LHconnect

Hi Nick_USA,

The decision to join the network of carriers using online retro mileage credit is left up to each individual carrier. BMI has chosen not to participate and therefore it is necessary to fill out the paper form. Sorry I don't have a better answer for you.

LHconnect

Hi seat 1a,

I think we are all trying to do more with less these days and Lufthansa is no exception there. Having said that I am still surprised and would have to say this was just an unlucky isolated incident. While I can only speak on behalf of my experience with colleagues in the US, we don't ever want customers to feel like we are unresponsive or uncaring, especially our HON's. If you have time and would like me to follow up send me a PM with specific details and I will look into it.

LHconnect

Hi mamb0,

You raise some excellent points and clearly you are not the only one who feels this way about the F/cl ground experience. I don't have all the answers for you but I am in touch with our ground services manager in Frankfurt and will try to get some specifics for you about what you, as a F/cl pax or HON, can expect in the future considering all of the developments and expansions at the airport. I will also try to address any efforts that may be underway to simplify and expedite connections.

Thanks for bringing this up.

tcswede

Hi - I want to pick up on this after a couple of transfers through FRA coming in on F and connecting to Schengen.

Arriving in C - long trek to FCT - was better with bus service which dropped one off at B. Why FCT - STR is 99 % apron - and to avoid have rescreening in T 1.
Wanted to try something differently - to use the FCL in A - took the train to A - had to pass a seurity to enter the international area - only to have to pass a second screening for Schengen - not amusing.
Highlight on Saturday Morning arriving from CAI in F - apron position - no busses - dispatch of FRAport not working - but a MB Van arrives and the pursers says that HON can leave the plane - surprised not to see my name on the board - and the driver tells me I have to wait for the F bus - which nobody can tell when it is coming. So he collects 34 Pax - 3 Hon + 1 Hoc from C and Y - after challenging him - he first says I should complain to LH afterwards
I ask him to contact his dispatch - because I want to ride with in the Van - it fits 5 pax. He tells me they can send a car in 15 min - still no busses.
Eventually he caves in and takes me along.
I can understand that something can go wrong - but with all respect - what stupidity is it to offer a better service to HON pax in Y and C compared to the services offered to those in F. And if relevant - it was a F fare tix.

Cheers

Thomas

mamb0

Oh that is working again? I was turned away at b/c stop for not having a bp for an US bound flight

tcswede

I came in from PVG in the eve - A - non Schengen was almost deserted.

Cheers

Thomas

NewbieRunner

The last US bound flight is something like LH484 to EWR at 17:30. I don't know what happens to non-Schengen A gates or the Tower Lounger after that.

They used to use the gates for assorted non-Schengen arrivals and departures (e.g. UK) in the evening.

seat 1a

Thanks your reply , all sorted out by now.^

SeeBuyFly

Dear LHConnect:

Since you are based in the US, perhaps I could ask you about the confusing situation described in this thread in the UA forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ad-2010-a.html

In brief, some people report difficulties using printed UA SWUs to upgrade on LH when checking in at certain US airports (BOS, SEA...) They are told that they must now obey M&M rules rather than UA MP rules, i.e. the person to whom the SWU was issued must be physically present to upgrade someone else.

Since this is not an official (announced) rule, this causes a hardship---if the original member is not there, it is too late to get him/her to the airport before the flight leaves.

In the interests of transparency, could you tell us whether this new rule (said to be specified in an LH-NYC memo to all US stations) actually exists, and exactly what is now required to use an UA SWU printed for use on LH.

Many thanks!

LHconnect

Hi SeeBuyFly,

I am trying to get an official response for you. I spoke with the station coordinator in the US and although has no knowledge of the memo, has confirmed that we are working on obtaining an updated written policy from United on their conditions of usage for SWU's, transferability is included. Once we have this we can update our procedures for acceptance of SWU's.

Based on my experience in recent years the prevalence of bartering and selling vouchers via ebay or similar sites makes it very difficult to accept even a transferable voucher without the members express consent. The only way for Lufthansa to verify consent would be to identify the member and receive verbal consent which I can understand is not always practical.

I ask for your patience on this one while I get word direct from the horses mouth in hopes this will alleviate any further confusion.

Regards
Alison

husker267

Welcome to Flyertalk Alison!

I have yet another LH/UA SWU question: Is an international LH L class fare able to be upgraded with a SWU? Per the UA limitations: only X, I, R, N, W, S and E fares are excluded internationally and L, T are excluded within Europe. Of course it's all based on availability. I've bounced this question of UA and LH customer service reps via phone and neither could say for certain.
Any clarification would be appreciated. Thank you!

SeeBuyFly

While we wait for the promised clarifications, I should say that obtaining the member's personal consent is not impractical---M&M requires it, for example.

Certainly we'd all prefer less burdensome rules, but any rules are better than a situation where (according to reports) arbitrary demands are made at check-in time when even legitimate users cannot comply.

According to a number of posts here, your US stations are infamous for applying the rules inconsistently and for making [stuff] up, not just in relation to SWUs. That's the root of the problem.

It should be clear that I am not blaming you personally, but simply hoping that the word will reach LH-USA.

SMK77

This is a very weak response, IMHO. If I were the person selling the voucher, I would of course give written consent to the user of the voucher. This is a non-meaningful way of handling this. SWU are valid upgrade instruments and LH is in no position to police how the person presenting it got it.

SeeBuyFly

Yes; the original member's permission does not have any correlation with whether the SWU was sold or merely gifted. What they are really saying is that since some SWUs might possibly be sold, they want to put up barriers to all transfers (including legitimate ones). It's like curing the cancer by killing the patient.

I still support having an explicit and clear rule, whatever it is. But if they have gone to UA to renegotiate the rules, that's not going to happen quickly. Meanwhile, we are stuck with a situation where individual LH stations apparently invent the rules and tell stories about non-existent memos.

Since it is a standby upgrade, it costs LH nothing. However, it's not based on their own FF program but UA's, so they are probably instinctively hostile to it. It's not generally a good idea to harass customers though.

LHconnect

Hi husker267,

International LH L class is not eligible for upgrade with a UA SWU. United has been asked to update their conditions online as well as in printed materials. We have been told this will be corrected on the next reprint of the vouchers.

Regards
Alison