Please post your M&M award booking experience
Aug 6, 2006, 6:45 am
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Capetown
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Plat, IHG and Hilton Diamond, LH SEN, BA Gold
Posts: 10,163
Which flights did you book and which class?
M&M F class award: DUS -FRA-SIN-FRA-TXL-DUS
- How many pax and how many award miles?
2 persons, 270.000 miles (companion award)
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
about 4 days
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
No problems
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Reservation by phone. Worked with the first call, got my prefered seats
M&M F class award: DUS -FRA-SIN-FRA-TXL-DUS
- How many pax and how many award miles?
2 persons, 270.000 miles (companion award)
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
about 4 days
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
No problems
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Reservation by phone. Worked with the first call, got my prefered seats
Aug 6, 2006, 11:52 am
#17
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: close to STR, Germany
Programs: Miles & More, Skywards, Skymiles
Posts: 115
Which route/airline did you book and which class?
(a) LH, MUC -> MIA (one way upgrade to C)
(b) LH & UA, STR -> LAS (round trip in F)
How many pax and how many award miles?
(a) 1 for 50,000
(b) 1 for 140,000
How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
(a) Flight was booked in august 2004. Travel time was march 2005. Called for the upgrade in december 2004. No waitlist.
(b) Booked in april 2006 for travel in january 2007
Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
(a) Yes since the paid ticket was already issued.
(b) Yes and No. I got the dates I requested with LH & UA although I tried to get a c-class rt with Air NZ but no availability 10 months in advance.
Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)?
(a) Yes. Everthing went smoothly
(b) Friedly call agent, but no availability with Air NZ and some trouble with the fees and taxes. Was told fees & taxes were approx. € 190,00 and a total of € 290,00 was charged to my credit card. Took me another call to sort that out. Had to wait for ages until it was checked with ticketing, but then worked out fine. Total taxes had been reduced to € 160,00 and the difference was credited to my creditcard within three days.
How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
(a) Got the preffered seat on the first call.
(b) Got the preffered seats on the first call. (83A and 2A)
(a) LH, MUC -> MIA (one way upgrade to C)
(b) LH & UA, STR -> LAS (round trip in F)
How many pax and how many award miles?
(a) 1 for 50,000
(b) 1 for 140,000
How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
(a) Flight was booked in august 2004. Travel time was march 2005. Called for the upgrade in december 2004. No waitlist.
(b) Booked in april 2006 for travel in january 2007
Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
(a) Yes since the paid ticket was already issued.
(b) Yes and No. I got the dates I requested with LH & UA although I tried to get a c-class rt with Air NZ but no availability 10 months in advance.
Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)?
(a) Yes. Everthing went smoothly
(b) Friedly call agent, but no availability with Air NZ and some trouble with the fees and taxes. Was told fees & taxes were approx. € 190,00 and a total of € 290,00 was charged to my credit card. Took me another call to sort that out. Had to wait for ages until it was checked with ticketing, but then worked out fine. Total taxes had been reduced to € 160,00 and the difference was credited to my creditcard within three days.
How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
(a) Got the preffered seat on the first call.
(b) Got the preffered seats on the first call. (83A and 2A)
Aug 7, 2006, 4:26 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MUC/HKT
Programs: UA1K;AAEXP;BAG
Posts: 595
Which route/airline did you book, which class, how many pax and how many award miles, how many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
LH: MUC-BKK-CGK-BKK-MUC (C, 2 Pax, 180k Miles, 5 months)
LH/NZ/AC: MUC-LHR-LAX-YYZ-LAX-LHR-MUC (C, 1 Pax, 90k Miles, 3 months)
Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
As both award tickets were/will be used for fun trips i was quite flexible regarding travel dates. Even though i must stay two days longer in CA to get NZ back to LHR.
Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Used MM Callcenter for both reservations without problems. Called once to confirm seats on the long distance flights.
LH: MUC-BKK-CGK-BKK-MUC (C, 2 Pax, 180k Miles, 5 months)
LH/NZ/AC: MUC-LHR-LAX-YYZ-LAX-LHR-MUC (C, 1 Pax, 90k Miles, 3 months)
Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
As both award tickets were/will be used for fun trips i was quite flexible regarding travel dates. Even though i must stay two days longer in CA to get NZ back to LHR.
Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Used MM Callcenter for both reservations without problems. Called once to confirm seats on the long distance flights.
Aug 7, 2006, 5:04 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: MUC, NUE
Programs: LH Sen
Posts: 541
Which flights did you book and which class?
M&M C award: JFK-MUC-JFK, MUC-DUS-EWR-MUC
- How many pax and how many award miles?
1 pax 90.000 per each flight
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
3 weeks
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
almost no problems
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Booking procedure was quite satisfying. I think I had to call twice
M&M C award: JFK-MUC-JFK, MUC-DUS-EWR-MUC
- How many pax and how many award miles?
1 pax 90.000 per each flight
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
3 weeks
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
almost no problems
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Booking procedure was quite satisfying. I think I had to call twice
Aug 7, 2006, 6:26 am
#20
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: South Florida
Programs: All the best ones.
Posts: 1,415
I'm very unhappy with M&M award availability on the MIA-FRA-MIA route in First Class. Last week, I could only get one seat out at the end of October, (no companion seat available) the earliest inbound is the second week of January, again only one seat available. 
These were not the dates I wanted: Very poor service for an award costing 140,000 miles. It would help if the website would allow me to check availability instead of having long telephone calls to search for flights. M&M have a sense of humor calling it the "VIP desk."
These were not the dates I wanted: Very poor service for an award costing 140,000 miles. It would help if the website would allow me to check availability instead of having long telephone calls to search for flights. M&M have a sense of humor calling it the "VIP desk."
Aug 7, 2006, 6:54 am
#21
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BRU
Programs: LH SEN, SN Gold, Eurostar Carte Blanche, BA, QF, AF
Posts: 6,856
Originally Posted by Peter M
It would help if the website would allow me to check availability instead of having long telephone calls to search for flights.
SmilingBoy.
Aug 7, 2006, 7:19 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Oberasbach (Nuernberg), Germany
Programs: M&M
Posts: 161
- Which route/airline did you book and which class?
NUE-FRA-SFO-LAS and LAS-LAX-FRA-NUE / LH / First
- How many pax and how many award miles?
Just me / 140000
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
11 months
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
Yes, but not the flights I wanted (Back via MUC, single seat in First)
- Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)?
I did it via phone, happy with that? Yes
I wanted to book online but I couldn't chose the flights I wanted. System offered me LAS-ORD-FRA and nothing else. So I called.
- How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Once
NUE-FRA-SFO-LAS and LAS-LAX-FRA-NUE / LH / First
- How many pax and how many award miles?
Just me / 140000
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
11 months
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
Yes, but not the flights I wanted (Back via MUC, single seat in First)
- Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)?
I did it via phone, happy with that? Yes
I wanted to book online but I couldn't chose the flights I wanted. System offered me LAS-ORD-FRA and nothing else. So I called.
- How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Once
Aug 7, 2006, 7:35 am
#23
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: near HAJ
Programs: LH member
Posts: 140
- Which route/airline did you book and which class?
HAJ-FRA (LH C) FRA-JNB (LH F)
CPT-FRA (SA C) FRA-HAJ (LH C)
- How many pax and how many award miles?
two, 230.000 miles
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
four month
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
almost! two days earlier outbound, one day earlier inbound
- Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
yes, no problem. By phono, normal miles&more line.
seats for the FRA-JNB portion we got after the first call (83A+C
)
seats for the return on SAA only by calling SAA in Frankfurt two day before departure.
HAJ-FRA (LH C) FRA-JNB (LH F)
CPT-FRA (SA C) FRA-HAJ (LH C)
- How many pax and how many award miles?
two, 230.000 miles
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
four month
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
almost! two days earlier outbound, one day earlier inbound
- Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
yes, no problem. By phono, normal miles&more line.
seats for the FRA-JNB portion we got after the first call (83A+C
)seats for the return on SAA only by calling SAA in Frankfurt two day before departure.
Aug 7, 2006, 8:57 am
#24
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Switzerland mostly
Programs: LX Sen, EK Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Sirius Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 357
C Class on LX (GVA-ATH)
- Which flights did you book and which class?
M&M C award: GVA-ATH-GVA
- How many pax and how many award miles?
2 pax 48'000 each (booking was made for my mother and her friend so no SEN companion)
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
3 months
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
eventually yes
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Impossible to book online, no flights available or routing via Germany (there is a direct daily LX flight to Athens). Finally succeeded by making the booking by phone with no problem at all.
M&M C award: GVA-ATH-GVA
- How many pax and how many award miles?
2 pax 48'000 each (booking was made for my mother and her friend so no SEN companion)
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
3 months
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
eventually yes
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Impossible to book online, no flights available or routing via Germany (there is a direct daily LX flight to Athens). Finally succeeded by making the booking by phone with no problem at all.
Aug 7, 2006, 9:14 am
#25
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: FRA, SEA
Programs: LH , DL
Posts: 243
- Which route/airline did you book and which class?
1. FRA-ORD F LH
2. FRA-JNB F LH
- How many pax and how many award miles?
1. 1 pax 140.000 mls
2. 1 pax 140.000 mls
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
1. 6 weeks
2. 8 months
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
Yes.
- Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
I was very happy with the booking procedure. Just one call for every flight.^
1. FRA-ORD F LH
2. FRA-JNB F LH
- How many pax and how many award miles?
1. 1 pax 140.000 mls
2. 1 pax 140.000 mls
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
1. 6 weeks
2. 8 months
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
Yes.
- Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
I was very happy with the booking procedure. Just one call for every flight.^
Aug 7, 2006, 11:24 am
#26
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 494
- Which flights did you book and which class?
C Award
BSL-FRA-JFK // EWR-MUC-BSL
- How many pax and how many award miles?
1 pax 90'000 miles
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
10 days
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
yes, date & time
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Booked online; showed as Y booking in main page of "My Bookings", but was ticketed at C.
Made a single call to Germany for telephone check-in to have seats allocated on the l-haul segement. Agent had trouble to bring up the seat mask and confirm seating, but was able to add requested seats.
C Award
BSL-FRA-JFK // EWR-MUC-BSL
- How many pax and how many award miles?
1 pax 90'000 miles
- How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
10 days
- Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
yes, date & time
- Overall: Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)? How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
Booked online; showed as Y booking in main page of "My Bookings", but was ticketed at C.
Made a single call to Germany for telephone check-in to have seats allocated on the l-haul segement. Agent had trouble to bring up the seat mask and confirm seating, but was able to add requested seats.
Aug 9, 2006, 7:08 pm
#27
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: South Florida
Programs: All the best ones.
Posts: 1,415
Originally Posted by SmilingBoy
Huh? You can check availability on the M&M website.
SmilingBoy.
SmilingBoy.
It takes the South African call center about 30 minutes to book a ticket and that's without even being offered seat assignments. The New York VIP Desk offered great service, now we have the South African Service enhancement 
Aug 10, 2006, 2:16 am
#28
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: BRU
Programs: LH SEN, SN Gold, Eurostar Carte Blanche, BA, QF, AF
Posts: 6,856
Originally Posted by Peter M
I'm only looking for F-class awards, it always shows an error message and to contact the M&M service center
It is entirely possible that only 2 seats are released for every flight.
SmilingBoy.
Aug 16, 2006, 3:34 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: close to STR, Germany
Programs: Miles & More, Skywards, Skymiles
Posts: 115
Which route/airline did you book and which class?
- LH & LX, STR-FRA-SFO-LAS LAS-LAX-ZRH-STR (round trip in F)
How many pax and how many award miles?
- 1 for 140,000
How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
- Booked in august 2006 for travel in january / february 2007
Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
- No. Had to leave one day prior and a week after desired dates but wasn't that much of a problem.
Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)?
- Yes. Friendly call agents like always. Placed a reservation first and booked after miles from other canceled flight had been credited (about 4 hrs after cancelation)
How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
- Got everything I wanted on the first call. Didn't get preffered seat on LX though.
- LH & LX, STR-FRA-SFO-LAS LAS-LAX-ZRH-STR (round trip in F)
How many pax and how many award miles?
- 1 for 140,000
How many days/weeks/months did you book in advance?
- Booked in august 2006 for travel in january / february 2007
Have you been able to book your preferred dates of travel?
- No. Had to leave one day prior and a week after desired dates but wasn't that much of a problem.
Were you happy with the award booking procedure (e.g. online/by phone)?
- Yes. Friendly call agents like always. Placed a reservation first and booked after miles from other canceled flight had been credited (about 4 hrs after cancelation)
How often did you have to check/call until you got the seats?
- Got everything I wanted on the first call. Didn't get preffered seat on LX though.
Aug 16, 2006, 4:14 am
#30
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: LCY/FRA
Programs: LH HON+
Posts: 570
overall very happy with award bookings and availability on LH - compare that to BA for example. trying to spend some miles to go anywhere in Asia next spring, one seat available for a whole quarter.....