Upgrade for points on LH
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: EBD (*G) & Delta Gold Medallion (STE+)
Posts: 158
Upgrade for points on LH
LH states that I should refer to the SK site to find out about how to upgrade for points so I assume this is the right place to ask the question.
I will be travelling long haul on LH (out in Economy and return in Premium Economy). I'd like to upgrade using my EB points, preferably to Business but to Premium Economy on the outbound would also be okay.
Accoring to SK's website I can upgrade from Economy to Business if I am booked in Y or B. I believe they are "Full Economy" tickets. If booking on lh.com I can't book those classes so I'd have to get our company travel office to book it in Y or B. If I book online I get Q for the Economy trip and E for the Premium Economy trip.
My question is if it is correctly understood that it has to be a Y or B ticket and that I can't even go from E to Business when using EB points?
Is there any other way to get upgraded? Can I for instance bid for an upgrade with EB points or does have to M&M Miles?
I will be travelling long haul on LH (out in Economy and return in Premium Economy). I'd like to upgrade using my EB points, preferably to Business but to Premium Economy on the outbound would also be okay.
Accoring to SK's website I can upgrade from Economy to Business if I am booked in Y or B. I believe they are "Full Economy" tickets. If booking on lh.com I can't book those classes so I'd have to get our company travel office to book it in Y or B. If I book online I get Q for the Economy trip and E for the Premium Economy trip.
My question is if it is correctly understood that it has to be a Y or B ticket and that I can't even go from E to Business when using EB points?
Is there any other way to get upgraded? Can I for instance bid for an upgrade with EB points or does have to M&M Miles?
#2
Join Date: Jun 2015
Programs: AY+, SK EB
Posts: 2,960
Also keep in mind that the award booking class I needs to be available for your flight to be upgradable with points.
Is there any other way to get upgraded? Can I for instance bid for an upgrade with EB points or does have to M&M Miles?
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,166
If you ask your TA to look in to booking Y or B, you will probably find them more expensive than P or Z. Unless your company has a healthy corporate agreement with Lufthansa.
#4
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferable @30.000 feet
Programs: More than one
Posts: 1,673
LH states that I should refer to the SK site to find out about how to upgrade for points so I assume this is the right place to ask the question.
I will be travelling long haul on LH (out in Economy and return in Premium Economy). I'd like to upgrade using my EB points, preferably to Business but to Premium Economy on the outbound would also be okay.
Accoring to SK's website I can upgrade from Economy to Business if I am booked in Y or B. I believe they are "Full Economy" tickets. If booking on lh.com I can't book those classes so I'd have to get our company travel office to book it in Y or B. If I book online I get Q for the Economy trip and E for the Premium Economy trip.
My question is if it is correctly understood that it has to be a Y or B ticket and that I can't even go from E to Business when using EB points?
Is there any other way to get upgraded? Can I for instance bid for an upgrade with EB points or does have to M&M Miles?
I will be travelling long haul on LH (out in Economy and return in Premium Economy). I'd like to upgrade using my EB points, preferably to Business but to Premium Economy on the outbound would also be okay.
Accoring to SK's website I can upgrade from Economy to Business if I am booked in Y or B. I believe they are "Full Economy" tickets. If booking on lh.com I can't book those classes so I'd have to get our company travel office to book it in Y or B. If I book online I get Q for the Economy trip and E for the Premium Economy trip.
My question is if it is correctly understood that it has to be a Y or B ticket and that I can't even go from E to Business when using EB points?
Is there any other way to get upgraded? Can I for instance bid for an upgrade with EB points or does have to M&M Miles?
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,166
It is possible to upgrade on LH using EB points. It's called *A upgrade, and you find it on your EB pages after you login. Under Use points - Upgrade - Star Alliance upgrade. It's not a plusgrade bidding. It's a confirmed upgrade at a fixed price. But be aware that LH tends not to release the *A seats until like 2 weeks ahead of scheduled departure
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,848
A LH B or Y fare will be so expensive that you will quickly forget about upgrading with your EB points. Much cheaper to buy a N or P/Z fare from the outset to get directly into PE or J respectively.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: EBD (*G) & Delta Gold Medallion (STE+)
Posts: 158
Thanks for the responses. I wonder if the *A upgrades for points are ever used... Doesn’t make much sense to make it so difficult IMO.
As I am constrained by company policy to a large extent I guess I won’t be flying business this time unless I decide to pay for it.
As I am constrained by company policy to a large extent I guess I won’t be flying business this time unless I decide to pay for it.
#9
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferable @30.000 feet
Programs: More than one
Posts: 1,673
I don't find it harder to do *A upgrade than *A award flights, so I'm not sure what you mean about it being difficult. As I read most of the posts here, they are around buying the bizz tickets directly instead of going through the upgrade or LH upgrade using miles & more or EB upgrades on SK metal. None of these are related to the *A upgrade.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: EBD (*G) & Delta Gold Medallion (STE+)
Posts: 158
I don't find it harder to do *A upgrade than *A award flights, so I'm not sure what you mean about it being difficult. As I read most of the posts here, they are around buying the bizz tickets directly instead of going through the upgrade or LH upgrade using miles & more or EB upgrades on SK metal. None of these are related to the *A upgrade.
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Tokyo
Programs: JAL Metal Card (OWE), SAS Eurobonus Gold (*G), Marriott Titanium (LTP), Tokyu Hotels Platinum
Posts: 21,166
I don't find it harder to do *A upgrade than *A award flights, so I'm not sure what you mean about it being difficult. As I read most of the posts here, they are around buying the bizz tickets directly instead of going through the upgrade or LH upgrade using miles & more or EB upgrades on SK metal. None of these are related to the *A upgrade.
The value from PY is better, but SK does not include LH PY as an option at the moment. From J to F it is pretty good for corporate travellers who are usually in the flexible booking classes. Provided O availability shows up.
As the *A upgrade and awards are looking at the same inventory, of course it is not more difficult to find space. But the underlying condition for the upgrade from Y or B makes it all the more unlikely to be fulfill the conditions of the upgrade.
#12
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Koala Lemur
Programs: SK EBD LTG (*G)
Posts: 2,447
Try to think about this differently, SASegments: it may well be worth to pay cash for the LH bid to a higher class, and use the points somewhere else where you could consider using cash (a suitable redemption for vacation, an upgrade on an SK flight etc). Upgrades on LH from economy, are just not a good deal, and we don't recommend it here. Using points profitably, in general, is much harder than the marketing materials from Eurobonus (or any other FFP) would like you to believe when you are joining.
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Denmark
Programs: EBD (*G) & Delta Gold Medallion (STE+)
Posts: 158
Try to think about this differently, SASegments: it may well be worth to pay cash for the LH bid to a higher class, and use the points somewhere else where you could consider using cash (a suitable redemption for vacation, an upgrade on an SK flight etc). Upgrades on LH from economy, are just not a good deal, and we don't recommend it here. Using points profitably, in general, is much harder than the marketing materials from Eurobonus (or any other FFP) would like you to believe when you are joining.
#15
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Preferable @30.000 feet
Programs: More than one
Posts: 1,673
Yes thanks I guess I’ll do that. I fly a lot intra Europe on SK but most of my long haul is with family on LH so I can’t really use the points for upgrades. Mostly I use them for domestic flights where I find the value quite good. As I now have a company long haul coming up I’d like to have tried out the LH C as I have quite a lot of points. I had not looked into it before so my question was mainly to confirm that the value was as bad as it is. Hopefully a long haul SK will come along soon.