Varig & Crediting Miles
Nov 18, 2002 | 8:43 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,046
Varig & Crediting Miles
Hi,
Just got off the phone with Varig, they have advised I need to post them my original boarding passes (to the US office).
Has anyone had any experience with Varig through this method? Is it OK just sending them a photocopy? Or can you send it to Brazil as a photocopy and is it fine?
I am reluctant to do this and then have problems with them crediting as I haven't had the best experience with central/south american flyer programs.
If they are being problematic, I will just aim to send the boarding passes to MX who seem to be fine now. What seems fine, it seems from my experience can just take ages to sort out.
Just got off the phone with Varig, they have advised I need to post them my original boarding passes (to the US office).
Has anyone had any experience with Varig through this method? Is it OK just sending them a photocopy? Or can you send it to Brazil as a photocopy and is it fine?
I am reluctant to do this and then have problems with them crediting as I haven't had the best experience with central/south american flyer programs.
If they are being problematic, I will just aim to send the boarding passes to MX who seem to be fine now. What seems fine, it seems from my experience can just take ages to sort out.
Nov 19, 2002 | 2:51 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,046
JKD - which number do u fax this trhough to?
I faxed it to the US number and had no luck, is there a different US number? or should i send it to the Brazil or Uruguay number? - also how long have u seen it take to post the mileage?
I faxed it to the US number and had no luck, is there a different US number? or should i send it to the Brazil or Uruguay number? - also how long have u seen it take to post the mileage?
Feb 13, 2003 | 9:39 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,046
As an update from my experiences with Varig for crediting miles (and crediting for the 55,555 promo):
I clocked up a number of flights to Varig last year, including 5 different carriers for the *A 5th anniversery promo.
My crediting has been retrospective / retroactive as i carefully evaluated which program crediting would be most applicable based on my *A flights over the 2nd half of last calendar year. Hence, I did not provide my RG number during the flights.
Anyhow, I faxed in my boarding passes and tickets, to which they wrote back to me asking for originals. I then posted copies of my boarding passes and tickets to the Brazil office, they credited 2 of my UA flights, none others.
They then emailed me from Brazil to advise they wanted the originals.
Following the advice, I sent the original boarding passes by international registered post to the New York office, with receipted reply. To date, I am still yet to have any of the flights credit, despite a number of emails to them, with a confirmation or receipt, but nothing else.
Pretty poor form, I do hope I get at least the flights credited before they have any more serious (financial) difficulties as reported. I now, no longer even have my original boarding passes..... ahhhh well....
[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 02-13-2003).]
I clocked up a number of flights to Varig last year, including 5 different carriers for the *A 5th anniversery promo.
My crediting has been retrospective / retroactive as i carefully evaluated which program crediting would be most applicable based on my *A flights over the 2nd half of last calendar year. Hence, I did not provide my RG number during the flights.
Anyhow, I faxed in my boarding passes and tickets, to which they wrote back to me asking for originals. I then posted copies of my boarding passes and tickets to the Brazil office, they credited 2 of my UA flights, none others.
They then emailed me from Brazil to advise they wanted the originals.
Following the advice, I sent the original boarding passes by international registered post to the New York office, with receipted reply. To date, I am still yet to have any of the flights credit, despite a number of emails to them, with a confirmation or receipt, but nothing else.
Pretty poor form, I do hope I get at least the flights credited before they have any more serious (financial) difficulties as reported. I now, no longer even have my original boarding passes..... ahhhh well....
[This message has been edited by kawoh (edited 02-13-2003).]
Feb 17, 2003 | 11:55 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: North Bergen, NJ, - EWR
Posts: 42
kawoh,
Varig/US is very sloooowwwwww to process. I had similar experiences...it might take months. I did the same with the 5 airlines * 55,555 but not all the airlines reported my RG number (some airports in Asia don't even know that Varig is part of the *A)
Smiles Center asked for the boarding passes. I sent copies to the Varig/NY office (Smile office in US is located in NY)
71 South Central Ave.
2nd Floor
Valley Stream, NY 11580
I follow-up with a call a month later (I think the number in NY is:1-800-990-5534) The person was actually able to go to my file and check it while I was at the phone. She told me that I should send the originals-- I took her name and I did send the originals . 2 weeks later, I follow-up with a phone call -- they told me that all OK and they sent the info to Brazil for posting. A month later I had all my flights. Remember, NY/Smile office is very small..probably no more than 2 or 3 people dedicated to Smile so if you manage this by phone after you send your letters is easier to follow-up and get results.
The good news for me was the credit was before they process the 55K promotion (just 15 days earlier). On December 15, they have posted all 55K for members that flew all 5 airlines since July. You may want to also request the credit of the 55K when you send your boarding passes since I doubt they will do it automatically.
Good luck!
Varig/US is very sloooowwwwww to process. I had similar experiences...it might take months. I did the same with the 5 airlines * 55,555 but not all the airlines reported my RG number (some airports in Asia don't even know that Varig is part of the *A)
Smiles Center asked for the boarding passes. I sent copies to the Varig/NY office (Smile office in US is located in NY)
71 South Central Ave.
2nd Floor
Valley Stream, NY 11580
I follow-up with a call a month later (I think the number in NY is:1-800-990-5534) The person was actually able to go to my file and check it while I was at the phone. She told me that I should send the originals-- I took her name and I did send the originals . 2 weeks later, I follow-up with a phone call -- they told me that all OK and they sent the info to Brazil for posting. A month later I had all my flights. Remember, NY/Smile office is very small..probably no more than 2 or 3 people dedicated to Smile so if you manage this by phone after you send your letters is easier to follow-up and get results.
The good news for me was the credit was before they process the 55K promotion (just 15 days earlier). On December 15, they have posted all 55K for members that flew all 5 airlines since July. You may want to also request the credit of the 55K when you send your boarding passes since I doubt they will do it automatically.
Good luck!