Lufthansa ex WAW weirdness
Dec 20, 2011, 12:36 pm
#1
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: DTW
Programs: DL Skymiles - Platinum
Posts: 520
Lufthansa ex WAW weirdness
So tell me how this makes sense for LH. Looking for fares ex WAW to ORD in the first couple of weeks of January. I dutifully go to LH's website and easily find reasonable fares of roughly $3,000. But unfortunately, as usual I see that the sectors from WAW to either DUS or MUC flown as a codeshare with LO metal are in Y class.
Yet, when I go to Orbitz I can book exactly the same routes for exactly the same fare and be booked in C on LO.
Why would LH do this? It lists on their website as a LH codeshare, why would I get a downgrade for the same fare? They end up having to pay the commission to Orbitz and I'm basically unhappy. Does LH do this on all codeshares or is LO being singled out?
Yet, when I go to Orbitz I can book exactly the same routes for exactly the same fare and be booked in C on LO.
Why would LH do this? It lists on their website as a LH codeshare, why would I get a downgrade for the same fare? They end up having to pay the commission to Orbitz and I'm basically unhappy. Does LH do this on all codeshares or is LO being singled out?
Dec 20, 2011, 3:27 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: WRO
Programs: LH HON and sh..load of others too
Posts: 87
The explanation is simple:
The codeshare LO/LH flights have no availability in Z. It's been like that for at least a year.
So, to book in business you have to do either of two things:
A. Pay extra and book in D or C where there is availability.
B. Book through 3rd party chanel, so you can book under the code of the operating carier and use the availability in Z. Most Z-class TATL fares will allow that but the LH website only shows flights under LH code.
HTH.
The codeshare LO/LH flights have no availability in Z. It's been like that for at least a year.
So, to book in business you have to do either of two things:
A. Pay extra and book in D or C where there is availability.
B. Book through 3rd party chanel, so you can book under the code of the operating carier and use the availability in Z. Most Z-class TATL fares will allow that but the LH website only shows flights under LH code.
HTH.
Dec 21, 2011, 5:50 am
#5
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OK, so I took a look at expertflyer and noticed that the Z code doesn't even exist in the LH codeshares with LO. So the next question would be: why is that? Is it something that LO doesn't want to sell to LH or something that LH doesn't want to buy from LO? Why would SK codeshares have Z, but not LO?
To answer another question (and I guess in retrospect this doesn't make sense) when I looked at Orbitz, they were showing an LH flight number and not LO - but the price was identical using yesterdays FX rate from PLN to USD.
What's the sense in this? I guess concretely I'm asking is this a conscious decision that someone at either airline has made or is this something that's under the radar?
To answer another question (and I guess in retrospect this doesn't make sense) when I looked at Orbitz, they were showing an LH flight number and not LO - but the price was identical using yesterdays FX rate from PLN to USD.
What's the sense in this? I guess concretely I'm asking is this a conscious decision that someone at either airline has made or is this something that's under the radar?
Dec 21, 2011, 6:20 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: WRO
Programs: LH HON and sh..load of others too
Posts: 87
I believe this is a concious decission by the airlines involved.
Notice that the lack of Z class works both ways - LH does not offer them on LO operated flights and v.v.
Z class used to be available in the past - I booked them often, taking advantage of the fact that LO has fuel charges much lower than LH. So I could pay less by booking an LH flight under LO code. But not any more.
But the really annoying part is that some of the LH intra-EU fares no longer allow for LO flights (example: WRO-AMS ZFF65D1). So if you want to fly LO-operated flight using an LH fare, you have to book in D.
Notice that the lack of Z class works both ways - LH does not offer them on LO operated flights and v.v.
Z class used to be available in the past - I booked them often, taking advantage of the fact that LO has fuel charges much lower than LH. So I could pay less by booking an LH flight under LO code. But not any more.
But the really annoying part is that some of the LH intra-EU fares no longer allow for LO flights (example: WRO-AMS ZFF65D1). So if you want to fly LO-operated flight using an LH fare, you have to book in D.
Dec 21, 2011, 10:59 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Singapore, Warsaw, Surfers Paradise
Programs: KrisFlyer Gold>>>Silver>>>Blue, Finnair Silver, Royal Caribbean Diamond
Posts: 5,174
I'm starting to think the same about LO and SQ. You can buy tickets to SIN on LO's site, but you cannot even select WAW as a city on SQ's page. Bit funny, isn't it, considering SQ actually has codeshare flights to WAW? 
To make matters more interesting, when you purchase a ticket to SIN at LO, they only seem to give you connections that link up with SQ metal, skipping LH.
Coincidence? @:-)
To make matters more interesting, when you purchase a ticket to SIN at LO, they only seem to give you connections that link up with SQ metal, skipping LH.
Coincidence? @:-)
Dec 22, 2011, 6:15 am
#8
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I'm starting to think the same about LO and SQ. You can buy tickets to SIN on LO's site, but you cannot even select WAW as a city on SQ's page. Bit funny, isn't it, considering SQ actually has codeshare flights to WAW?
To make matters more interesting, when you purchase a ticket to SIN at LO, they only seem to give you connections that link up with SQ metal, skipping LH.
Coincidence? @:-)
To make matters more interesting, when you purchase a ticket to SIN at LO, they only seem to give you connections that link up with SQ metal, skipping LH.
Coincidence? @:-)
Dec 22, 2011, 2:52 pm
#9
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: WAW
Programs: LH/LO SEN, AF/KLM Platinum (Lite)
Posts: 148
same or similar for LX
Noticed same thing for LX webpage - a Z ticket can be booked for LX (or their subsidiaries) flights, but not for LO metal codeshare flights, so if connecting in ZRH from/to LO flight both segments book in D
Dec 23, 2011, 12:45 am
#10
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