stargold

Guten Tag,

(I've done a search but did not see any relevant answers)

I've booked my LH ticket to go back to Korea (from LHR) and unfortunately I'm stuck with an overnight connection at FRA on the way back due to no availability on the last flight to LHR... so:

1. Do they thru-check my bags if the connection at FRA is overnight, but less than 24 hours? (From my experience, some airlines let you thru-check if less than 24 hours with an overnight, some never thru-check if overnight - so I'm not sure where LH falls into).

2. Once I arrive at FRA from ICN, what are my chances of standby for the last FRA-LHR? (in terms of... if the ticket has a GBP 100 date change charge, are they likely to collect it at FRA airport if I try to standby or will they just accept me onto the flight if there are spaces available?)

Thanks for the help.

oliver2002

1. check thru at FRA should be no problem <24h, especially if you overnight. LH offers previous evening/night advance checkin for flights ex german airports.
2. If you have checked luggage, your chances of them allowing you to hop onto a earlier flight are next to nil as your luggage would/could not travel with you.

Oli20

absolutely correct Oliver2002, what I would do is trying to get on the evening flight while checking in still in ICN if availability clears. Have a good trip.

LonLH

It is not next to nil- it is nil. I wanted to take the 7:30 am flight instead of 9:35 this Sunday since my inbound flight arrived earlier (at 6:45 instead of 7:00), but was told that due to security reasons, my checked bag will be detained at FRA if I take the 7:30 and will never reach LHR ever.

daumueller

now that is strange. I rebooked once on an earlier flight with 4 checked bags and it was no problem - and the bags made it with me.

LUC

Checked bagage can be located quite easily (as long as it is not loaded yet) so when you are allowed to go for an earlier flight, they can redirect your luggage, so that your luggage again joins you on that earlier flight.
Had it one in ORD : I was moved from an AA flight to an SN flight and my checked luggage also was transfered to the SN flight.

Another experience at FRA : I once arrived from BRU and had been waiting at the wrong carrousel or my luggage. After about 20 minutes I went to the LH desk, asked about my luggage and they could exactly locate where it was, and direct me to the correct carrousel, which was in another whole. So when they can do this, it's also a piece of cake to redirect luggage.

LUC

stargold

Vielen Dank for the replies! So the general concensus is:

1. I should have no problem keeping the bags overnight at FRA
and
2. I should try to ask whether it's possible to go on the earlier flight on FRA-LHR when checking in at ICN, rather than wait until arrival into FRA..

It shouldn't be too bad going into FRA for the day (they might have a good sale post Christmas if London is anything to go by!), but strictly speaking it would be nicer for me not to have to spend the additional money on hotel, meals etc.

=========

Two more questions...

1. I will be using the Star upgrade vouchers to upgrade FRA-ICN-FRA. Any tips regarding whether/where to ask beforehand? The C class section is seemingly completely empty on both flights so I'm not overly worried about not getting the upgrade, but it would be nicer to have the C class boarding pass in my hand from LHR since it's a relatively short connection. Ditto at ICN - it would be nicer to know I've been upgraded before I get to the airport, if possible.

2. What is the food and entertainment options like ex-FRA and ICN? I've heard of the Japan flights getting special treatment due to competition with NH etc, but wonder what the ICN flight will be like.

Will the A346 have AVOD in C-class?

stargold

So I checked in at ICN and asked about standing by for the earlier flight. They said that firstly, there is no availability... and even if there was, I'd have to pay the change fee (GBP75!) if I switched to the earlier flight.

I told them not to bother with the standby went to board the ICN-FRA flight. Got off the ICN-FRA flight, went to the SEN lounge and asked again just in case the availability was better.

The lounge attendant, who funnily enough processed my upgrade on the way to ICN (though as she properly sees hundreds of people every day probably doens't remember me), had trouble with the computer so she asked me to go to the transfer desk instead, but mentioned again that I'd still have to pay the change charge.

Went towards the transfer desk which was policed by a very gruff "gatekeeper" who was practically shouting things at enquirers. I simply said "I have to see a ticketing agent" and walked right past, glancing (but ignoring) a notice which read:

"If your bags are already checked through to your final destination, it is not possible to switch to an earlier flight".

The advisor that I spoke to spent a while looking at the availability, muttered something about "I'd have to put you on the standby list". But then when he retreived my resevation, he found that ICN had still put in a waitlist segment for the FRA-LHR night flight which was now cleared. Got my new boarding pass for the earlier flight, and walked away very prompty since the advisor forgot to collect the change fee.

Then I went to the A-gates SEN lounge where I asked the lounge attendant to 1. process my upgrade and 2. make sure my bags are transferred. It turns out that the transfer desk agent did not process my bags properly so if I hadn't checked again at the lounge, my bags would have been left behind at FRA... She phoned up the baggage handlers and asked them to transfer my bags away from tomorrow's flight, to today's flight. As for the upgrade, I had to be placed on the DM list (the LH equivalent).

Went to the gate at the published boarding time and found that I got one of the last 2 C seats, whilst the only empty seat in C was next to me

In all, it was a very pleasant outcome - my bags safely made it to LHR, I didn't have to pay a change fee, my upgrade cleared and I had an empty seat (1A/C) next to me. And although the "meal" left a lot to be desired, the service was impeccable and I thoroughly enjoyed the short flight.

Oli20

good to hear LH did a good job here and went away from their usual "strictly-following-the-rules" manner. Have had similar experiences recently, looks to me like LH is getting there did u get the upgrade to C on the way back from ICN as well?

stargold

Yup, I got all my upgrades... LHR-FRA-ICN-FRA-LHR. I had no further plans to travel anywhere else paying an H fare so I used them on the short flights too. I was very pleasantly surprised by the LH C product as well - I wouldn't hesitate to pay for LH C as long as I can be sure to get the new C seats.

Oli20

hm. how did u manage to upgrade 4 segments with only the 2 UK vouchers??

stargold

I don't recall saying that I had only 2 vouchers.... I did mention I will be upgrading FRA-ICN-FRA but that would have left me with 2 vouchers left over, because I was given 4 as a result of AC Elite (*G) status.

But in the end, I decided that it was unlikely I was going on another H-fare (or higher) trip before expiry so I just decided to upgrade all the segments instead.

Oli20

aehhh...still not getting it. U r talking about UK status promotion which gave u two standby upgrade vouchers for *G, right?

stargold

Yup, the UK Star Alliance promotion. But the number of vouchers are different.

I was already AC Elite before the promotion began, and for existing status members:

Star Golds got 4 vouchers
Star Silvers got 2 vouchers.

I hope it's clarified now

Oli20

it is indeed :-) so I got 2 Vouchers less then I deserved :-)