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)
Jan 12, 2019, 2:15 pm
#1096
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,404
Just wanted to report my experience this week with the screenshot method of booking .... as others have reported I waited a couple of days then called and was told my request "was being processed". After another 2 days - same thing - I was getting worried that the seats would be taken by someone else.
So I called the third time and asked if they could do something to push this through - and after politely asking for my request to be escalated they did so while I was on the phone - booked and ticketed (taxes + fees paid) on the spot.
(FYI - the routing was HAN-BKK-SYD with an overnight layover in BBK which is why it did not show up online).
So I called the third time and asked if they could do something to push this through - and after politely asking for my request to be escalated they did so while I was on the phone - booked and ticketed (taxes + fees paid) on the spot.
(FYI - the routing was HAN-BKK-SYD with an overnight layover in BBK which is why it did not show up online).
I had a booking last year for LH F (booked within 14 days of departure). Waited a couple of days and the seat actually disappeared. But I still got an itinerary a few days later. So someone had booked it to secure the inventory, even though there was no notification.
Can't say that this applies in all cases through.
Jan 12, 2019, 6:32 pm
#1097
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Just wanted to report my experience this week with the screenshot method of booking .... as others have reported I waited a couple of days then called and was told my request "was being processed". After another 2 days - same thing - I was getting worried that the seats would be taken by someone else.
So I called the third time and asked if they could do something to push this through - and after politely asking for my request to be escalated they did so while I was on the phone - booked and ticketed (taxes + fees paid) on the spot.
(FYI - the routing was HAN-BKK-SYD with an overnight layover in BBK which is why it did not show up online).
So I called the third time and asked if they could do something to push this through - and after politely asking for my request to be escalated they did so while I was on the phone - booked and ticketed (taxes + fees paid) on the spot.
(FYI - the routing was HAN-BKK-SYD with an overnight layover in BBK which is why it did not show up online).
Jan 25, 2019, 11:47 pm
#1098
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,735
... and the good old issue reoccurs again. Smart search then select the (a bit silly) 3 stop one-way flight and proceed to personal details page - error. Select individual flights under carrier search (3 different carriers) and it works for each segment on its own, sigh. So either screenshot.method or no dice. Just I need to travel on Jan 31 / Feb 1 and I don't want to put my faith into LM getting an offline itinerary sorted, paid and issued in 3-4 days prior to a major system shutdown. Oh well ...
Jan 28, 2019, 7:05 pm
#1099
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,735
Well, LM came through for an offline, manual booking request with travel in less than 5 days time and turned it around in 24hrs. Impressive.
Got an email first within 8hrs that my request was forwarded to manual ticketing department and about 24hrs later I got an email with an itinerary (in Spanish, but ok) and then the call. After making some corrections as one carrier had dropped two of the reserved segments the payment was processed and another 2hrs later the eticket issued. Well done.
Got an email first within 8hrs that my request was forwarded to manual ticketing department and about 24hrs later I got an email with an itinerary (in Spanish, but ok) and then the call. After making some corrections as one carrier had dropped two of the reserved segments the payment was processed and another 2hrs later the eticket issued. Well done.
Jan 28, 2019, 11:51 pm
#1100
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,466
Well, LM came through for an offline, manual booking request with travel in less than 5 days time and turned it around in 24hrs. Impressive.
Got an email first within 8hrs that my request was forwarded to manual ticketing department and about 24hrs later I got an email with an itinerary (in Spanish, but ok) and then the call. After making some corrections as one carrier had dropped two of the reserved segments the payment was processed and another 2hrs later the eticket issued. Well done.
Got an email first within 8hrs that my request was forwarded to manual ticketing department and about 24hrs later I got an email with an itinerary (in Spanish, but ok) and then the call. After making some corrections as one carrier had dropped two of the reserved segments the payment was processed and another 2hrs later the eticket issued. Well done.
Jan 29, 2019, 6:37 pm
#1101
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,735
I just gave it a try, but had a backup already in place (on SQ using more precious KF miles). That one I'll cancel and redeposit the miles. Just to rely on LM would have been too much of a gamble as the computer can always say "no" even if they try in time.
Basically the main data point for me was that they seem to pay attention to short time to travel and still try to make it happen. It worked in this case, but as always, one can't rely on it wholeheartedly.
Basically the main data point for me was that they seem to pay attention to short time to travel and still try to make it happen. It worked in this case, but as always, one can't rely on it wholeheartedly.
Jan 29, 2019, 10:17 pm
#1102
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Well, LM came through for an offline, manual booking request with travel in less than 5 days time and turned it around in 24hrs. Impressive.
Got an email first within 8hrs that my request was forwarded to manual ticketing department and about 24hrs later I got an email with an itinerary (in Spanish, but ok) and then the call. After making some corrections as one carrier had dropped two of the reserved segments the payment was processed and another 2hrs later the eticket issued. Well done.
Got an email first within 8hrs that my request was forwarded to manual ticketing department and about 24hrs later I got an email with an itinerary (in Spanish, but ok) and then the call. After making some corrections as one carrier had dropped two of the reserved segments the payment was processed and another 2hrs later the eticket issued. Well done.
Jan 31, 2019, 8:01 am
#1103
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,735
SIN-BKK-FRA-LEJ which is TG-TG-LH all in Biz, but has over 8hrs stop in BKK as no later flight from SIN was available. Even for itins coming up under smart search, they errored out when trying to move to personal details page.
Jan 31, 2019, 5:22 pm
#1104
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Thanks. It showed up in Smart search with 8+ hrs layover??? This is new to me
Jan 31, 2019, 10:00 pm
#1105
Join Date: May 2004
Location: SIN (LEJ once a year)
Programs: SQ, LH, BA, IHG Diamond AMB, HH Gold, SLH Indulged, Accor Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,735
It offered other options though (3 stops / 4 flight segments) going from SIN to BKK and then ARN/OSL to FRA and then LEJ. A bit mental, but for fun, when trying to proceed with booking these options presented by the (not so) Smart Search they all errored out when proceeding to personal details page. A common issue as you know.
Feb 5, 2019, 12:32 pm
#1106
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 877
AirChina (IAH-PYT) won't show even when SQ, UA or AC are able to.
Feb 5, 2019, 11:00 pm
#1107
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: AY Platinum, UA Premier Platinum, OneWorld Emerald, VA Platinum
Posts: 558
Revamped search engine seems to have restored more SAA routes, International and domestic J seems easier to find.
Feb 9, 2019, 7:04 pm
#1108
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: AA Gold, 1MM; Hyatt Explorist; MR Gold; HH Diamond
Posts: 533
I can't get the website accept Austin as a destination when selecting Lufthansa as the airline.
Feb 10, 2019, 2:43 pm
#1109
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: MOW
Programs: A3 Silver, TK Gold
Posts: 12
I couldn't make today and yesterday the redemption of the ticket.
At the step of entering the passenger (traveler) data a system error occurs with the recommendation to contact the call center.
Correspondence with support has not yet given anything - they respond with standard replies and recommend booking through a call center.
At the step of entering the passenger (traveler) data a system error occurs with the recommendation to contact the call center.
Correspondence with support has not yet given anything - they respond with standard replies and recommend booking through a call center.