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Lifemiles serious booking problems - Beware (from January 2022 onwards)

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Old Jan 17, 2022, 5:12 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: italdesign
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)
- no availability showing at all on the website (try logging out and logging back in)

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.

You need to have 40% of the miles in your account for them to make the booking. On some occasions, credit card points do not transfer over immediately. In such cases also send screenshots of the points being debited from your credit card. In some cases the LM account will immediately show the points transferred in the account activity section. Send a screenshot of that as well.

After a day or two, you will get a reply via email saying the matter has been escalated to an internal area. The next day someone will call you from 305 447 2819 and will process the payment over the phone. You will need to set a PIN which you can do in your online LM account (under the account access section of your online profile).

Send to these two email addresses, and CC yourself (just for your records)
[email protected] (invalid as of July 2022)
[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 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
========



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Lifemiles serious booking problems - Beware (from January 2022 onwards)

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Old May 24, 2022, 5:34 am
  #196  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,475
Has such a thing happened before? I wonder if their payments to partner just went over some limit so shut things down for sometime.
UA Fan is offline  
Old May 25, 2022, 4:41 am
  #197  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,838
Originally Posted by 108912
It's very odd. I contacted support asking if there was an issue as I couldn't fine ANY availability on ANY route on ANY day. I got the usual drivel back about fluctuating availability but also a suggestion I try a different browser. I thought this would be of no help. However, I switched from Microsoft Edge to Google Chrome et voila, availability showing! Weird.
It was your punishment for using MS Edge lol.
hypertext likes this.
mlqsko is offline  
Old May 26, 2022, 11:51 am
  #198  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,031
WTH... are UA awards still broken? See nothing for days on end. The month view actually seems to show the right dates with availability but nothing when you click through.
abcx is offline  
Old May 26, 2022, 8:50 pm
  #199  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 61
LHR seems to show up in July, just booked
houflier is offline  
Old May 27, 2022, 5:59 pm
  #200  
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,031
Originally Posted by houflier
LHR seems to show up in July, just booked
Does not show AMS or ZRH.
abcx is offline  
Old May 27, 2022, 8:02 pm
  #201  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Not seeing any longhaul LX J availability?
iluvdoco is offline  
Old May 27, 2022, 8:21 pm
  #202  
Formerly doc4science
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: CMH/DSM
Programs: United Airlines Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 562
At this point what can you actually book with LM?
IndyHoosier likes this.
Fly2Connect is offline  
Old May 27, 2022, 10:37 pm
  #203  
 
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
Originally Posted by iluvdoco
Not seeing any longhaul LX J availability?
Yup, nothing really. Also seems TK hasn't published much availability to LM and airlines like Thai (TG) are still figuring out how to get back into full operations. Taiwan is shut (BR), Japan is still largely closed too (with some small easing these days) so NH won't provide much award space either. Asiana (OZ) is getting merged with Korean Air, so they may have other priorities, etc. SQ, well let's not kid ourselves.

Not much left then, at least for Asia - Europe / North America. Not an ideal period at the moment I guess. Hoping it'll normalize over the next months. YMMV.
iluvdoco likes this.
demue is offline  
Old May 28, 2022, 12:01 am
  #204  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: SFO/YYZ
Programs: AC 25K, AS MVP Gold, BA Bronze, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 2,469
Originally Posted by abcx
WTH... are UA awards still broken? See nothing for days on end. The month view actually seems to show the right dates with availability but nothing when you click through.
Since when are they broken? Booked SFO-HND round trip in UA business with Lifemiles a few weeks back.
nexusCFX is offline  
Old May 28, 2022, 11:41 am
  #205  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,723
Originally Posted by nexusCFX
Since when are they broken? Booked SFO-HND round trip in UA business with Lifemiles a few weeks back.
A few weeks ago is like an eternity in the LM universe! A few weeks ago I didn't experience the same number of booking issues that I am now.
iluvdoco is offline  
Old May 30, 2022, 1:22 am
  #206  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Singapore
Programs: Show me the points!
Posts: 1,224
Originally Posted by abcx
Is AV not showing any SQ inventory right now? UA, AC and TK all show the flight.

Also not showing any NZ intra-NZ inventory which UA and AC all show.

WTH!
Were you ever able to book SQ? I have same problem. Can see flight on AC/UA/VA but not via LM.
nichojo is offline  
Old May 30, 2022, 4:26 am
  #207  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,228
Originally Posted by nichojo
Were you ever able to book SQ? I have same problem. Can see flight on AC/UA/VA but not via LM.
Yes, LM used to have the same SQ availability as other partners in 2019 and 2020. My first SQ 787-10 flight was part of a LM booking in business.
Kremmen is offline  
Old May 31, 2022, 11:41 am
  #208  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 600
I am looking to book LAX-ICN on Asiana using Lifemiles for a two week trip in November.

This seems like a relatively straightforward booking so I shouldn't have any issues if I transfer Amex MRs to my Lifemiles account?
Statman is offline  
Old May 31, 2022, 4:12 pm
  #209  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Originally Posted by Statman
I am looking to book LAX-ICN on Asiana using Lifemiles for a two week trip in November.

This seems like a relatively straightforward booking so I shouldn't have any issues if I transfer Amex MRs to my Lifemiles account?
Have you checked availability on the LfeMiles site? Economy should not be a problem.
Statman likes this.
skimthetrees is offline  
Old May 31, 2022, 4:40 pm
  #210  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 600
Originally Posted by skimthetrees
Have you checked availability on the LfeMiles site? Economy should not be a problem.
Yes, I have checked availability on the LifeMiles site. Economy is available for 70k roundtrip and about $85 USD in taxes.

I was going to transfer Amex Points to my LifeMiles account, but reading this thread got me worried that I'd somehow not be able to book the flights on Asiana and end up stuck with 75k LifeMiles in my account.
Statman is offline  


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