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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 Jan 18, 2023, 10:25 am
  #436  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Posts: 1,470
Originally Posted by nemenor
Really? Which routes did you see? Also bookable?
Last time I had success was 4/2022 for FRA-SFO/LAX.
No luck 9/2022 and 12/2022. Space was visible on United/Aeroplan/Aegan/ExpertFlyer but no way bringing it up on Lifemiles (tried all the various search options in an attempt to force it), only J would show.
But would be great to know if it still works sometimes, as that increases the value of Lifemiles to me tremendously.
I still see it. For example, MUC-BOS tomorrow has 3 F seats showing as bookable on LM
greendx is offline  
Old Jan 18, 2023, 11:07 am
  #437  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Originally Posted by greendx
I still see it. For example, MUC-BOS tomorrow has 3 F seats showing as bookable on LM
Note: only shows up for me when changing to a Lufthansa specific search. Smart Search does not return LH F availability for this search.
view-with-a-room likes this.
skimthetrees is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2023, 4:53 pm
  #438  
 
Join Date: Nov 2019
Posts: 302
So for me this is thr end of lifemiles I just burned my last 50k amex points on GRU - ORD. I spend 800k lifemiles in last two years. I am really mad that I didn't buy more miles during covid.
Tomasz Pa is offline  
Old Jan 21, 2023, 10:13 pm
  #439  
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,325
Originally Posted by 350hp
LH F was definitely available (it showed available) until last week. This issue is new.
definitely not new. since end of 2021 F availability on LM is not always there especially with a connection unlike aeroplan.
Amil is offline  
Old Jan 30, 2023, 11:27 am
  #440  
 
Join Date: May 2002
Location: LEESBURG, VA, USA
Posts: 254
Award chart devaluation?

Deleted.

Last edited by takhliq1; Jan 30, 2023 at 11:45 am
takhliq1 is offline  
Old Feb 1, 2023, 6:47 pm
  #441  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,474
I was looking for COK (Cochin, India) to ORD and found an AI itin via DEL with a 2.5 transit. On the 7 day calendar bar, it says there are itins for 47K, but this itin (which was the only one) was showing up for 83K. Any reason why this is so? I have even booked the reverse for 47K.
UA Fan is offline  
Old Feb 2, 2023, 8:12 am
  #442  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Originally Posted by UA Fan
I was looking for COK (Cochin, India) to ORD and found an AI itin via DEL with a 2.5 transit. On the 7 day calendar bar, it says there are itins for 47K, but this itin (which was the only one) was showing up for 83K. Any reason why this is so? I have even booked the reverse for 47K.
47k is the economy rate. Are some of the segments in the 83k trip in Business? That would be my guess.
skimthetrees is offline  
Old Feb 12, 2023, 10:01 am
  #443  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 166
Hey all! I used to be pretty savvy with booking award trips, but a pandemic and then newborn leave me rusty! I'm trying to book ORD-FRA / ZRH-ORD this June/July and would rather book via Lifemiles than UA (We have plenty Thank You, Chase and Amex - so transfer shouldn't be an issue to any program)

I am struggling with LifeMiles. I can see the award availability on UA for ZRH-ORD on 7/9, but nothing shows up on LifeMiles. Am I doing something wrong? I see ORD-FRA on both sites, although the NS UA flight only appears on UA, not Lifemiles.

Can anyone point me in the right direction or let me know what I am doing wrong? Perhaps this is just Lifemiles issue and I am not totally an idiot lol
adschnei is offline  
Old Feb 12, 2023, 11:03 am
  #444  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA, AS
Posts: 2,393
Originally Posted by adschnei
Hey all! I used to be pretty savvy with booking award trips, but a pandemic and then newborn leave me rusty! I'm trying to book ORD-FRA / ZRH-ORD this June/July and would rather book via Lifemiles than UA (We have plenty Thank You, Chase and Amex - so transfer shouldn't be an issue to any program)

I am struggling with LifeMiles. I can see the award availability on UA for ZRH-ORD on 7/9, but nothing shows up on LifeMiles. Am I doing something wrong? I see ORD-FRA on both sites, although the NS UA flight only appears on UA, not Lifemiles.

Can anyone point me in the right direction or let me know what I am doing wrong? Perhaps this is just Lifemiles issue and I am not totally an idiot lol
You are most likely seeing extra cost availability on UA that is only available to UA Mileage Plus members. Are you looking for economy or business? X is the class for saver economy awards on United and "I" is the class for saver business awards. If you search on United and you see something other than those fare classes (like YN or JN) it is most likely not released to partners (like LifeMiles). On July 12th LifeMiles is showing awards on Swiss from ZRH-ORD in both economy and business if that works.
skimthetrees is offline  
Old Feb 13, 2023, 12:47 pm
  #445  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 39
Does any one knows how to book an infant ticket at 10% of the points/cash rather than taking an entire seat that you're not going to use
punk is offline  
Old Feb 14, 2023, 11:01 am
  #446  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: DUB, CPH
Programs: SK, LH
Posts: 404
there were few posts about infant booking - i remember seeing them when i was looking for my infant..but i never got to book it though.
for booking on LH using lifemiles book adult tickets on LM and ring LH and pay for the infant.
not sure which airlines you are looking for though
bittihuduga is offline  
Old Feb 14, 2023, 12:40 pm
  #447  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,474
I'm seeing DEL-CPH as 25K on AI and COK-DEL-CPH as 45K. Is this pricing correctly?
UA Fan is offline  
Old Feb 14, 2023, 12:41 pm
  #448  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BOM-SIN-EWR
Programs: UA*G (1K again), Sixt Plat, *was*: SQ QPP01 & SK EBS/EBG, LH SEN, AA EXP, 9wPlat
Posts: 8,606
Originally Posted by UA Fan
I'm seeing DEL-CPH as 25K on AI and COK-DEL-CPH as 45K. Is this pricing correctly?
Y or J redemptions?
SuperFlyBoy is offline  
Old Feb 14, 2023, 6:38 pm
  #449  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: DFW
Programs: AA 1M
Posts: 31,474
Originally Posted by SuperFlyBoy
Y or J redemptions?
Y
UA Fan is offline  
Old Feb 25, 2023, 5:00 pm
  #450  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: LAX_AMS_MNL
Programs: AS MVP, AA EXP - 1MM, BAEC BRZ, BVY GLD, Hilton DIA, Hyatt GLB
Posts: 749
Quick question, Ive tried booking a simple intra asia EVA air TPE-XXX ticket for 15K pp in J

Went as far as the payment screen and paid, BUT, it said that my card was expired. So I started again, but the flights are now gone? Its a random date way in the future and I doubt someone else took it.

Do you think LM booked my tickets? but my miles are still intact. I remembered seeing a PNR but I didn't note it down. I should have read the wiki above first. Will they return the inventory?

Also they asked for some kind of weird question under the payment section for the CC and left it blank. I don't recall what it was specifically.

Any help would be appreciated.
KL808 is offline  


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