Mileage reduction after online upgrade?
Aug 20, 2019, 5:45 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 174
Mileage reduction after online upgrade?
I just made use of LH's online offer to upgrade an upcoming TATL Premium Economy flight (fare class E) to Business assuming the latter would book into Z, having the same miles accrual factor as E, i.e., 1.5. Instead, the business seat was booked into P which has only a factor of 1.0. So, I paid more money and lose miles. Is this true?
Aug 20, 2019, 6:21 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Heraklion, Greece
Posts: 7,565
You paid more money and lost miles, true, but you flew in business, don't forget that. But consider yourself lucky. If you had credited the miles in another *A fidelity program (i.e. not M&M), you could have earned 0 (zero) miles! This is how much LH gives for P. 
Aug 20, 2019, 11:50 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: next to HAM
Programs: LH M+M
Posts: 960
LH will book your upgrade into lowest available bucket, typically P - with less status miles.
If departure comes closer and buckets run down to zero, upgrades als can go into D/C (had an E-to-D the other day) - but typically they're more expensive, too.
As a figure.. for a FRA-HND leg the initial upgrade cost was around 600E (into P), then at 750-800 (into Z) and just a day or two before departure the upgrade was offered at 950E (into D).
expertflyer helps to "predict" the target booking class...
If departure comes closer and buckets run down to zero, upgrades als can go into D/C (had an E-to-D the other day) - but typically they're more expensive, too.
As a figure.. for a FRA-HND leg the initial upgrade cost was around 600E (into P), then at 750-800 (into Z) and just a day or two before departure the upgrade was offered at 950E (into D).
expertflyer helps to "predict" the target booking class...