Jan 17, 2022, 5:12 pm
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
========
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]
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
========
Lifemiles serious booking problems - Beware (from January 2022 onwards)
Jun 17, 2022, 6:21 pm
#241
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 213
To ad to the whinges - I just tried doing a booking on SN, simple intra Europe with a transfer at BRU, good value with flight prices where they are right now.
I think I did the right things, check the availability was there on Expert Flyer - it was and it still is. It also shows on aeroplane, but with higher fees. All good so I transferred the miles, started the booking process for a second time and goto all the way through the booking screens as far as the enter traveller details. Then after that I get an error, before I get to the payment screen. Called Lifemiles, the agent says the seats are gone, yet still showing in expert flyer, on their website and non aeroplan.
I wonder if I somehow blocked the seats by searching, cling through, not completing, then trying to complete after the miles transferred, I had to start from scratch as it wouldn't show the miles without going back to the home page.
I'll wait a few hours and see if I can complete later, or if the seats go from EF.
I think I did the right things, check the availability was there on Expert Flyer - it was and it still is. It also shows on aeroplane, but with higher fees. All good so I transferred the miles, started the booking process for a second time and goto all the way through the booking screens as far as the enter traveller details. Then after that I get an error, before I get to the payment screen. Called Lifemiles, the agent says the seats are gone, yet still showing in expert flyer, on their website and non aeroplan.
I wonder if I somehow blocked the seats by searching, cling through, not completing, then trying to complete after the miles transferred, I had to start from scratch as it wouldn't show the miles without going back to the home page.
I'll wait a few hours and see if I can complete later, or if the seats go from EF.
Jun 18, 2022, 10:49 am
#242
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 2,295
To ad to the whinges - I just tried doing a booking on SN, simple intra Europe with a transfer at BRU, good value with flight prices where they are right now.
I think I did the right things, check the availability was there on Expert Flyer - it was and it still is. It also shows on aeroplane, but with higher fees. All good so I transferred the miles, started the booking process for a second time and goto all the way through the booking screens as far as the enter traveller details. Then after that I get an error, before I get to the payment screen. Called Lifemiles, the agent says the seats are gone, yet still showing in expert flyer, on their website and non aeroplan.
I wonder if I somehow blocked the seats by searching, cling through, not completing, then trying to complete after the miles transferred, I had to start from scratch as it wouldn't show the miles without going back to the home page.
I'll wait a few hours and see if I can complete later, or if the seats go from EF.
I think I did the right things, check the availability was there on Expert Flyer - it was and it still is. It also shows on aeroplane, but with higher fees. All good so I transferred the miles, started the booking process for a second time and goto all the way through the booking screens as far as the enter traveller details. Then after that I get an error, before I get to the payment screen. Called Lifemiles, the agent says the seats are gone, yet still showing in expert flyer, on their website and non aeroplan.
I wonder if I somehow blocked the seats by searching, cling through, not completing, then trying to complete after the miles transferred, I had to start from scratch as it wouldn't show the miles without going back to the home page.
I'll wait a few hours and see if I can complete later, or if the seats go from EF.
Jun 25, 2022, 9:01 am
#244
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,663
I am trying to book a YVR-TPE-BKK ticket on BR. Both UA and EF shows availability. So does Lifemiles but when I clicked after passengers to the "Summary and Payment" page, it returns an error and asked me to call or email their support. I called and they said it's not available and the website is an error (something about lagging availability or it's sold out)? Are there usually any problems with booking BR last minute (<3 days before departure) or newly released availability? Thank you in advance.
Last edited by nov11; Jun 25, 2022 at 9:09 am
Jul 1, 2022, 4:59 am
#245
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 31
I am trying to book a YVR-TPE-BKK ticket on BR. Both UA and EF shows availability. So does Lifemiles but when I clicked after passengers to the "Summary and Payment" page, it returns an error and asked me to call or email their support. I called and they said it's not available and the website is an error (something about lagging availability or it's sold out)? Are there usually any problems with booking BR last minute (<3 days before departure) or newly released availability? Thank you in advance.
Jul 1, 2022, 5:04 am
#246
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 31
Jul 1, 2022, 8:46 am
#247
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The KUL city
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat, TK Elite+
Posts: 2,663
Jul 1, 2022, 10:26 pm
#248
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: 7,738
Not sure this matters here, but there is also the part about completing the emergency contact info (phone number IIRC), not doing so means progressing to the payment page errors out as well. YMMV.
Jul 5, 2022, 7:33 pm
#250
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 339
Maybe not a complaint but a success story. Just redeemed a simple one way BRU-EDI in the Christmas holidays. Prices were very high so it was worth it for me. It didn't like my zip code but apart from that no problems. Checked and confirmed on the Brussels Airlines website.
Just to add, i couldn't add the trip to checkmytrip.
Just to add, i couldn't add the trip to checkmytrip.
Last edited by peter10; Jul 5, 2022 at 7:34 pm Reason: additional info
Jul 6, 2022, 8:40 am
#251
Join Date: Mar 2019
Programs: AA EXP; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Gold
Posts: 723
Another success story (after initially being distressed by the delay in transfer time from Amex to LM).
Booked 2x LH J seats this morning - JFK>MUC>FCO for July 8. The space opened up yesterday, I transferred Amex miles at ~10pm ET, the miles showed up this morning after being processed overnight, and the booking was nice and simple. Itinerary immediately showed up as ticketed on Lufthansa. This was my first LM booking.
Booked 2x LH J seats this morning - JFK>MUC>FCO for July 8. The space opened up yesterday, I transferred Amex miles at ~10pm ET, the miles showed up this morning after being processed overnight, and the booking was nice and simple. Itinerary immediately showed up as ticketed on Lufthansa. This was my first LM booking.
Jul 7, 2022, 8:14 am
#252
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond. SPG Plat. Marriott Plat.
Posts: 522
I also have an issue where I was in payment screen and then went back to change some details so had to re-search. Seems like by being on the payment screen I put the award out of availability and now it’s showing not available (but it def is). Lufthansa
how long does it take for these awards to come back to showing as available?
how long does it take for these awards to come back to showing as available?
Last edited by Westin; Jul 7, 2022 at 8:22 am
Jul 7, 2022, 10:19 am
#253
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,404
I also have an issue where I was in payment screen and then went back to change some details so had to re-search. Seems like by being on the payment screen I put the award out of availability and now it’s showing not available (but it def is). Lufthansa
how long does it take for these awards to come back to showing as available?
how long does it take for these awards to come back to showing as available?
Jul 7, 2022, 10:26 am
#254
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: Hyatt Diamond. SPG Plat. Marriott Plat.
Posts: 522
Anywhere from 24 to 72 hours depending on the airline’s cancellation policy (that is, a flight booked but not ticketed or paid for). Can vary between airlines. Don’t know LH’s policy. Aeroplan cancelled held seats after just four hours when I wasn’t able to ticket some Etihad flights. So it can vary.
Jul 7, 2022, 1:20 pm
#255
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
It would be more annoying to me if I wanted the seats, got to the payment page and was rejected because LifeMiles did not put a hold on the seats and someone else bought them out from under my nose while I was filling out the payment page.