Using Lifemiles to Brazil

[Lucky]

I have spent hours trying to book tickets using my Lifemiles.  Today it looked good as I got a Business Class ticket on Copa to GIG and an Avianca coach ticket returning. I entered all the information and went to confirmation where I was told that they did not have all the info they needed. I got into a chat but never understood what they wanted but I think I was suppose to call to pay the taxes. I gave up and tried again.

Same result except I didn't get a chat agent at all/ Just three circles going round and round. So I tried a third time and got nowhere. I have 305,000 Lifemiles that will apparently go to waste if someone cannot help me with the secret to booking with them. Help!

[speedoo1]

Call LM to book award tickets. Payment is a common issue when trying to get ticket issued. You will find further info in the AV forum in Flyertalk website.

[Lucky]

I did call and everything worked out as far as I could tell. We are now ticketed but still without seat assignments.

[speedoo1]

Not the end of the world; just choose your seat(s) during online check-in.

[Riobard]

I admire the persistence regarding those points. My plan is a fiasco and cannot seem to competently register earned points. After several appeal attempts, failure to grant points on one leg of a long return flight this year. And I keep getting review requests. It took several years to find a flight within its system that could be paid with a very substantial points accumulation. Frankly, at the end of the day I just find it easier to pay with money. I would happily accept discounts at a very small fraction of what points may be theoretically worth.

[Lucky]

It continues. I have spent hours trying to book a domestic ticket using Lifemiles. They were to call me to collect the taxes on the ticket but did not. So I called them and it took 43 minutes, mostly on hold, just to pay the tickets so the ticket gets confirmed. I sure hope that the flights go better.

[Lucky]

Today I thought that I had completed the task. My flights were booked and I used my remaining Lifemiles to book hotels. Finished!

Then I checked the  flights to see if they were offering seat assignments,only to learn that the Panana/Rio flight had been canceled.

I went through the hell of the Lifemiles phone system and finally got someone who barely spoke English. He said he couldn't just rebook the canceledd segment, he had to rebook the LAX segment too.

What he offered me was horrible with a long stay in Panama. He wouldn't tell me if we were still booked in Business Class, so I excused myself and said I couldn't decide now. What I was hoping for was to call back and get someone who spoke better English. Then I saw on FlyerTalk that one shouldn't bother fixing cancellations until very close to departure as the flights were likely to change again.

I regret ever becoming involved with Lifemiles!

[floridarob]

32 minutes ago, Lucky said:

What he offered me was horrible with a long stay in Panama.

Make it worth it and stay 24 hrs, Panama is fun (don't even have to leave the hotel) and there's a great Thai restaurant there, one of the best outside of Thailand I've been to...

[Xclay]

Lucky, I'm so sorry to hear about your outrageous nightmares with Lifemiles — but thank you for sharing this valuable warning!  
😱
I had periodically considered diving into Avianca's Lifemiles and even got an account, but I'd never gotten around to accumulating miles and trying to redeem then.
🤨
Thanks to you and RioBard, I'm not going to bother. Life is too short. I really appreciate your help.