Did LH change its operational upgrade logic?
Oct 16, 2015, 3:25 am
#31
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: WAW
Programs: SPG Plat, M&M SEN
Posts: 109
Can anyone shed some light how do the award tickets fit into that new scenario? AFAIK in the old times the award booking classes were not at the bottom of the list, eg. I > Z (but probably lower than C, D). It seems that if we're to follow the logic presented by Oliver award tickets are rock bottom now (since they imply the lowest 'fare yield' component anyway).
Last edited by Cello; Oct 16, 2015 at 3:26 am Reason: spelling
Oct 16, 2015, 7:59 am
#32
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,171
I/X awards do get some op-up joy in the enw system: see the op-up reporting thread 
I would say they are very low in the rankings, but they do count.
I would say they are very low in the rankings, but they do count.
Oct 17, 2015, 6:18 am
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,941
Not necessarily anything wrong with their yield management system. I am mostly flying on business traveler heavy routes on heavy travel days. I bet LH would love to have some aircraft with larger business cabins, but they don't (just small variations). So they end up overbooking business to fill F which they cannot sell anyways (since most corporate travelers are not allowed to book first).
Oct 17, 2015, 6:20 am
#34
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,941
Given the amount of bogus surcharge that LH charges on award tickets these days, only appropriate they can get upgraded as well.
Oct 27, 2015, 6:44 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: UK
Programs: Hilton HHonors Diamond,Bonvoy Platinum,Shangri-La Golden Circle Jade,LH SEN,AZ Gold,VS Elevate Gold
Posts: 134
I never fully left LH, but this was also the ONE thing that annoyed me the most, by far, of all the "enhancements". I went from being HON to BA GGL (and CCR). Part of it were the routes I had to take and simply much better fares at full Avios/Tier points, but part of it was also the "finger" by LH to its status guests by this particular policy. I even talked to someone who works at M&M about it and he just laughed and said, yes, this was discussed quite heavily. It was certainly not an accident.
but I am not renewing my HON because to go anywhere else aside from Switzerland I now no longer fly with the LH group - what's the point when your perks are eroded, you get the same with less than 600k miles in 2 years from other airlines AND you get the staff in the F lounge at Zurich berating you for asking for a limo transfer to a remote stand when your plane is late and you went through there to find the onward flight is also late?
plus, the Xmas gifts are now frankly pants, and with the new booking system where you have to wait till last minute to be able to book the business class seat of your qualifying fare class they can go jump as far as I'm concerned.
hmph.
Oct 27, 2015, 3:33 pm
#36
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Sao Paulo, Brazil and Porto, Portugal
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, LH FTL, FB Gold, LATAM Black Signature
Posts: 554
i also never fully left because now I have been working in Switzerland for a\ year so I'm tied to LX/LH unless I want to change planes in London (no I don't want to do that thanks).
but I am not renewing my HON because to go anywhere else aside from Switzerland I now no longer fly with the LH group - what's the point when your perks are eroded, you get the same with less than 600k miles in 2 years from other airlines AND you get the staff in the F lounge at Zurich berating you for asking for a limo transfer to a remote stand when your plane is late and you went through there to find the onward flight is also late?
plus, the Xmas gifts are now frankly pants, and with the new booking system where you have to wait till last minute to be able to book the business class seat of your qualifying fare class they can go jump as far as I'm concerned.
hmph.
but I am not renewing my HON because to go anywhere else aside from Switzerland I now no longer fly with the LH group - what's the point when your perks are eroded, you get the same with less than 600k miles in 2 years from other airlines AND you get the staff in the F lounge at Zurich berating you for asking for a limo transfer to a remote stand when your plane is late and you went through there to find the onward flight is also late?
plus, the Xmas gifts are now frankly pants, and with the new booking system where you have to wait till last minute to be able to book the business class seat of your qualifying fare class they can go jump as far as I'm concerned.
hmph.
Anyone has any info on this?
Oct 27, 2015, 4:46 pm
#37
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Point Place, Wisconsin
Programs: LH HON, BA Gold, EK Gold
Posts: 14,505
Oct 28, 2015, 4:05 am
#38
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,270
Never had any issues with limo transfer in ZRH.
When outbound was late, they gave me the info, so that I could relax a bit more in the lounge.
When inbound was late and the connection short, they did pick me up at apron position or at gate and drove me by limo to my onward connection.
Recently they did pick me up at gate A84 arriving at 5.10 PM and they drove me to apron position for my flight that was scheduled at 5.25 PM but had a new announced departure time of 5.40 PM.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:24 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Lufthansa's op-up strategy makes no sense
I flew (and a few friends and acquaintances of mine) Lufthansa over the holidays in Business Class, and as one'd expect the majority of passengers during this time are leisure passengers. Flights are quite often overbooked, and upgrades occur as a result.
During my FRA-ARN segment last week, there was an overbooking situation where Lufthansa decided to split up a family of 5 and upgrade their two young daughters into Business Class. Obviously they were traveling on T-fares (saw the boarding pass) and on no status. I spotted at least a dozen Star Gold and Senator tags at the gate.
This wasn't an isolated incident, as it also happened a few days later when a friend of mine flew the same route. Family was split up once again, no status and low booking class.
What exactly is the logic behind upgrading passengers without status over those with status, and who spend tens of thousands of € on Lufthansa yearly. Doesn't it make more sense to upgrade two status passengers traveling alone, rather than splitting up families? The fact that this has happened on multiple occasions suggest that it wasn't an isolated incident.
During my FRA-ARN segment last week, there was an overbooking situation where Lufthansa decided to split up a family of 5 and upgrade their two young daughters into Business Class. Obviously they were traveling on T-fares (saw the boarding pass) and on no status. I spotted at least a dozen Star Gold and Senator tags at the gate.
This wasn't an isolated incident, as it also happened a few days later when a friend of mine flew the same route. Family was split up once again, no status and low booking class.
What exactly is the logic behind upgrading passengers without status over those with status, and who spend tens of thousands of € on Lufthansa yearly. Doesn't it make more sense to upgrade two status passengers traveling alone, rather than splitting up families? The fact that this has happened on multiple occasions suggest that it wasn't an isolated incident.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:37 am
#40
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BRU
Programs: LH SEN, QR Gold, Accor Gold, Hilton Gold, Hertz 5-star
Posts: 77
Not much knowledge or experience with op-ups but I flew SN JFK-BRU on one of the lowest booking classes with 2 other non status pax and got all three upgraded.
Jan 10, 2017, 11:54 am
#41
Join Date: Dec 2005
Programs: OW Emerald, *A Gold
Posts: 6,913
I agree that these incidences are strange. However, I think it still qualifies as anecdotical evidence. There may be very specific reasons as to why some pax where upgraded in a particular context. Generally speaking I find LH's upgrade policy fairly consistent (based on what I read here, experience myself and reports from friends and co-workers).
I got sandwich upgrades twice in 2016 and both times there were only very few business travelers on board.
There can be several reasons not to upgrade a status pax e.g. special meal requests (certainly not applicable on intra-european flights).
I got sandwich upgrades twice in 2016 and both times there were only very few business travelers on board.
There can be several reasons not to upgrade a status pax e.g. special meal requests (certainly not applicable on intra-european flights).
Jan 10, 2017, 11:59 am
#42
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
Moreover, if we take the "has status with the airline" argument into account, it justifies the op-up of non-status passengers. A FF with top FFS is loyal to the brand (or at least the alliance), whereas a passenger without FFS might not be as loyal. Giving that passenger an op-up, might just convince them to keep flying LH in the future.
Jan 10, 2017, 12:20 pm
#43
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SJJ/AMS
Posts: 4,647
G
Jan 10, 2017, 1:11 pm
#44
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,171
Just google pcv on amadeus altea. Airlines customise this pcv according to their needs to do a number of things from seating to op-ups.
Jan 10, 2017, 2:06 pm
#45
Join Date: Aug 2010
Programs: TK Elite Plus, SAS EBG, QR Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,297
Who says, that they haven't spent 10 of thousands of €? The fact, that you have status with an airline, doesn't imply that you're a loyal customer of theirs or that you even spend thousands of Euros on them. Vice versa, there are probably people out there, that spend thousands of euros without acquiring a status with said airline.