Aug 17, 2013, 12:43 am
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)
Apr 24, 2019, 6:05 pm
#1231
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Bergen County NJ
Programs: AA EXP, UA1K B6 Mosaic 1, Amtrak Select, Marriott Plat , AMEX Plat (noted for club access reference)
Posts: 785
Apr 25, 2019, 3:25 am
#1232
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Watchlisted by the prejudiced, en route to purgatory
Programs: Just Say No to Fleecing and Blacklisting
Posts: 102,095
SAS shows up in my Lifemiles redemption flight searches but after selecting the SK flights on lifemiles.com and trying to proceed toward completing a booking, it just fails.
Anyone have had any luck this year using Lifemiles.com to book SK flights? And has anyone this year successfully used the phone/email method to book SK flights with Lifemiles?
Anyone have had any luck this year using Lifemiles.com to book SK flights? And has anyone this year successfully used the phone/email method to book SK flights with Lifemiles?
Apr 25, 2019, 3:30 am
#1233
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,405
SAS shows up in my Lifemiles redemption flight searches but after selecting the SK flights on lifemiles.com and trying to proceed toward completing a booking, it just fails.
Anyone have had any luck this year using Lifemiles.com to book SK flights? And has anyone this year successfully used the phone/email method to book SK flights with Lifemiles?
Anyone have had any luck this year using Lifemiles.com to book SK flights? And has anyone this year successfully used the phone/email method to book SK flights with Lifemiles?
Alternatively, if you can see it on line, they WILL be able to book it for you over the phone. But that has its own problems (time and clarity of the connection).
Apr 26, 2019, 5:00 pm
#1234
Join Date: Apr 2019
Posts: 2
Man, I have never had a reward booking like that.
After I sent a request for manual booking, I got the standard 'welcome' email the next morning and then it took a full week to get back to me to say my flights were (now) unavailable in business and they had held them for me in coach instead. I emailed the support address and told them just to book me for the next day because the same flights were still open, and they promptly said they would forward my info over, so I figured I just needed to wait more.
Heard nothing for a week so I emailed again to make sure my request was still open, to which they replied that it was not, as I had not called to pay for the coach flights I didn't want, and I would need to send in the full email request again. Got that response at 5am (Pacific) this morning, took new screencaps and sent the request again at 7am, got a new 'welcome' email advising patience by 9am, and then at 2:15pm got an email with my hold for my flights with a note to call before 4pm my time. Called around 2:45, talked to a lady for 5 minutes who confirmed my details and said she would have the English speaking awards rep call me back in a few minutes. He called me back in about 15 minutes, took my payment, and now I'm booked (knock on wood). Crazy rollercoaster to book some flights, but got the ones I wanted, even if 24hrs later than I had originally requested.
Moral: Be patient, but don't assume anything, and check your email a lot.
After I sent a request for manual booking, I got the standard 'welcome' email the next morning and then it took a full week to get back to me to say my flights were (now) unavailable in business and they had held them for me in coach instead. I emailed the support address and told them just to book me for the next day because the same flights were still open, and they promptly said they would forward my info over, so I figured I just needed to wait more.
Heard nothing for a week so I emailed again to make sure my request was still open, to which they replied that it was not, as I had not called to pay for the coach flights I didn't want, and I would need to send in the full email request again. Got that response at 5am (Pacific) this morning, took new screencaps and sent the request again at 7am, got a new 'welcome' email advising patience by 9am, and then at 2:15pm got an email with my hold for my flights with a note to call before 4pm my time. Called around 2:45, talked to a lady for 5 minutes who confirmed my details and said she would have the English speaking awards rep call me back in a few minutes. He called me back in about 15 minutes, took my payment, and now I'm booked (knock on wood). Crazy rollercoaster to book some flights, but got the ones I wanted, even if 24hrs later than I had originally requested.
Moral: Be patient, but don't assume anything, and check your email a lot.
May 2, 2019, 3:40 pm
#1235
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 146
I've had an experience where taxes/fees/charges weren't displayed correctly on LM website and thought it is worth sharing.
Short version (the conclusion):
When the itinerary involves Air Canada Express, the fee displayed on step 2 "select flight" is very likely incorrectly $12.91 (rounded to $13 for the rest of this post) and then the website throws out an error before progressing to step 4 "traveler".
Long version (the story):
I was looking for a one-way YQB-AUS. For the date I need, there is an YQB-YYZ-AUS on AC at US$214 with a reasonable schedule. The same ticket is 12.5k + $60 on MP and 12.5k + $13 on LM. So LM is the clear winner even if there is an additional $25 redemption fee, yielding an okay 1.47cpp value. After I transferred MR to LM (instant) and attempted to make the booking online, the system would not progress to the traveller detail step (step 4) and would throw out the error message. Tried it on different browsers/devices still no luck, so I phoned LM's English service. It all went well and the phone agent confirmed with me that it would be 12.5k plus fees displayed on the webpage. He held the spot for me, sent an email itinerary to my email address on file, and said their payment department would call me the next day in business hours to take the payment. It was surprisingly a smooth and pleasant experience.
The second day I missed their call in the morning but called back and then was swiftly redirected to the payment department. The person confirmed with me that the total payment would be 12.5k plus $80 (1.07cpp). I expressed surprise about the fee and explained the other agent said it would be the same as "displayed on the webpage" which should be $13. The phone agent then said it is untrue, because the taxes and fees on the webpage is only an estimate and the other agent should not have told me that. I complained for a few minutes about there was no place on the webpage saying it was an estimate and such and such. The agent was polite and patient and sympathetic and put me on hold for a short while to try to do something but then told me that he could not change it. I figured the availability seemed still good and I had time to do some research on this, so I thanked him and cancelled the booking.
The experiments:
Since now I have enough miles on my account theoretically to go to the final step, I conducted several dummy-booking experiments to test about the fees. Here are the routings I tested and the cash charges displayed (excluding $25 redemption fee):
Can go thru the step 5 "confirmation": UA IAH-DEN $5.6, UA ATL-ORD-DEN $5.6, AC YVR-YYZ $16, ACr YQB-YYZ $30, ACr/- YQB-YYZ-YYC $33, ACr/- YQB-YYZ-YEG $33, AC/UA YVR-SFO-AUS $47.
Show error before step 4 "travelers": ACe YQB-YUL $13, ACr/e YQB-YYZ-AUS $13, ACe YYZ-AUS $13, ACe/UA YVR-SJC-DEN $13, UA/ACe/r BUF-EWR-YUL-YQB $13, ACe/UA YVR-SFO-AUS $47, ACe YEG-YYC-SFO $51.
* ACr = rouge, ACe = express, ACr/- = rouge then AC itself.
From these experiments I drew the conclusion at the beginning of this post. I believe this is valuable info to those like me who have zero balance on their LM wanting to get a quote before transferring points from the banks, and would fight for 50 bucks!
In the end I will probably call LM again to redeem this ticket since I already transferred the points and don't have any other near-future plan of redeeming it anywhere. Still better than 0.7cpp cash value of MR, eh?
Short version (the conclusion):
When the itinerary involves Air Canada Express, the fee displayed on step 2 "select flight" is very likely incorrectly $12.91 (rounded to $13 for the rest of this post) and then the website throws out an error before progressing to step 4 "traveler".
Long version (the story):
I was looking for a one-way YQB-AUS. For the date I need, there is an YQB-YYZ-AUS on AC at US$214 with a reasonable schedule. The same ticket is 12.5k + $60 on MP and 12.5k + $13 on LM. So LM is the clear winner even if there is an additional $25 redemption fee, yielding an okay 1.47cpp value. After I transferred MR to LM (instant) and attempted to make the booking online, the system would not progress to the traveller detail step (step 4) and would throw out the error message. Tried it on different browsers/devices still no luck, so I phoned LM's English service. It all went well and the phone agent confirmed with me that it would be 12.5k plus fees displayed on the webpage. He held the spot for me, sent an email itinerary to my email address on file, and said their payment department would call me the next day in business hours to take the payment. It was surprisingly a smooth and pleasant experience.
The second day I missed their call in the morning but called back and then was swiftly redirected to the payment department. The person confirmed with me that the total payment would be 12.5k plus $80 (1.07cpp). I expressed surprise about the fee and explained the other agent said it would be the same as "displayed on the webpage" which should be $13. The phone agent then said it is untrue, because the taxes and fees on the webpage is only an estimate and the other agent should not have told me that. I complained for a few minutes about there was no place on the webpage saying it was an estimate and such and such. The agent was polite and patient and sympathetic and put me on hold for a short while to try to do something but then told me that he could not change it. I figured the availability seemed still good and I had time to do some research on this, so I thanked him and cancelled the booking.
The experiments:
Since now I have enough miles on my account theoretically to go to the final step, I conducted several dummy-booking experiments to test about the fees. Here are the routings I tested and the cash charges displayed (excluding $25 redemption fee):
Can go thru the step 5 "confirmation": UA IAH-DEN $5.6, UA ATL-ORD-DEN $5.6, AC YVR-YYZ $16, ACr YQB-YYZ $30, ACr/- YQB-YYZ-YYC $33, ACr/- YQB-YYZ-YEG $33, AC/UA YVR-SFO-AUS $47.
Show error before step 4 "travelers": ACe YQB-YUL $13, ACr/e YQB-YYZ-AUS $13, ACe YYZ-AUS $13, ACe/UA YVR-SJC-DEN $13, UA/ACe/r BUF-EWR-YUL-YQB $13, ACe/UA YVR-SFO-AUS $47, ACe YEG-YYC-SFO $51.
* ACr = rouge, ACe = express, ACr/- = rouge then AC itself.
From these experiments I drew the conclusion at the beginning of this post. I believe this is valuable info to those like me who have zero balance on their LM wanting to get a quote before transferring points from the banks, and would fight for 50 bucks!
In the end I will probably call LM again to redeem this ticket since I already transferred the points and don't have any other near-future plan of redeeming it anywhere. Still better than 0.7cpp cash value of MR, eh?
May 2, 2019, 5:05 pm
#1236
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,405
Did you try selecting ‘air canada’ from the drop down box or ‘smart search’? Sometimes using one or the other can let you get through to the traveller details and complete the booking if you’re otherwise getting the error message.
May 2, 2019, 6:31 pm
#1237
Join Date: Feb 2019
Programs: AS MVP Gold
Posts: 146
Ironically, I now saw the "Taxes are estimated" message.
May 2, 2019, 11:03 pm
#1238
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,228
(Also, if you redeem at >4cpm on long-haul flights, tax calculations won't affect your value much.)
Last edited by Kremmen; May 2, 2019 at 11:09 pm
May 13, 2019, 9:54 am
#1239
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
Jackpot. After a few days of not showing up and regular checking, the LH F space I had been wanting to book showed up in online search. That was quick and easy. And extra bonus discount for connecting to a J flight…
May 13, 2019, 6:04 pm
#1240
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Awesome! How far out is the LH flight? I want to book LH F for next summer and not sure when to start checking.
May 13, 2019, 6:18 pm
#1241
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,405
Except for the occasional glitch (like they had last year) - assume LH F is only available 14 days prior to departure.
Keep an eye out on FT, or blogs, in case the glitch comes back (although we had a day or so advance notice here on FT before it got picked up elsewhere).
Keep an eye out on FT, or blogs, in case the glitch comes back (although we had a day or so advance notice here on FT before it got picked up elsewhere).
May 13, 2019, 7:53 pm
#1242
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Except for the occasional glitch (like they had last year) - assume LH F is only available 14 days prior to departure.
Keep an eye out on FT, or blogs, in case the glitch comes back (although we had a day or so advance notice here on FT before it got picked up elsewhere).
Keep an eye out on FT, or blogs, in case the glitch comes back (although we had a day or so advance notice here on FT before it got picked up elsewhere).
When there was the glitch, was it posted in this thread or elsewhere?
May 13, 2019, 8:43 pm
#1243
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
2 days out in my case. It had been showing on other Star airlines but wasn't showing on AV, until I checked this morning. And yeah, it'll only show up 14 days out and anytime after that. Usually only pops up a few days prior to departure.
May 13, 2019, 9:10 pm
#1244
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Two days! Wow, that makes it tough to plan. Most hotel rates now have a two-day cancellation.
May 13, 2019, 9:51 pm
#1245
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,405
I stumbled across it completely by accident. I think it came onto FT the next day, and was on a couple of blogs about two days after that.
the glitch did not extend to United or aeroplan.
Otherwise as a general rule, 14 days or less you might be able to book LH F via lifemiles. You can book from 14 days on United and aeroplan, but LM availability is patchy.,, so if it’s not there at 14 days prior it may never come, or might show up a few days prior. There’s no set formula.