Help Understanding PartnerPlusBenefit
Nov 19, 2008, 11:09 pm
#31
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SZG, Austria
Programs: LH(OS) HON, IC RA
Posts: 33,194
these earning rates are still a lot better than the austrian PBP ones, plus you have more airline partners, can upgrade and earn point in Z and lower Y booking classes. austrian PBP only earns F, A, C, D, Y, B, M and H if i remember correct... the spending rates are indeed insane!
Nov 20, 2008, 10:13 am
#34
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
Yes you have done really well. But then ... you always did.
I have burnt about 480K of my UA miles before the M&L-esque enhancements will kick in but have no plans for my M&L assets.
Will definitely not act before I know what is looming. And yes, SEN is definitely not worth 100K pro anno.
You working on some "bomb'em" intimidation
? The word 'bomb' is personally approved by long standing and well respected FT member weero 
.
I cannot threat LH anymore than I did. Since doomsday 2004/08, I flew the 5 Biz tickets I had with LH and never ever bought another one. I in these four years, I traveled a lot less with LH than I did in a period of 4 months before Wolfdom.
I have burnt about 480K of my UA miles before the M&L-esque enhancements will kick in but have no plans for my M&L assets.
Will definitely not act before I know what is looming. And yes, SEN is definitely not worth 100K pro anno.
You working on some "bomb'em" intimidation
? The word 'bomb' is personally approved by long standing and well respected FT member weero .I cannot threat LH anymore than I did. Since doomsday 2004/08, I flew the 5 Biz tickets I had with LH and never ever bought another one. I in these four years, I traveled a lot less with LH than I did in a period of 4 months before Wolfdom.
Nov 20, 2008, 3:04 pm
#36
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: HAM
Programs: LH (*gold) / EK / Flying Blue / BMI (*silver)
Posts: 335
What a disaster! 
I´ve just finished my e-mails and was looking forward to a quiet friday and then I´ve made the mistake to follow the link in the enhancement-mail.
What do they think? That I´m already in a chary christmas mood, full of gluhwein and forgiveness? They ruined my complete calculations concerning award-travel in 2009 and the last bit of understanding for their pricings is finally gone. I guess they are going to do some likewise enhancements to m&m too... too bad! If so, I might be in transit in LHR and AMS much more often too.
I´ve just finished my e-mails and was looking forward to a quiet friday and then I´ve made the mistake to follow the link in the enhancement-mail.
What do they think? That I´m already in a chary christmas mood, full of gluhwein and forgiveness? They ruined my complete calculations concerning award-travel in 2009 and the last bit of understanding for their pricings is finally gone. I guess they are going to do some likewise enhancements to m&m too... too bad! If so, I might be in transit in LHR and AMS much more often too.
Nov 20, 2008, 8:49 pm
#37
Join Date: Sep 2007
Programs: BAEC, M&L, Bonvoy
Posts: 1,339
In US, UA and LH have something similar, but now will say, it is same, Perks Plus Partners. It seems that they are trying to unify across the board on the programs. So, enhancement are coming from US. Not only did you get our subprime loans, now you are getting our benefits. 
Nov 21, 2008, 1:06 am
#38
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: MUC/LAX/SMV
Programs: LH, UA, BD, AA, NW, FB, NH, AC, Sixt, Hertz, Avis, *W, HH, Marriott, PC, Leaders Club, AMEX
Posts: 12,406
Just had another "wonderful" PPB experience:
Called to change MUC-FRA-LX-MUC zu MUC-LAX-MUC.
Availability no problem, O3 on MUC-LAX.
Agent tells me this is not possible, since this is a routing change, so ticket needs to be cancelled and reissued, and because there's no O available on LAX-MUC, I can't do it.
I ask to please try harder.
Agent puts me on hold for a minute, then comes back with the "We are making a great exception" mantra, rebooks me etc.
After all is said and done, I cautiously ask wether I have to pay any fees. It turns out that they will deduct the current point rate for the new nonstop leg, and since I initially bought this flight it at a discounted PPB rate during a spring promo, I'll now end up paying an additional 15k points.
Lesson: While you may spend all your remaining points in December at the current rate to book various flights for 2009, don't think about changing anything later that requires reissuing the ticket! This includes simplifying a connection. Sure, they will reissue it ("great excpetion") but then redeposit your old 2008 points deduct the new 2009 points for the change. Same for upgrades: If the underlying flight is changed, the old award goes back to the account and they'll deduct a new award at the then current rate.
Called to change MUC-FRA-LX-MUC zu MUC-LAX-MUC.
Availability no problem, O3 on MUC-LAX.
Agent tells me this is not possible, since this is a routing change, so ticket needs to be cancelled and reissued, and because there's no O available on LAX-MUC, I can't do it.
I ask to please try harder.
Agent puts me on hold for a minute, then comes back with the "We are making a great exception" mantra, rebooks me etc.
After all is said and done, I cautiously ask wether I have to pay any fees. It turns out that they will deduct the current point rate for the new nonstop leg, and since I initially bought this flight it at a discounted PPB rate during a spring promo, I'll now end up paying an additional 15k points.
Lesson: While you may spend all your remaining points in December at the current rate to book various flights for 2009, don't think about changing anything later that requires reissuing the ticket! This includes simplifying a connection. Sure, they will reissue it ("great excpetion") but then redeposit your old 2008 points deduct the new 2009 points for the change. Same for upgrades: If the underlying flight is changed, the old award goes back to the account and they'll deduct a new award at the then current rate.
Nov 21, 2008, 1:16 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SZG, Austria
Programs: LH(OS) HON, IC RA
Posts: 33,194
Just had another "wonderful" PPB experience:
Called to change MUC-FRA-LX-MUC zu MUC-LAX-MUC.
Availability no problem, O3 on MUC-LAX.
Agent tells me this is not possible, since this is a routing change, so ticket needs to be cancelled and reissued, and because there's no O available on LAX-MUC, I can't do it.
I ask to please try harder.
Agent puts me on hold for a minute, then comes back with the "We are making a great exception" mantra, rebooks me etc.
After all is said and done, I cautiously ask wether I have to pay any fees. It turns out that they will deduct the current point rate for the new nonstop leg, and since I initially bought this flight it at a discounted PPB rate during a spring promo, I'll now end up paying an additional 15k points.
Lesson: While you may spend all your remaining points in December at the current rate to book various flights for 2009, don't think about changing anything later that requires reissuing the ticket! This includes simplifying a connection. Sure, they will reissue it ("great excpetion") but then redeposit your old 2008 points deduct the new 2009 points for the change. Same for upgrades: If the underlying flight is changed, the old award goes back to the account and they'll deduct a new award at the then current rate.
Called to change MUC-FRA-LX-MUC zu MUC-LAX-MUC.
Availability no problem, O3 on MUC-LAX.
Agent tells me this is not possible, since this is a routing change, so ticket needs to be cancelled and reissued, and because there's no O available on LAX-MUC, I can't do it.
I ask to please try harder.
Agent puts me on hold for a minute, then comes back with the "We are making a great exception" mantra, rebooks me etc.
After all is said and done, I cautiously ask wether I have to pay any fees. It turns out that they will deduct the current point rate for the new nonstop leg, and since I initially bought this flight it at a discounted PPB rate during a spring promo, I'll now end up paying an additional 15k points.
Lesson: While you may spend all your remaining points in December at the current rate to book various flights for 2009, don't think about changing anything later that requires reissuing the ticket! This includes simplifying a connection. Sure, they will reissue it ("great excpetion") but then redeposit your old 2008 points deduct the new 2009 points for the change. Same for upgrades: If the underlying flight is changed, the old award goes back to the account and they'll deduct a new award at the then current rate.
Nov 21, 2008, 1:18 am
#40
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: MUC/LAX/SMV
Programs: LH, UA, BD, AA, NW, FB, NH, AC, Sixt, Hertz, Avis, *W, HH, Marriott, PC, Leaders Club, AMEX
Posts: 12,406
Nov 21, 2008, 2:41 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: MIA, DRS
Programs: LH SEN, BA GOLD, SPG PLATINUM, MR GOLD, AX CENTURION, etc.
Posts: 110
Enhancements 2009 - Reaction
I was chocked, when I got the PPB mail regarding the changes for 2009.
I think nobody who uses PPB as a rewarding tool for small and medium- businesses would ever think of spending points on stuff at at the LH Worldshop. So points will be harder to get and even have a smaller value.
I just have sent PPB an e-mail, where I told them, that I can't understand, why LH wants to make their loyal customers angry in times where premium cabin travel drops.
Let's see if they will answer and ifn how they will try to explain me that I'm wrong and that they only enhanced the program to give the customers a greater value (@ LH WS)...
In addition to that I had to notice that onbord service on longhauls in C got also worse.
I think I will have to spend more time in LHR T5 than in FRA T1 or MUC T2 for my connecting flights in 2009.
That will allow me to enjoy even more often a good old fashionned Kir Royaln while heading to Greenland...
I think nobody who uses PPB as a rewarding tool for small and medium- businesses would ever think of spending points on stuff at at the LH Worldshop. So points will be harder to get and even have a smaller value.
I just have sent PPB an e-mail, where I told them, that I can't understand, why LH wants to make their loyal customers angry in times where premium cabin travel drops.
Let's see if they will answer and ifn how they will try to explain me that I'm wrong and that they only enhanced the program to give the customers a greater value (@ LH WS)...
In addition to that I had to notice that onbord service on longhauls in C got also worse.
I think I will have to spend more time in LHR T5 than in FRA T1 or MUC T2 for my connecting flights in 2009.
That will allow me to enjoy even more often a good old fashionned Kir Royaln while heading to Greenland...
Nov 21, 2008, 4:00 am
#42
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: La Quinta
Programs: Lufthansa, Starwood Preferred Guest, Hyatt Gold Passport, Avis
Posts: 166
@FlyingSmurf
You are abselutely right about the stupid PPB "enhancements". Please post the answer and I hope it is not a standart answer with "blabla".
You are abselutely right about the stupid PPB "enhancements". Please post the answer and I hope it is not a standart answer with "blabla".
Nov 21, 2008, 4:47 am
#43
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: MUC/HKT
Programs: UA1K;AAEXP;BAG
Posts: 595
Nov 21, 2008, 10:50 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: FRA, SEA
Programs: LH , DL
Posts: 243
Seriously, I can see LH, or PPB respectively, answering all these eMails and letters with one simple point: "If you don't think it is worth using our products, then don't!". LH has become a company that thinks that no matter what they do (e.g. raising prices by % or more this year), the customers are still going to stick wit them because of their name and their world wide recognition. 
