Risky Air China LifeMiles Award
Nov 25, 2018, 11:06 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
Risky Air China LifeMiles Award
I'm having some buyer's remorse on an Air China First Class booking I made last night using 60k LifeMiles and $381.15 (PEK-JFK; Oct 2019).
I've been reading reports that Air China premium cabin reservations booked with Star Alliance partners have been mysteriously cancelled, ruining vacations and stranding passengers.
One theory is that some people in China are selling premium cabin seats at a discount, then they contact their insider(s) at Air China, who cancels existing awards and replaces them with paid tickets.
A less sinister explanation is that there are communication issues between Air China and its *A partners.
(1) Has anyone heard about this issue with Air China? Should I be concerned?
(2) Should I decide to cancel my booking, do I have a 24-hour grace period wherein I get my miles and cash credited back to me, with no penalty?
(3) Should I decide to keep my booking, how do I select my seat on Air China?
I tried to retrieve my booking on Air China's website using my LifeMiles reservation code, reference number and authorization code, but Air China doesn't recognize any of them.
With UA awards, you typically get another confirmation number with which you can log into a partner's website and select your seat. But, I can't locate any other confirmation numbers on my LifeMiles booking receipt.
I've been reading reports that Air China premium cabin reservations booked with Star Alliance partners have been mysteriously cancelled, ruining vacations and stranding passengers.
One theory is that some people in China are selling premium cabin seats at a discount, then they contact their insider(s) at Air China, who cancels existing awards and replaces them with paid tickets.
A less sinister explanation is that there are communication issues between Air China and its *A partners.
(1) Has anyone heard about this issue with Air China? Should I be concerned?
(2) Should I decide to cancel my booking, do I have a 24-hour grace period wherein I get my miles and cash credited back to me, with no penalty?
(3) Should I decide to keep my booking, how do I select my seat on Air China?
I tried to retrieve my booking on Air China's website using my LifeMiles reservation code, reference number and authorization code, but Air China doesn't recognize any of them.
With UA awards, you typically get another confirmation number with which you can log into a partner's website and select your seat. But, I can't locate any other confirmation numbers on my LifeMiles booking receipt.
Nov 25, 2018, 4:32 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA MP 1K
Posts: 119
I would like to see the answer for question #3 past the "how to book seats". Answer: Call up Air China, provide confirmation number (which we need to get to the bottom of), and book seat!
With reward bookings, I usually book through UA, but I took advantage of the LifeMiles sale.
I booked OZ from ICN- JFK on Avianca. I have received the confirmation email, but Asiana has no record when I input the reservation number from Avianca. Also recall United always providing *A reference numbers on the manage reservations screen.
With reward bookings, I usually book through UA, but I took advantage of the LifeMiles sale.
I booked OZ from ICN- JFK on Avianca. I have received the confirmation email, but Asiana has no record when I input the reservation number from Avianca. Also recall United always providing *A reference numbers on the manage reservations screen.
Nov 25, 2018, 5:09 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
I would like to see the answer for question #3 past the "how to book seats". Answer: Call up Air China, provide confirmation number (which we need to get to the bottom of), and book seat!
With reward bookings, I usually book through UA, but I took advantage of the LifeMiles sale.
I booked OZ from ICN- JFK on Avianca. I have received the confirmation email, but Asiana has no record when I input the reservation number from Avianca. Also recall United always providing *A reference numbers on the manage reservations screen.
With reward bookings, I usually book through UA, but I took advantage of the LifeMiles sale.
I booked OZ from ICN- JFK on Avianca. I have received the confirmation email, but Asiana has no record when I input the reservation number from Avianca. Also recall United always providing *A reference numbers on the manage reservations screen.
I also took advantage of the LifeMiles sale, but I still ended up paying $381.15 for 12,000 miles. That's more than 3 cents a mile! I feel like I didn't get a discount at all.
Note: I already had 60k miles. The F CA award cost 72k miles. I opted to "pay with money and miles" at the end of the transaction. Did I not get the discount because I purchased the miles this way?
Last edited by joer1212; Nov 25, 2018 at 5:17 pm
Nov 25, 2018, 5:15 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA MP 1K
Posts: 119
Quick update - I was able to choose my seat online for NH (using LifeMiles to book). Still no go on OZ.
It appears you did not get the discount for your 12,000 miles. Should have been closer to ~1.35 cents per mile.
Might be worth calling them up - I have had to call them about 10x for various reasons. Per usual, some agents are very helpful and some are not.
It appears you did not get the discount for your 12,000 miles. Should have been closer to ~1.35 cents per mile.
Might be worth calling them up - I have had to call them about 10x for various reasons. Per usual, some agents are very helpful and some are not.
Nov 25, 2018, 5:28 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
Quick update - I was able to choose my seat online for NH (using LifeMiles to book). Still no go on OZ.
It appears you did not get the discount for your 12,000 miles. Should have been closer to ~1.35 cents per mile.
Might be worth calling them up - I have had to call them about 10x for various reasons. Per usual, some agents are very helpful and some are not.
It appears you did not get the discount for your 12,000 miles. Should have been closer to ~1.35 cents per mile.
Might be worth calling them up - I have had to call them about 10x for various reasons. Per usual, some agents are very helpful and some are not.
https://www.checkmytrip.com/cmtweb/w...ng.html#/login
I just knew I got ripped off with the LifeMiles. I don't see any way I'm getting my money back, even if I call them. If Avianca's website wasn't such a mess, they would have just AUTOMATICALLY given me the discount, since I clearly qualified for it. It's this level of incompetence that makes me nervous that they screwed up my CA booking as well.
Nov 25, 2018, 5:45 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
The LifeMiles 140% discount promo is apparently a targeted offer. Only those that received an email from LifeMiles are eligible for the discount. I never got an email from them, so I had to pay full price.
Nov 25, 2018, 6:12 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2017
Programs: UA MP 1K
Posts: 119
Yes, I will have to fly to ORD prior to the flight. But based on all information I can gather, the soft product on NH is light years ahead of CA (plus ability to use Polaris lounge). Plus I am not a big fan of the CA 747-800 location.
I received no email from LifeMiles in order to participate for the 140% offer. I found out about it via the OMAAT blog.
I received no email from LifeMiles in order to participate for the 140% offer. I found out about it via the OMAAT blog.
Nov 25, 2018, 6:42 pm
#9
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: 7,739
You bought (topped up) your miles as part of the flight booking. That is fine an you can get a price of about 1.5cent/mile that way, bit the sweet spot only comes into effect around the 50% mark of the required miles for the flight. Meaning if your flight was 72k mls, onky when buying ~36k mls do you get the low price per mile. Small amounts like your 12k mls come at a less attractive cost.
Now, if you wanted 12k mls total to top up your mileage balance using the 140% bonus, you should have bought 5k mls on its own during promo period and not as part of a flight booking. This would have yielded the desired 12k mls.
Nov 25, 2018, 7:02 pm
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
It is not a targeted offer. Anyone could buy at 140% as long as he / se had an account. However, it helps to read up on how to go about it before jumping in on the deep end.
You bought (topped up) your miles as part of the flight booking. That is fine an you can get a price of about 1.5cent/mile that way, bit the sweet spot only comes into effect around the 50% mark of the required miles for the flight. Meaning if your flight was 72k mls, onky when buying ~36k mls do you get the low price per mile. Small amounts like your 12k mls come at a less attractive cost.
Now, if you wanted 12k mls total to top up your mileage balance using the 140% bonus, you should have bought 5k mls on its own during promo period and not as part of a flight booking. This would have yielded the desired 12k mls.
You bought (topped up) your miles as part of the flight booking. That is fine an you can get a price of about 1.5cent/mile that way, bit the sweet spot only comes into effect around the 50% mark of the required miles for the flight. Meaning if your flight was 72k mls, onky when buying ~36k mls do you get the low price per mile. Small amounts like your 12k mls come at a less attractive cost.
Now, if you wanted 12k mls total to top up your mileage balance using the 140% bonus, you should have bought 5k mls on its own during promo period and not as part of a flight booking. This would have yielded the desired 12k mls.
Nov 25, 2018, 7:03 pm
#11
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: 7,739
@joer1212 - follow the advise another poster gave and get a checkmytrip account. This is basically a end user interface to Altea reservation system used by AV and many other airlines. Here you will be able to get the Air China booking reference.
With 98+ percent of Chinese airlines they all use TravelSky reservation system and the record locator will be different from what airlines on Amadeus Altea reservation system use, hence your troubles.
For most other *A airlines they use Altea so the same booking reference issued by AV/LM will work.
With 98+ percent of Chinese airlines they all use TravelSky reservation system and the record locator will be different from what airlines on Amadeus Altea reservation system use, hence your troubles.
For most other *A airlines they use Altea so the same booking reference issued by AV/LM will work.
Nov 25, 2018, 8:01 pm
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
@joer1212 - follow the advise another poster gave and get a checkmytrip account. This is basically a end user interface to Altea reservation system used by AV and many other airlines. Here you will be able to get the Air China booking reference.
With 98+ percent of Chinese airlines they all use TravelSky reservation system and the record locator will be different from what airlines on Amadeus Altea reservation system use, hence your troubles.
For most other *A airlines they use Altea so the same booking reference issued by AV/LM will work.
With 98+ percent of Chinese airlines they all use TravelSky reservation system and the record locator will be different from what airlines on Amadeus Altea reservation system use, hence your troubles.
For most other *A airlines they use Altea so the same booking reference issued by AV/LM will work.
Are you saying I should get TravelSky instead? Will the CA confirmation number from that be different than the one provided by checkmytrip?
Nov 25, 2018, 8:29 pm
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
I've seen some of the reports as well. There's no way I would buy Lifemiles to book an Air China F award. It's one thing to use United or maybe Aeroplan miles, because you can have some confidence that they'll sort you out when you are left stranded in PEK (by accessing UA or AC seats). Lifemiles? Yikes... Especially if you are planning to go on a 144-hr transit visa and might need to exit China ASAP...
Nov 25, 2018, 8:33 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 1,225
I've seen some of the reports as well. There's no way I would buy Lifemiles to book an Air China F award. It's one thing to use United or maybe Aeroplan miles, because you can have some confidence that they'll sort you out when you are left stranded in PEK (by accessing UA or AC seats). Lifemiles? Yikes... Especially if you are planning to go on a 144-hr transit visa and might need to exit China ASAP...
Nov 25, 2018, 8:37 pm
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Barcelona, London, on a plane
Programs: BA Silver, TK E+, AA PP, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott LT Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 13,048
Phone reps are getting better for simple things like cancellations. But the whole system is a bit strange - read the thread on cancelling Lifemiles awards.