Al B

News Release found today, as follows:
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STAR ALLIANCE LAUNCHES UPGRADE AWARDS
First Airline Alliance to offer Mileage Upgrade Options.

Frankfurt, September 7th, 2005
Star Alliance, the airline network for Earth, has become the first alliance to offer a Frequent Flyer Program (FFP) upgrade redemption option across the alliance, rather than on an individual carrier basis. This brings travelling in either First or Business Class into easier reach of the customer.

This enhancement is available now to the FFP members of ANA (ANA Mileage Club), Austrian (Miles & More), LOT Polish Airlines (Miles & More), Lufthansa (Miles & More) and Singapore Airlines (Kris Flyer). Other Star Alliance member carriers will begin to offer this product during 2006.

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards permits customers to redeem miles or points from their FFP account to upgrade by one class, either from Economy Class to Business Class or from Business Class to First Class on scheduled flights operated by the participating member carriers.

"We are extremely pleased to be the first airline alliance to offer this product, " said Jan Albrecht, CEO Star Alliance. "Our customer research has shown that the vast majority of frequent flyers expect an alliance to offer this kind of upgrade option."

Star Alliance Upgrade Awards requires a confirmed ticketed booking prior to travel through the existing FFP redemption channels, in general either a call centre or a website (depending on carrier's offer). The upgrade is processed electronically through the computer reservations system, eliminating the need to issue paper certificates to the customers. Both conventional paper tickets as well as electronic tickets can be upgraded under this new scheme. As with most FFP redemption products, capacity restrictions apply and upgrades from certain types of fares are not permissable.

Since it's inception in 1997, emphasis has been placed by Star Alliance on adding value to each member carrier's FFP by offering alliance-wide benefits to the customers.
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(Snipped out the rest of the release which was general back-slapping and self promotion type background material).

Maybe some members of the FFP's that are now eligible can post the cost of their redemptions in each scheme. Be interesting to compare.

aisleorwindow

Great News! ^

Surely UA will be jumping into the mix shortly??

Gru1K

Brilhant
Hope UA to join soon

frankvb

Anyone knows from which Y booking classes upgrades are allowed? If it is as useful as in FB (upgrades only from Y/S/B) a lot of people wouldn't be able to use it anyway as they (or their company) will book in the lowest available booking class.

Apart from that, it is an excellent improvement! Can't wait until BMI enables this.

Kerstin Ruf

*A upgrade awards in M&M

SQFAN

Thanks very much for the link ^ .

Kiwi Flyer

Thanks for the link Kerstin Ruf ^ More info added to the How to upgrade on *A carriers thread

Morrissey

The devil will be in the details! If no upgrade space is available at the time of booking, how will waitlisting fit into the picture? Who gets priority on the list?

Kiwi Flyer

AFAIK these new upgrades are all standby. Not sure when they clear but presume it is only within a day or so of flight.

ulev

Using M&M U/G can be booked and confirmed any time after ticketing.

tv

Any ideas what the mileage requirements would be?

SQFAN

The answer is located inpost #5.

djjaguar64

Halleujah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ozstamps

For quite some time you can use UA miles to upgrade LH flght. And at far lower levels than are here.

I hope they do not change a thing.

UnitedFFinAsia

It has been almost two months since I have logged on to FT (July 20) due to tons of travel and needless to say what pleasent surprise this is to see today!!! I cant wait until all the carriers are in the mix by 2006.
-UFFA