Would be helpful to have an explanation of the actual problem that UA and LH believe needs to be solved. Why was it hard to track usage on the old system? Someone just needed to type in the info.
Seeing as the Germans are known for being "by the book", the odds of being able to re-use failed certs seems low.
So here is another change which (somehow) benefits UA at the expense of the customer. Another example of how (not) to run a customer-centric business.