Xandrios

These are starting to sound less like operational upgrades, and more like some kind of VIP treatment. Any idea why that would be?

Which may also mean that these upgrades stop just as sudden as they started. Make sure to enjoy them for now though!

Knobbgb

I'm glad you're happy with LH, I really am, but there are too many reason for me not using them. Apart from the fact that I have genuinely NEVER seen a LH fare cheaper than a comparable one with A3 (I guess you're just lucky in more ways than one), the lack of a free *G bag is the biggest stopper - that's just not in the spirit of the alliance imo and would cost them virtually nothing. Lack of FF miles for A3 (3400 for a return LCA-TXL with A3 versus zero on your K fare) is just the icing on the cake. Actually, also, isn't it ever so "20th century" to not sell reasonably priced one-way fares? Who else still charges 250 for a return and 400 for a one-way in the real world of 2018?

May you long enjoy the upgrades though!

johnirvine

I really have no idea. One possibility is that I have responded at length to three LH marketing surveys in the last two months, suggesting a number of ways that both service and the M&M FFP Program could be improved. Another is that I have made several intercontinental J flights commencing from TXL in the past three months and I believe that the LH Senator lounges track frequent flyers from other *A programs. Certainly, several of the lounge staff know me by name as I fly from there 25-30 times a year. However, I have been flying long enough to know that you should always be happy to get the service you pay for and anything more is a bonus - expecting to be upgraded is a sure way to disappointment.

johnirvine

My current experience is that I genuinely NEVER see an Aegean return fare cheaper than a LH/OS one from LCA to Germany which I fly 20 times a year. Lufthansa are in fact rather poor with scheduling and if, like me, you purchase flight tickets 10 months in advance you can expect to be rebooked at least twice. This means that K class tickets rarely stay in that class - for example, an OS flight on Dec 18th LCA-VIE-TXL ended up being rebooked as LCA-ATH (A3 K class), ATH-MUC (A3 O class) and MUC-TXL (LH Y class). LH thus end up giving me plenty of miles on M&B or TK M&S, with the residual L and K fares being credited to M&M. LH really now do deserve their 5* Skytrax rating and I increasingly avoid the cattle truck feeling one gets when flying A3 on the busy LCA-ATH route. Also, the LH surcharge for eco-classic on forward booked LH tickets (which give free baggage and seat reservation) is generally only 70% of the comparable fee charged by A3. This is important as I normally fly with two bags. And, of course, there are the non-existent upgrades on A3 for the 'out group'.

Xandrios

Just realised that myself, as I have a LH intineray change on me - departure from ATH at 18:20 moved to 14:20. Still have to call them, how did you manage them to rebook you onto Aegean instead of a LH group airline?

I'd like them to rebook to KL but I'm guessing that will be a big NO. Flight is only in April, so it's no time very last minute (they are sometimes more flexible then).

johnirvine

My experience with LH is that they will always rebook onto any *A airline flight which operates under a code share arrangement. Thus, LCA-ATH and ATH-MUC can easily be rebooked as they can use an LH flight code. Often this means, for example, that they will rebook an LH K class fare (0% mileage on M&B) into A3 K class (100% mileage). LH are normally very understanding if you explain that their proposed rebooking arrangement is not convenient (they normally offer the cheapest alternative available) and you propose an acceptable alternative, but you have no chance of flying KLM unless there is a same day involuntary reroute and this is demonstrably the most convenient means to get to your destination.

potjernik

So, maybe I am crazy, but when I was A3 gold, I was upgraded several times, on AC, TK and LH. Never on A3. Then I switched to TK Elite, and was never again upgraded! Not even on TK, which I fly often.

KLouis

No, you're not crazy, but the question unanswered is, how many times did you fly A3 and how many AC, TK and LH? By the way, in more than 500* flights with A3 I was upgraded 3 or 4 times, and other than twice on LX, never on any other *A member. When I was flying ST I was scoring several upgrades on partner airlines as well as AF/KL in which I was Platinum Elite. I doubt that one would ever find a pattern that would hold for everybody!

* Let me be correct: about 50 of them were in business class, thus not upgradeable...

Xandrios

Thanks. I'm quite limited in my options from ATH to AMS (Preferably dep after 16:30, arrival before 22:30). Besides the (now impossible) LH flight through FRA (at 18:20) that only leaves KLM at 17:15. There is a Swiss flight at 17:20 as well, but that gets me into AMS borderline too late to catch the last train home. I've missed that last train (and had to overnight in AMS) too many times to be willing to take that risk again.

So...I canceled the LH itinerary as the callcentre indeed only offered the Swiss option as an alternative. Went for a Transavia flight out of KLX which (for me) is much closer to home than ATH is. Not sure yet what to do for the return to ATH, but there I have more options fortunately.

//Offtopic

Mbcan

Hi.
I got upgraded twice as A3 gold so far, the best one was just few days before Christmas. Had TK flight MXP-IST, arrived to check in and was offered 300 euros for taking next flight (4 hrs later) because my flight was overbooked. Took the offer, went to lounge and finally just before boarding got upgraded. And to make it better: it was Airbus 330 with lie flat beds in business

neflyer13

One data point--upgraded as A3G from economy to business on Ethiopian from Cairo to Addis on Jan 6. They told me at checkin that flight was probably overbooked, but I learned about upgrade when someone came to my seat with the same seat number on her boarding pass. I asked a crew member who got me my new (upgraded) boarding pass. Flight seemed to have about 3*G or paid biz class passengers judging by how many people got priority boarding....As an interesting note, I had a special meal and pet in cabin on my boarding pass and it didn't stop the op up.

daiseiko

livious

My kids (A3 *G) were both upgraded at the gate flying CPH-LIS on TAP over Christmas break. My wife and I (SAS *G) were also upgraded, saving us the trouble of sitting in Y while the kids were in C. The meal in C was greatly appreciated as it was a 6am flight.

AVSA

AC YYZ - DCA from Y (booked in B) to C (but without meal).

Kenji

My stats so far for this year: 4 flights to south america on lufthansa, all upgraded

LH 510 FRA EZE N --> C (not full)
LH 511 EZE FRA N --> C (full in economy but not PE)
LH 506 FRA GRU N --> C (looked quite full, last seat in biz)
LH 501 GIG FRA N --> C (70% full on OCI, maybe rebooking from AF strike)