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)
Dec 3, 2017, 2:37 am
#721
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plat, Marriott Silver, HH Gold
Posts: 797
How do you get the old search engine? I tried switching my country to Colombia but that doesn't seem to do it anymore?
Dec 3, 2017, 6:07 pm
#722
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 7
Yea how do we get the old search engine page ? Browser IE & Columbia trick doesn't work anymore. Thanks for your help.
Dec 4, 2017, 12:35 pm
#723
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
The site is so bad that most of my attempts to redeem miles on Lifemiles.com fails even when the site shows award space.
One way to frustrate the redemption of miles is to break the online booking capability, and Avianca/Lifemiles seems to have managed to do just that. Incompetence is to be assumed, but malice as well? These clowns should revert to the previous software engine/site if they really care to address the frustration they are causing their customers.
One way to frustrate the redemption of miles is to break the online booking capability, and Avianca/Lifemiles seems to have managed to do just that. Incompetence is to be assumed, but malice as well? These clowns should revert to the previous software engine/site if they really care to address the frustration they are causing their customers.
Dec 4, 2017, 3:27 pm
#724
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: UA peasant, QF tin, VA drycracker
Posts: 182
So, patience and crossed fingers is the best approach ? :/I do think the new booking interface, WHEN IT WORKS, has some positives -- combining classes for instance, when one part of the journey is sold out in J (or available in F!!).
Dec 4, 2017, 7:19 pm
#725
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: AA, BA, UA
Posts: 6
Old vs New Interface
This is exactly how I felt on Thursday night when I tried to go ahead with a booking. (And the preceding days of malfunctioning website, and having bought a lot of discounted miles a week beforehand!) Despite calling, and sending two emails with the necessary details for them to manually create a booking, nothing had happened 60 hours later (and the number of ostensibly available seats had not changed, so there didn't seem to have been a booking in progress behind the scenes).
This afternoon I decided to check availability before giving them another call. I'd read in this thread that the old booking engine sometimes would work, and lo and behold, the old one was the one I got when I logged in today! It also showed seats on an even better day, which hadn't been available when I tried to book three days ago. Alas, I had to check a few date details elsewhere and it timed out, so when I tried again, I got the new booking interface. Noooooo! But yes... it all worked out...
Amazingly, no really, amazingly... not only were seats showing on the previously unavailable days, but the system was responding snappily, it didn't fail when I submitted passenger details... got to the payment page, it took about 3 minutes to get from the "be patient" screen to a confirmation screen. What's more, the e-ticket was generated immediately, and I could go straight to the TG's website to do seat selection! Phew. Lifemiles is not for the faint-hearted.
This afternoon I decided to check availability before giving them another call. I'd read in this thread that the old booking engine sometimes would work, and lo and behold, the old one was the one I got when I logged in today! It also showed seats on an even better day, which hadn't been available when I tried to book three days ago. Alas, I had to check a few date details elsewhere and it timed out, so when I tried again, I got the new booking interface. Noooooo! But yes... it all worked out...
Amazingly, no really, amazingly... not only were seats showing on the previously unavailable days, but the system was responding snappily, it didn't fail when I submitted passenger details... got to the payment page, it took about 3 minutes to get from the "be patient" screen to a confirmation screen. What's more, the e-ticket was generated immediately, and I could go straight to the TG's website to do seat selection! Phew. Lifemiles is not for the faint-hearted.
Dec 4, 2017, 8:58 pm
#726
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Old website is no longer available, but it sometimes pops up on this URL. Some LM tricks worked well on this old site.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/use/red/dynredpar.aspx
New website is what you get 99.99% of the time. Most if not all LM tricks no longer work on this new site. It also has a lot of bugs.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/use/red/dynredpar.aspx
New website is what you get 99.99% of the time. Most if not all LM tricks no longer work on this new site. It also has a lot of bugs.
Dec 4, 2017, 9:30 pm
#727
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plat, Marriott Silver, HH Gold
Posts: 797
Old website is no longer available, but it sometimes pops up on this URL. Some LM tricks worked well on this old site.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/use/red/dynredpar.aspx
New website is what you get 99.99% of the time. Most if not all LM tricks no longer work on this new site. It also has a lot of bugs.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/use/red/dynredpar.aspx
New website is what you get 99.99% of the time. Most if not all LM tricks no longer work on this new site. It also has a lot of bugs.
Dec 5, 2017, 8:54 am
#729
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: SQ*G, A3*G
Posts: 30
Old website is no longer available, but it sometimes pops up on this URL. Some LM tricks worked well on this old site.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/use/red/dynredpar.aspx
New website is what you get 99.99% of the time. Most if not all LM tricks no longer work on this new site. It also has a lot of bugs.
https://www.lifemiles.com/eng/use/red/dynredpar.aspx
New website is what you get 99.99% of the time. Most if not all LM tricks no longer work on this new site. It also has a lot of bugs.
Doesn't work at all.
Last edited by Moderator2; Dec 5, 2017 at 11:05 am Reason: Overly focused on the OP's possible hidden agenda
Dec 6, 2017, 1:56 am
#730
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 286
You have to catch the right time slot when the 302 redirect is not activated.
Dec 6, 2017, 11:13 am
#731
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
It worked for me with clear cookies or opening the link in a new incognito window. It only works for the first search when I put in the search parameters before I log-in and then log-in through the pop-up window that appears when I click to run the search. After that it goes back to the new search and you need to log out and open a new incognito window. Also, other posters have said sometimes it just does not work at all. YMMV.
Dec 6, 2017, 1:07 pm
#732
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: OOL
Programs: VA Plat, QF LTS, UA MM, Hilton Diamond, Rydges Black, ,Le-Club Gold
Posts: 3,659
Where have all the SAS awards gone?
Anyone know how to book a SAS award? I can't get it to display ANY availability on SAS, even when the award seats are wide open according to United.
Example: May 26 OSL-BGO (Bergen). United shows economy awards available every day that week. Lifemiles shows nothing, neither on Star Alliance nor on SAS. And that's the same for both the old and new booking engines.
[OT- successfully booked a C award on United's new IAH-SYD flight by reverting to the old Lifemiles booking engine as described by [b]skimthetrees above. The new engine hasn't heard about that flight]
Example: May 26 OSL-BGO (Bergen). United shows economy awards available every day that week. Lifemiles shows nothing, neither on Star Alliance nor on SAS. And that's the same for both the old and new booking engines.
[OT- successfully booked a C award on United's new IAH-SYD flight by reverting to the old Lifemiles booking engine as described by [b]skimthetrees above. The new engine hasn't heard about that flight]
Dec 6, 2017, 7:08 pm
#733
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
LM old engine shows lots of economy award space, but at an eye watering 105k one way...not sure where they plucked that number from!
Dec 6, 2017, 10:04 pm
#734
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: IHG Platinum Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 219
I've seen a lot of C space on Swiss with both UA and LM, but with other airlines connecting in C, I haven't found LM to be particularly thorough or useful.
Dec 7, 2017, 1:03 am
#735
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: United 1k aa exec plat
Posts: 1,842
sorry for a newbie question-with a lifemiles reservation number-how can you get the reservation codes for other airlines?
thanks
thanks