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)
Feb 6, 2018, 6:54 am
#751
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Fastest ever booking with screenshots. Sent email with the required 3 screenshots + passport PDF, called in after 5 minutes, and got a call-back 10 minutes later, securing the coveted ticket. SYD-BKK-HND for 50k in F/F on TG/TG, in the thick of summer. Surprisingly good work with the LM team!
Feb 8, 2018, 9:27 pm
#752
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: most of them
Posts: 3,283
anyone know if they're planning to ever fix the website so booking works?
Feb 8, 2018, 11:45 pm
#754
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,406
Feb 9, 2018, 8:21 pm
#755
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
They just refreshed it, so don’t expect major fixes any time soon. Minor issues here and there definitely need to be ironed out.
Feb 10, 2018, 9:47 am
#756
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,315
Makes sense. Thanks for chiming in. And thanks for the datapoint, wtcmor.
I would recommend the following:
1. Use the "case #" subject line generated by the website when it crashes. Address it to BOTH [email protected] AND [email protected].
2. Be very explicit and include all possible information AND screenshots necessary to construct the booking; it's a huge delay if they can throw it back into your court:
Passenger
Lifemiles#
PHONE NUMBER
DOB
Passport#
Expiry
Citizenship
AND, both a screen shot of passport and driver's license. Recommend sizing appropriately (~ 500kb)
Date of Flight
ORG-DEST
Carrier, Flight#
ETD-ETA
Class, Mileage
Mileage USed+$Payment
AND include a screenshot of the selected flight before after the error
3. Tweet to BOTH @lifeMiles and @Avianca
4. Call? Possiblye -- though the tweet actually informed me when the email was sent, so they seem to have driven the process
This may seem like common sense and might be included upthread, but there's little room for error IMO because their process is so unforgiving and slow until you have a reservation constructed. Once it was constructed, I called in, selected:
2 for English,
Entered Lifemiles "#",
3 for Lifemiles
1 for booking
The phone agent had to fetch somebody for payment, but that process was fairly straightforward and quick.
I wish to warn everyone that there seemed to be a lot of "No, contact this other department" which happened with both the emails, the phone agents, and the twitter. Wherever possible, cover all bases at the same time.
I would recommend the following:
1. Use the "case #" subject line generated by the website when it crashes. Address it to BOTH [email protected] AND [email protected].
2. Be very explicit and include all possible information AND screenshots necessary to construct the booking; it's a huge delay if they can throw it back into your court:
Passenger
Lifemiles#
PHONE NUMBER
DOB
Passport#
Expiry
Citizenship
AND, both a screen shot of passport and driver's license. Recommend sizing appropriately (~ 500kb)
Date of Flight
ORG-DEST
Carrier, Flight#
ETD-ETA
Class, Mileage
Mileage USed+$Payment
AND include a screenshot of the selected flight before after the error
3. Tweet to BOTH @lifeMiles and @Avianca
4. Call? Possiblye -- though the tweet actually informed me when the email was sent, so they seem to have driven the process
This may seem like common sense and might be included upthread, but there's little room for error IMO because their process is so unforgiving and slow until you have a reservation constructed. Once it was constructed, I called in, selected:
2 for English,
Entered Lifemiles "#",
3 for Lifemiles
1 for booking
The phone agent had to fetch somebody for payment, but that process was fairly straightforward and quick.
I wish to warn everyone that there seemed to be a lot of "No, contact this other department" which happened with both the emails, the phone agents, and the twitter. Wherever possible, cover all bases at the same time.
Feb 10, 2018, 12:22 pm
#757
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: most of them
Posts: 3,283
The previous version worked for me. Sure it was a pain in the butt to use, but once I found availability I was able to book via the website without any problems. But the new site has been totally unusable for me. I can find flights but cannot book any of them. To require us to jump through a million screenshot hoops just to do a simple booking is insanity and needs to be fixed
Feb 13, 2018, 9:53 am
#758
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: HPN
Programs: not anymore! I'm FREE!
Posts: 3,459
Fastest ever booking with screenshots. Sent email with the required 3 screenshots + passport PDF, called in after 5 minutes, and got a call-back 10 minutes later, securing the coveted ticket. SYD-BKK-HND for 50k in F/F on TG/TG, in the thick of summer. Surprisingly good work with the LM team!
Feb 13, 2018, 4:26 pm
#759
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Email, wait an hour or so, then call. Tell them you he award space will disappear, so just ask them to create the pnr with the segments you want and they can then do ticketing at their own standard pace (I simply needed to grab the space before it disappeared, and have no hurry to pay/ticket). They did the ticketing quickly after.
Feb 13, 2018, 5:09 pm
#760
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 531
I just had a booking error out after the passenger details page. It looks like Avianca is still holding the partner inventory. There's no chance of it ticketing (they didn't even take my payment details.) How long does it take for them to release the inventory so I can try again?
Feb 13, 2018, 8:21 pm
#761
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
I just had a booking error out after the passenger details page. It looks like Avianca is still holding the partner inventory. There's no chance of it ticketing (they didn't even take my payment details.) How long does it take for them to release the inventory so I can try again?
Feb 13, 2018, 9:47 pm
#762
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: AY Platinum, UA Premier Platinum, OneWorld Emerald, VA Platinum
Posts: 558
A new LM bonus started today and some new award routes (re-)opened up so I suspect that is why the site was down earlier.
Feb 14, 2018, 4:43 am
#763
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
I just had a booking error out after the passenger details page. It looks like Avianca is still holding the partner inventory. There's no chance of it ticketing (they didn't even take my payment details.) How long does it take for them to release the inventory so I can try again?
Feb 14, 2018, 7:45 am
#764
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 531
No booking code, it didn’t make it from the passenger details page to the payment details page. The inventory is definitely not phantom and is being held by Lifemiles, is there any chance the booking office would be able to locate it? Or is it grabbed but not associated with any PNR or other reservation record? I sent the email with all details on a prayer.
Feb 14, 2018, 10:31 am
#765
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 531
UPDATE:
It worked! I got an email from Amadeus then received a phone call shortly thereafter from Avianca to give payment details. Again, I had no booking code/PNR but the inventory appeared to be held. Thanks for the email template eddieflyer!
It worked! I got an email from Amadeus then received a phone call shortly thereafter from Avianca to give payment details. Again, I had no booking code/PNR but the inventory appeared to be held. Thanks for the email template eddieflyer!