Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners) - Operational LH UPG on Codeshares ?

In the past months many FTL friends and myself have been quite lucky in securing OP UPG from Discount Coach (W) to Business Class while flying transatlantic LH metal with LH flight numbers, because LH recently seems to upgrade according to Status and not according to paid fares. On two occasions at check-in (IAD and PHX) even the CI agent was amazed that the BP already came out as Business Class and not Economy. Now the 1,000,000 USD question: how are your experiences when booked within the LH allotment on a codeshare flight, say either on SQ metal FRA to SIN or on AC metal FRA to Toronto or Montreal ? I understand that the check-in even at FRA is in the hands of the operating carrier SQ or AC. Is there a chance for SEN or FTL to get the UPG when Coach is overbooked or would they first upgrade their own tier and non-tier frequent flyers before even considering myself ? Do the odds get better by calling FTL or SEN service line a day prior or on the day of departure - are they able to put myself on an upgrade priority list (I was shown in DUS from a very helpful BA agent that the World's Favourite Airline - this is BA, according to their own advertisement - does have such a tool which then is worked by the local staff of the airport who boards the intercontinental sector). Would the chances get better or even worsen if booked under the flight number of the operating carrier, i.e. AC flight number on AC metal ? Thanks and cheers.

Based on my experiences with OP UPG, I'd say that each airline caters to its own status customers first. So if you want to maximize your chances for OP UPG, stay with the carrier (and its metal) you have status on. I as an FTL have been upgraded from FRA more than once while being booked on UA 35xx (and therefor on LH metal) although UA PE's were also booked in Economy Class and I was on cheap tickets. LH's upgrade order seems to be:[list=1] SEN FTL *G and then probably PAX with special needs. On my recent flight to DEN, they upgraded three extremely well behaved UM's (I wish all other pax in C were so nice and quiet), because, as the FA pointed out to me, it was easier for the crew to have them in C.
[/list=a]I can imagine that all other carriers do OP UPG's in a similar fashion.

So far I recived on LH:
1 OPUG from C (upgraded with miles from W) to F (nice double upgrade http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif )
1 CS upgrade from G to C
On TG: OPUG from eco to C

Plus a few domestic ones and one bump upgrade intraeuropean.

But seems to be rare.

moellernotarcgn how do you manage to get UPUG often ?

[This message has been edited by peter42 (edited 08-15-2001).]

[This message has been edited by peter42 (edited 08-15-2001).]

[This message has been edited by peter42 (edited 08-16-2001).]

peter 42: I assume that I have only been lucky. I only did three RT across the pond in May and June TXLIAD, FRAPHX and DUSEWR with very cheap W tickets (the New destination Promo). Only on TXLIAD I ended up in what I paid for, but very nice twin seat Row 27 (the last row of the forward Coach Cabin, so nobody sitting behind you and the noise from the galley goes to the back rows of the plane -30+). All other trips were overbooked in Coach. The new policy seems to be that it is usually not any more at the discretion of the Check-In Agent or Gate Supervisor who is in or out for an OP UPG, but that the station head goes through the reservations upon the day of departure and pre checks-in (and if needed upgrades) all LH tier members, first SEN then FTL. On one occasion (FRAPHX) I made a deal with them: I got an OP UPG without being entitled to C food service (because they had not loaded enough C meals) under the condition that my accompanying wife burnt 35,000 miles for her upgrade (with entitlement to food service). I agreed, because they were helpful and in fact it is the much better seat pitch I was interested in for such a long run. Also on board the crew was nice and still had some food (and all the beverages) for myself. But as many members of this board always state: I think I was only extremely lucky or LH did exercise utmost courtesy. I do take it as a gift, which of course improves my loyalty to them. I would say your odds are best on heavily overbooked flights, so book on the first day of major school vacations ex Germany and fly back on the last Saturday before schools start again. The problem is that I am not willing to burn 35,000 or 40,000 miles for the oneway UPG on a intercontinental sector. Compared with the fact that you get a free FC ticket to North America or Africa for 140,000 miles (this equals 4 OW UPG) the UPG awards are simply too costly and the real product difference on LH metal is between Business and First Class. In the old days there were many moderately priced D Business fares (and you needed ex Germany to North America only 25,000 miles for the OW UPG), so I paid D and flew F, but these fares are on a steady rise, so I got very tired of them. Good luck.

Right, when they lowered the miles required for free flights, they very silently increased the miles needed for upgrades by 30-40%.

I feel LH should reverse this policy, i.e. lower the levels for UPG awards to their prior levels or offer standby UPG for FTL and SEN for half the miles. Anybody who could convince them ?

My experience on OPUG was on a fligt from DUS-EWR as well. That time I didn`t know FT and not even the chance to make pre reservations for seats (because I just made FTL). I received may C-BP just before boarding. I asked the agent at check in how she went on to separate those people for getting UG`s. She replied :at first we look for SEN, then to FTL, then for *G from others than LH.

Another thing I `d like to know is how to check those flights that seem to be overbooked (mostly in ECO). I am going FRA-ORD on a friday in sept. and back on the tuesday after. For the ORD-FRA flight I already got an UG for us 2 (1 burning 35 Kmiles, the other for 2 times 50 K-miles flown), on the way from FRA to ORD they denied so far. Calling the SEN hotline they told me although there were enough free seats in C they hope to sell the seats to paying pax. It depends on the experience LH made with that flights on those days of the week. So I could just request for th UG`s to make at least shure, that there is a C-meal onboard.

Moellenotarcgn: Did you get miles for C for your OPUG flights ?

Regards Herb

Herb,

go to itn.net , setup a proile for yourself with the settings on expert. Now you will see how many seats are free when booking.

moellernotarcgn: Did you ask to be upgraded or did it just happen ?

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Pacha:
Herb,

go to itn.net , setup a proile for yourself with the settings on expert. Now you will see how many seats are free when booking.</font>


Go to the seat map, as the booking class display shows 9 at most and there the same seat may be counted several times.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by moellernotarcgn:
In the past months many FTL friends and myself have been quite lucky in securing OP UPG from Discount Coach (W) to Business Class.</font>

Any experiences with OP UPG from Business to First? My impression is that LH (and most other European airlines) are extremely reluctant to upgrade to F. Any indications that this might change?

I think the general consensus is that LH will only do this if C and Y are overbooked, and then according to status. You can look up a trip report by PremEx. He recieved an OPUG on LH from c to F as a UA 1K on a mileage ticket.

Herb: I did only get miles for Economy, which was correct. There is only one chance to get - by error - the miles for the class you have been upgraded to when the check-in agent sets up a new booking for you (for example bc you requested a date change or a rerouting), books you in the upper class on a revenue code and enters your FF details. This has never happened to myself, sorry.
Peter42: all upg just happened, except the FRAPHX deal, for which I had to ask the very cooperative gate agent. I approached him about 30 mins. prior to gate closing time, left him with the BP and time to decide, went to the lounge and came back just mins. prior to closing and he had sorted out everything.
BTW I never got an OP UPG from C to F - but once while flying F (Vancouver, BC to FRA) did notice that one or two PAX had been upgraded from C to F - they flashed their C tickets to show their fellow F PAX how happy they were... (and how stupid they thought we have been either to purchase F or to burn miles to UPG from C to F). Cheers.

Pacha and Peter42, thanx for the info.

Herb

Pacha and Peter42: The same appreciation for your hints refarding itn.net from this end. Finally I have the same access to booking classes as my travel agent, so both of us can save valuable time. All the best.

You are welcome.

pleasure

You may also want to try this link:

http://www.aeroplan.de/ap_rb_galileo.htm

It does not offer that many options as ITN does, but it's MUCH faster...

Greetings - Dirk

Many thanks for the GALILEO link.

It is better than ITN for checking avail, because it also tells you whether a BKG-CLS that has only a "0" on ITN is whether waitlistable or the waitlist is already closed.

Not to mention the speed difference... Wow!