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)
Jul 25, 2019, 10:13 am
#1441
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: 718
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, IHG Diamond
Posts: 967
I want to book LH F for jfk-fra-bud (J for fra-bud) but LM site only shows Only J space for Jfk-fra-bud. There is LH F for jfk-fra. I have to use the screenshot method? Any idea how fast are the turnaround times since LH F usually opens for next day
Jul 25, 2019, 3:23 pm
#1442
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
Yes, unfortunately you will need the screenshots. Mark the email 'urgent' and maybe include your tavel date if it is within the next few days, that might help. They will hopefully get back to you soon, but even with LH only opening 14 days prior, I've had LM take 2-3 days to get back to me.
Jul 27, 2019, 11:45 am
#1443
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: WN A-List, Alaska MVP
Posts: 47
Looking for UA flights again on LM website today I get the sense that some UA nonstop routes (with little rhyme or reason) just don't show up on their system. Example today is SFO-AMS nonstop which shows as I9 (so 9+ J class saver award seats available) on UA website, also wide open on Aeroplan in business, but the only LM options are one stops via FRA on LH or UA in Y or J. Both SFO-FRA nonstops are also I9 on UA's website so are presumably pulling from the same type of inventory. I'll just have to chalk it up to LM's oddities. Tried Smart Search, Star Alliance, and United specific search options, and also switching between Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, but no luck.
Jul 29, 2019, 7:27 pm
#1444
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 115
Does anyone know if it's possible that UA flights don't show up on the LM website but can be booked by calling them? There are some UA flights that look like they should be available on LM but I don't see them when searching online. Want to know if I should even bother calling at all.
Thanks
Thanks
Jul 29, 2019, 7:46 pm
#1445
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 162
LM shows what LM wants to show. There’s no error. Every airline in *A will tell you that they may have a different allotment of seats from other *A partners, so you’re wasting your time calling or e-mailing them if the space isn’t on the website. I think it’s bull...., but what can you do?
Does anyone know if it's possible that UA flights don't show up on the LM website but can be booked by calling them? There are some UA flights that look like they should be available on LM but I don't see them when searching online. Want to know if I should even bother calling at all.
Thanks
Thanks
Jul 30, 2019, 2:54 am
#1446
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
Does anyone know if it's possible that UA flights don't show up on the LM website but can be booked by calling them? There are some UA flights that look like they should be available on LM but I don't see them when searching online. Want to know if I should even bother calling at all.
Thanks
Thanks
If the flights down't show at all, nothing that can be done.
Jul 30, 2019, 10:32 am
#1448
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: SJO
Programs: Avianca LifeMiles. Hilton (G), Meliá (G), Radisson (G). National Car (EE), Hertz (PC), Avis (PC)
Posts: 188
I tried a SJO-TLV + IST-SJO booking on LifeMiles.com, but no availability, as usual. So I tried the "screenshot method", with a SJO-SAL-EWR on AV, EWR-TLV on UA, for the outbound, and IST-BOG-PTY on TK, PTY-SJO on AV, on the inbound, plus the "no availability" images. A day later a got a email from Customer Support, telling that they got my request. The following day I got a the call from them, and we built the tickets over the phone with an EXTREMELY helpful and knowledgeable agent. I was charged with the regular $25 "online processing fee", instead of the expensive "telephone fee".
They also used the LifeMiles redemption table with the origin/destination regions prices, instead of the "per flight mileage", so the final redemption mileage was considerably lower than my initial quote. I'm very pleased with the results.
Note: the outbound and inbound tickets are separate, we couldn't make a multi-city since there was no availability TLV-IST.
They also used the LifeMiles redemption table with the origin/destination regions prices, instead of the "per flight mileage", so the final redemption mileage was considerably lower than my initial quote. I'm very pleased with the results.
Note: the outbound and inbound tickets are separate, we couldn't make a multi-city since there was no availability TLV-IST.
Jul 31, 2019, 2:02 am
#1449
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Tokyo
Programs: Marriott Plat, HH G,Hyatt E,*A Gold, OW Emerald.
Posts: 3,023
Does anyone know if it's possible that UA flights don't show up on the LM website but can be booked by calling them? There are some UA flights that look like they should be available on LM but I don't see them when searching online. Want to know if I should even bother calling at all.
Thanks
Thanks
find an itinerary involving your flights, something that you can screenshot.
e.g. Looking for SFO-AMS, you could try SEA-AMS, or SFO-FRA, or something else and hope you get availability on a connection at SFO/AMS and having your intended flight as part of the results. Then screenshot that.
Jul 31, 2019, 3:47 am
#1450
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 45
Hi all, need urgent help as I am trying to book an award that leaves in the next few days. All is fine with the booking process until I get to the last field of the purchase page where it asks for ZIP/postcode. No matter what I key in, my original Australian postcode or any other number, the filed won't change to green so can't complete the booking. Anyone else have the same problem and knows a workaround? I don't have time for ticketing via email as I want to travel on the weekend. Any help appreciated.
Cheers
Cheers
Jul 31, 2019, 3:50 am
#1451
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Brisbane
Programs: QF gold, HH Diamond, VA plat, Aegean Gold
Posts: 684
Have you tried an American one like 90210
Jul 31, 2019, 4:23 am
#1453
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 45
it works with the American format now after using a different browser but now the flight I had chosen is gone after I just closed the browser. 
(
any chance it will reappear?
(any chance it will reappear?
Jul 31, 2019, 5:38 am
#1454
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Is it possible that LifeMiles booked the flight but was unable to show you the record? You could try calling LM and see if they can find a PNR for you by looking in the flight manifest, or in your LM account.
Jul 31, 2019, 5:39 am
#1455
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
FWIW there should be an option to set your address as Australia, and there should even be a drop down box to select the state. Then the zip code allows you to enter a four digit Australian one.