status is now verified....no need for the personal verification....but i am out of the country right now so don't know if ai sent someone to stalk out my home for personal verification....:p

Can you make a booking though? I see the miles and dates availability for some routes I checked... but no button to proceed with booking...

i could when i tried yesterday....but today i'm having the same problem as you....

So AI has put out a notice today, officially acknowledging its IT issues over the verification norms it has made mandatory.

In addition, they also highlight the changes in redemptions for AI metal which they already introducded and also on the Star Alliance side, which they are proposing.
The highlights are as under:

Changes for AI metal earn and burn:-

1) Removal of YQ (Fuel Surcharge) till now paid in cash on international Award redemption tickets on Air India flights & its replacement with additional miles.
2) Enabling Child Enrolment (02 to 12 years age).
3) Enhanced web bonus for Business Class Cabin & International journeys.
4) Simplified Table of Miles Accrual & Redemption on Air India flights which have been clubbed/bundled in ten strata (each for domestic & international).
5) Instant generation of downloadable / printable "Virtual" membership card upon enrolment or tier status change.
6) For those of you who have certain FR Miles expiring on 31 December 2015, and the past 10 days have been a frustrating period with KYC norms resulting in delay or inability to redeem miles, we would like to compensate you be extending the validity or permitting use - redemption of these miles by 1 month to 31 January 2016 for making tickets.


In the next few weeks, possibly first quarter of 2016, we are intending to deliver the following changes and developments for our FR members:-

Changes for Star Alliance earn and burn:-

1) A new simplified Star Award chart of 7 global zones (they currently have 12), and 4 mileage based sub zones in each global zone, with attractive levels. Viz. in the zone comprising USA, only 5000 FR miles required for redemption on sectors less than 500 KM like New York to Washington or San Francisco to Los Angeles.
2) On-line Retro or Requests for credit of lost & missing miles.
3) Online upgrade with miles on Air India & Star Alliance flights (SAUA).
4) Family Pooling with (one degree of separation) children and parents in addition to spouse.
5) Zone base Accrual & Redemption of Miles.


So if I am interpreting the Star Alliance redemption changes correctly, does that mean the long-haul flights will price out according to zones e.g. AAdvantage and the short-haul ones (intra-zonal) will price out according to mileage, e.g. BA Avios?
If this works, it would absolutely be the best of both worlds ! :-:

Just hope AI makes this real by introducing a competent IT team to implement the above correctly and makes its agents undergo a thorough training to remove the earlier brainwash.


Thoughts?

I strongly feel that somewhere the prayers are heard and they are finally moving away from the point-to-point redemption requirements - which were INSANE and prohibitive in utilizing the full power of *A benefits to AI-FR members! Zone based approach should more or less signify that!

Also above is confirmed by the initial review of Mile requirements on AI-Website whereby whether it's AMD-EWR OR AMD-DEL-JFK both are priced at same 80K OW.

However, biggest concern as you highlighted is surely though to have the "COMPETENT IT TEAM" which in my case is the catch - and whole this episode would require as much as OUR support & PATIENCE with the AI CS agents as much as theirs! :rolleyes:

So I figured why my KYC wasn't going through after so many days and why there is a status mismatch. It seems there are two Flyingreturn websites.

https://ffai.loyaltyplus.aero/ailoyalty/index.jsf (this is the production)
https://ffaiprep.loyaltyplus.aero/ailoyalty/index.jsf (this is probably test/staging or old)

All this while I was uploading my documents on the second website. Today I tried again from flyingreturns.co.in website and was directed to the first URL. I completed the KYC process again and received an email confirming that KYC will now be verified. If any of you are facing similar issues, make sure you visit the first URL and not the second one.

My KYC status is now back to "pending" from "verified".... :(

Make sure to check on the correct website. There are two flyingreturns website one shows me as Gold and the other shows me as Silver member. So which one are you checking?

two websites??? can you give url of both

He did. Right here :)

Make sure you upload passport copy should you have any international travel on our account.

I did upload my passport image. Not sure what caused status to go from verified to pending.

BTW, anyone able to proceed to book? (radio button visible?)

I can see the radio button and proceed to the payment page.
I did receive an email and SMS mentioning that the KYC is complete.

If you have a status with AI, consider sending the doc(s) to the email [tier]edge.ai at iclployalty dot com. I did the same and had the KYC verified in 24 hours !

Guys

Does anyone know how to check for Star Alliance Award availability and book with AI,?

Any link or charts?

Regards/

Karan

If you are new to award booking, try united.com.
It lets you search Star Alliance award availability without registration. You can then book the same award seats using your Air India miles.

Star Alliance accrual and redemption charts are on Air India's website.

Refer this thread for more information.