketed)
My passport copy (Number xxxx, expiry 20xx/xx/xx, Nationality xxx) is attached in this email.
LifeMiles Number: xxx
First Name: xxx
Last name: xxx
Date of Birth: Month, date, year
Gender: Male/Female
Email: xxxx
Phone Number: +1-xxxx
Regards,
XXX
=========
Lifemiles serious booking problems - Beware (old legacy thread)
#1127
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,397
Not that I could work out. UA/Aeroplan might have shown LH daily, but LM just had random days each week (never the same days as far as I could work out).
#1128
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,706
Maybe our joke about Lifemiles being redeemable on Etihad Apartments will come true in the near future! Talk of Etihad joining forces with United/Star Alliance.
https://onemileatatime.com/etihad-united-partnership/
https://onemileatatime.com/etihad-united-partnership/
#1129
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,835
Maybe our joke about Lifemiles being redeemable on Etihad Apartments will come true in the near future! Talk of Etihad joining forces with United/Star Alliance.
https://onemileatatime.com/etihad-united-partnership/
https://onemileatatime.com/etihad-united-partnership/
#1130
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
#1133
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 629
After reading many horror stories in this thread I crossed my fingers and was succesful in booking EVA J BKK-TPE-ORD for next February. Between the new (awful) website and reading about BR ghost inventory, I was quite happy with my redemption. I didnt want to fool around trying to get the United segment the next day to my home so ill just pay for that outright.
#1134
Join Date: Sep 2010
Programs: AZ FA+, A3 G, AB G | IHG RA, HGP D, FPC P, Accor P, BW D, HH D, Eleva, GHA P, 1862 Voyager
Posts: 1,852
Trying to book a TK flight for TLV SIN
when doing *A search not many options show up in Business.
The flights are available when searching under Turkish Airlines (separately for TLV IST, and IST SIN)
However when I try to search TLV - SIN under Turkish Airlines, I get the error:
The origin/destination entered is not available for the selected airline. Please try with another search
Anyone knows a workaround for this?
when doing *A search not many options show up in Business.
The flights are available when searching under Turkish Airlines (separately for TLV IST, and IST SIN)
However when I try to search TLV - SIN under Turkish Airlines, I get the error:
The origin/destination entered is not available for the selected airline. Please try with another search
Anyone knows a workaround for this?
#1135
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,397
Trying to book a TK flight for TLV SIN
when doing *A search not many options show up in Business.
The flights are available when searching under Turkish Airlines (separately for TLV IST, and IST SIN)
However when I try to search TLV - SIN under Turkish Airlines, I get the error:
The origin/destination entered is not available for the selected airline. Please try with another search
Anyone knows a workaround for this?
when doing *A search not many options show up in Business.
The flights are available when searching under Turkish Airlines (separately for TLV IST, and IST SIN)
However when I try to search TLV - SIN under Turkish Airlines, I get the error:
The origin/destination entered is not available for the selected airline. Please try with another search
Anyone knows a workaround for this?
#1136
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,630
When using the "screenshot method" - how long did you have to wait for the answer? Did customer service acknowledge your initial submission?
I've sent a question to Lifemiles support initially, and got a reply in 24 hours. Sent another email with the requested itinerary, screen shots attached. 2 days later no reply of any kind. Wonder if they are "working on it" or email was lost/ignored/routed to spam.
I've sent a question to Lifemiles support initially, and got a reply in 24 hours. Sent another email with the requested itinerary, screen shots attached. 2 days later no reply of any kind. Wonder if they are "working on it" or email was lost/ignored/routed to spam.
#1137
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,397
When using the "screenshot method" - how long did you have to wait for the answer? Did customer service acknowledge your initial submission?
I've sent a question to Lifemiles support initially, and got a reply in 24 hours. Sent another email with the requested itinerary, screen shots attached. 2 days later no reply of any kind. Wonder if they are "working on it" or email was lost/ignored/routed to spam.
I've sent a question to Lifemiles support initially, and got a reply in 24 hours. Sent another email with the requested itinerary, screen shots attached. 2 days later no reply of any kind. Wonder if they are "working on it" or email was lost/ignored/routed to spam.
#1139
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: DL, WoH
Posts: 1,253
Does the $25pp award booking fee still not show up until the last page? Trying to weigh my options for a domestic itinerary.
#1140
Join Date: Oct 2014
Programs: AC 50K *G Marriott Gold
Posts: 1
I just missed a call from a Miami number after having sent in a manual booking request 9 days ago. I assume that was them based on info I've seen, but when I call back it says the number is not in service. If that was Lifemiles, am I SOL or will they call back (hopefully before another week and a half goes by)?
EDIT: They just replied by email to inform me that the flights were no longer available. They were available 9 days ago when I submitted the request! What a joke.
EDIT: They just replied by email to inform me that the flights were no longer available. They were available 9 days ago when I submitted the request! What a joke.
Last edited by MusicalAirplanes; Mar 13, 2019 at 11:37 am