USER4321,
just dispute the charge with your credit card and write a non embelleshed letter about how the --LH--counter agents treated you, i have flown in and out of muc quite a few times. for the most part the check-in staff that works the ual flights are rude at best and when you are on standby its even worse(imho).

flying none is correct, waiving excess,change fees and other charges will eventually come back and haunt you, comping a upgrade is totally different as waiving the change/excess fees are "hard dollar" and comping a upgrade is more of a "soft dollar" issue. where i work we tend to get a lot of people that are going on the "phillipine express" flights via hkg and icn. waiving excess charges is not worth it and when they are taking everything including the kitchen sink back to the family they also will be flush with cash as well.