Is USAIR totally blind to Lufthansa award availability?
Aug 15, 2005, 11:30 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Seattle, WA, USA
Posts: 326
Is USAIR totally blind to Lufthansa award availability?
I swear, the Star Alliance partner models are the most outdated and backward, out of any of the alliances. We're talking about paper tickets for most partners and award availability that partners are unwilling to share with each other. Right now, USAIR has almost zero award availability for many international Lufthansa and United seats. However, UA can see LH very clearly as can NH and AC. Singapore it a total hit or miss.
Has anyone else noticed the same thing?
Has anyone else noticed the same thing?
Aug 16, 2005, 6:38 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,451
Actually, yesterday I tried searching for an award to Poland for October, the dividend miles award agent offered options such as United, Lot Polish Airlines or SAS Scandinavian Airlines. The problem is usually if they do find availability its in biz or first. I need to save some miles for a 3 people trip to PAPEETEE, French Polynesia or Air New Zealand and it might be in F for award 
, so ... finding coach class awards is tough, but if youre looking for anything other than coach class awards, you should be lucky and might have a choice of carriers. Note when I said United to Poland, it means United to Europe and then code-share on Luftahansa or Lot Polish Airlines.
Lot Polish Airlines- Youre Under Our Wing www.lot.com
, so ... finding coach class awards is tough, but if youre looking for anything other than coach class awards, you should be lucky and might have a choice of carriers. Note when I said United to Poland, it means United to Europe and then code-share on Luftahansa or Lot Polish Airlines.Lot Polish Airlines- Youre Under Our Wing www.lot.com
Aug 16, 2005, 6:53 am
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: We got lucky9876coins
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Posts: 3,180
Originally Posted by kinglobjaw
I need to save some miles for a 3 people trip to PAPEETEE, French Polynesia or Air New Zealand and it might be in F for award
http://www.airnewzealand.com/traveli...er/default.htm
Aug 16, 2005, 7:03 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,451
Originally Posted by dcgators
BTW, NZ no longer has F. They have a BusinessPremier product but with a true lie-flat bed from what I understand.
http://www.airnewzealand.com/traveli...er/default.htm
http://www.airnewzealand.com/traveli...er/default.htm
Lot Polish Airlines- Youre Under Our Wing www.lot.com
Jan 13, 2006, 1:48 pm
#5
Join Date: May 2004
Location: PHL
Programs: UA 1k, US ex-CP, NW silver, Marriott plat, SPG gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 421
Anyone have a recent experience booking on Lufthansa? I am trying to get award seats to Budapest so Lufthansa would be my best bet out of PHL, but 3 tries so far and no agents can see any LH seats in coach or business for this September. Is there any fixed timeline for award seats to show up or am I stuck calling every week?
Jan 13, 2006, 6:00 pm
#7
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: DC|NYC
Programs: UA GS, DL Plat, Marriott Bonvoy LIfetime Titanium/SPG refugee, Hertz Prez, Amtrak Select
Posts: 3,201
Slightly off topic but amusing/frustrating. For weeks I've been looking for an award seat to JNB, So. Africa. We've tried through Europe, So. America, and Asia. No seats. This is a daily event.
Yesterday the agent insisted that there were no *A carriers that fly to JNB. Knowing she was wrong, I asked her to check again. She did and insisted no carriers to JNB.
Given her stupidity, I decided it wasn't worth educating her and hung up. I'm confident she'd never find a seat even if I spoon-fed her the flights and carriers to check.
Yesterday the agent insisted that there were no *A carriers that fly to JNB. Knowing she was wrong, I asked her to check again. She did and insisted no carriers to JNB.
Given her stupidity, I decided it wasn't worth educating her and hung up. I'm confident she'd never find a seat even if I spoon-fed her the flights and carriers to check.
Jan 13, 2006, 6:29 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: CVG
Programs: DL 3MM, US 972k (AA 0.0k), Marriott Lifetime Gold, Hertz G, Nurburgring in 8:29
Posts: 2,183
I'm heading to Poland myself. Planning on buying a ticket and upgrading... From what I understand though, my upgrades are only good on US metal, not on Lufthansa. After reading some of the posts above I got a wee bit confused and aren't sure if I can do the latter or not.
Jan 13, 2006, 7:03 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Liverpool, England
Posts: 1,080
Originally Posted by photojojo
I'm heading to Poland myself. Planning on buying a ticket and upgrading... From what I understand though, my upgrades are only good on US metal, not on Lufthansa. After reading some of the posts above I got a wee bit confused and aren't sure if I can do the latter or not.
Jan 13, 2006, 10:07 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Somewhere west of the Atlantic Ocean and east of the Pacific Ocean...
Programs: Elite of none; flyer of many
Posts: 1,232
About 6 weeks ago I was able to get an award biz-class seat EWR-FRA-LCY, returning LHR-FRA-EWR on LH for summer 2006 travel (I'm a basic DM member currently)...though my preferred airport for travel would've been PHL, EWR isn't too much of a hassle for me so I was thrilled...dealing with the incompetence of the outsourced call centers though...another story all together...
N674UW
N674UW
Jan 14, 2006, 6:14 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2003
Location: CA
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 2,879
Originally Posted by EnvoyBoy
Yesterday the agent insisted that there were no *A carriers that fly to JNB. Knowing she was wrong, I asked her to check again. She did and insisted no carriers to JNB.
Suggest you investigate various routings and ask the agent about the availability of specific flight numbers.
I know when I try and book through a UA agent, I find that the more information and options I can suggest the better chance I have of getting the award that I want.
Jan 14, 2006, 6:17 pm
#14
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: DC|NYC
Programs: UA GS, DL Plat, Marriott Bonvoy LIfetime Titanium/SPG refugee, Hertz Prez, Amtrak Select
Posts: 3,201
Originally Posted by deant
Suggest you investigate various routings and ask the agent about the availability of specific flight numbers.
I know when I try and book through a UA agent, I find that the more information and options I can suggest the better chance I have of getting the award that I want.
I know when I try and book through a UA agent, I find that the more information and options I can suggest the better chance I have of getting the award that I want.
Today's brilliant agent was prepared to book me on KLM via AMS until I pointed out that they weren't in the Star Alliance!
<eyes rolling>
Jan 14, 2006, 9:45 pm
#15
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Somewhere west of the Atlantic Ocean and east of the Pacific Ocean...
Programs: Elite of none; flyer of many
Posts: 1,232
Originally Posted by EnvoyBoy
Thanks for the suggestions!
Today's brilliant agent was prepared to book me on KLM via AMS until I pointed out that they weren't in the Star Alliance!
<eyes rolling>
Today's brilliant agent was prepared to book me on KLM via AMS until I pointed out that they weren't in the Star Alliance!
<eyes rolling>
N674UW