greendx

Are you sure you can standby with SA on a *A award redemption? I know that SQ would not do it no matter what when I tried. I'm not sure that this is an actual benefit I think it's really airline dependent. CX let me do it one time but had me wait until last minute and I didn't have any OW status at the time.

jasonvr

Saw that....yeah....no

Also connects into JNB really late (7pm'ish)

No, actually I'm not. But its worth a try. Priority Waitlist is listed as a *G benefit, but who knows

dsquared37

JFK is the only US station I've flown LH F from and it's certainly well worth a the connection hassle from EWR.

jasonvr

Well I've got about 40 more minutes before I call it quits. There is one report in this thread of someone grabbing 2xF awards on FRA-JNB 4 hours prior to departure, so I'll let it go until then. That still gives me almost 3 hours to reclaim my baggage and recheck on the SA flight.

chinatraderjmr

Do you really think so????

If I were flying into EWR I would much prefer to take LH's EWR-FRA flight then shlepping all the way to JFK just for the lounge. Both JFK & EWR both have the 747's w the beds in F so while I agree that JFK is a much much better LH station then EWR, in the end your getting the same product in the air so to spend up to 1 1/2 hours in a taxi just for a better dinner is pushing the envelope (just my humble opinion of course)....Now I dont even want to think about how much worse it would be for those that take public transportation!!!!!!!

***Ive never transferred myself between JFK & EWR before - but had my EX GF do it a few summers ago (Thats one of the BIG reasons she's my "EX" GF

dsquared37

I've never done the transfer either and only have flown into EWR 2 or 3 times. Never started there...

The basis of my statement was simply the quality of the F lounge at JFK and I don't think EWR has anything even close.

If I were coming in from the left coast I might take the PS redeye, spend a bit of time in NYC and head out to JFK.

Unlike you I'd never make the mistake of recommending my gf (or wife) to make the transfer.

SFO777

From the left coast, JFK or EWR would be pretty much the last LH gateway I would want to use. Why fly 5 hours on UA when there are plenty of western LH gateways that let you maximize the LH experience?

kluau88

Was able to swap MUCHKG for FRAHKG avoiding the MUCFRA flight. Longer layover in FRA, but there is the FTL

Kacee

This makes sense. The one exception I would consider is ps to JFK to pick up LX in J. Much easier to get LX out of JFK than SFO or LAX.

chinatraderjmr

A few reasons......What is the connection time?, LH has multiple flights to FRA from JFK if you end up missing your conx for what your booked on, between LH & LX the have between 6-8 flights a day out of JFK and are more then happy to endorse over to each other during IROPS or missed connections (on revenue tickets at least) LH is certainly a better airline but as for the term "experience" which is used a lot here, to me, the best "experience" is the shortest flight.

There are plenty of times I will fly EK from DXB to FRA/ZRH and connect to LH/LX when traveling Westbound from DXB as even though the EK 380 F "experience" cant be beat, I just hate sitting in ANY plane for more then 9-10 hours. I'll do it, I just don't like it

SFO777

Good point and many would agree. Although my (now thoroughly spoiled) wife has undergone an amazing transformation over the past couple of years. Her feeling now is "the longer the better". I believe she was referring to flight length.

She prefers 8 hours of sleep a night, loves the seat and bed on the 744, and complaints that the 9 hour flight from DEN-FRA is just "too short". IHO, SFO-HKG at 15 hours in CX First is the perfect length. And even though she has become pretty jaded about TATL/TPAC F travel, she was actually excited when I told her that I had booked us on EK's new LAX-DXB A380 flight next February and that it was 16 hours. All this from the woman that only a few years ago proclaimed "I'd rather fly nonstop Economy than make a connection in First".

dsquared37

So you'd prefer a domestic hop to DEN or SEA, likely the only gateways you're apt to find availability and wait for the flight in a substandard lounge? I'd prefer a PS flight with the comfort of LH's JFK lounge.

As a native NYer it's also a day I could spend in NY having food, drinks and meeting with friends and this probably holds sway that others possibly wouldn't benefit from so much.

SFO777

Since I now live in DEN, that 25 minute drive to the airport is OK with me. But if I still lived in SFO and couldn't bag SFO-FRA/MUC, I'd absolutely prefer the shorter flight to SEA, DEN, IAH, DFW. PS or not, the less time on UA the better.

macabus

I've hears anecdotal reports that LH has blocked F awards from LAX and SFO to FRA for almost a year for *A redemption. Similar to what LX has done with F awards for most N.A. destinations.

I fear they may do the same with DEN and even ORD, now that upgraded planes are flying those routes.

Some people with ties to LH & LX management have remarked that certain executives were livid with US for selling miles so cheaply, and then having Dividend Miles members book F seats on LH and LX.

It will be interesting to see whether LH & LX relax their redemption policies for *A after US becomes a member of One World later this year.

avi8tir

DEN is still old F and is very consistently available