The change is obviously designed to increase breakage, not to improve "tracking." LH could improve tracking simply by writing the segment and passenger name on the GPU after it is redeemed, not by having UA print it on beforehand. But UA wants the certificates to be only valid for a particular flight and passenger, and the pax to have to redeposit it (or preferably misplace it) if it does not clear.

10 business days for FedEx???
 

Called to order a paper GPU with the new system... what a real pain!

The first mileage plus agent claims they need 10 business days for FedEx to the UK and she refuses even to try sending the certificate because we are too close to departure :td:

Based on the reports of a couple business days delivery to SIN and JPN on this thread I resorted to the FT mantra: call back. The second agent processed FedEx shipment without even be worried about the delivery arriving in time.

It will be an interesting experiment: I have four business days useful to get the certificate, my chance to avoid the torture of 12h in LH Y.... However, Ms CASAFlyer is booked in O, so a few good drinks in the FRA FCT will hopefully make the flight more bearable :D

I have a 1h35m connection in FRA travelling ZRH-FRA-SEA. I am hoping to use the certs on FRA-SEA. I am going to try and get myself on the grading list via the LH desk at ZRH. My flight leaves at 7:05am. What time does the LH desk open?

I know my chances of getting them to get me on the grading list are slim (despite my pleading) and may likely have to wait until I get to FRA.

My main question is, what is the quickest way I can get to someone at LH in FRA after I land from my Swiss flight to get on the list? Is there a Senator Lounge I can get into before going through immigration (see at bottom - seems may be closed now?)? ...or will I have to get through immigration first before I can get to a Senator lounge or my gate?

Is it best to just go direct to the gate anyway? I figure by the time I get through immigration they may be boarding? Judging by the times people have been giving as to when they get cleared, if I don't get on the list at least 60 mins before the flight, my chances appear a lot slimmer. We are trying for C, so hoping catering is not as much as a factor.

Any suggestions to maximize our chances? We are on the first flight of the day ZRH-FRA so can't get to FRA any earlier.

Read this in the transiting FRA thread:
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewbieRunner
Refurbished SEN and Business lounges are scheduled to open later this year where the FCL and SEN/BIZ lounges used to be near A25/Z25 which should ease the lounge situation.
---
That's great news! I had no idea... it just seemed that LH was promoting their new "centralized" lounges in the A+ atrium as if they would be the only lounges in all of A Pier. Again, that certainly wouldn't be the end of the world... but, having a lounge out by A25/Z25 was certainly a convenience... even if it wasn't as nice or as full of amenities as the newer lounges in the atrium area.

As soon as you find a transfer desk or lounge ask to get on the wait list. You might luck out and get cleared on the spot. If nothing else, you will give catering a heads up sooner. Given the woefully short time for your connection, I would not wait to clear immigration.

Was in 84C for the flight -- nice to be on the upper deck, though I think I would have chosen a different seat if I had the choice. The A/C side in 84 only has 2 windows and there is a wall partition between the emergency exit and your row which stores the magazines -- so people tend to congregate in that area, particularly before the flight.

All in all, a good flight (except for the 2+ hour delay leaving FRA because of a need to update the 748i software). Nice plane for sure!

Hit the first Transfer Counter, do not wait to get to the gate. it will be too late. The Transfer Counters know how to process these certificate upgrades.

Oof, this just bit us.

Irrops turned BOS-IAD-LHR into BOS-MUC-LHR with about two hours' notice. New segments are all LH; and all in a systemwide-eligible fare class; but we didn't print any certs before this policy change and there's no way to get them now.

Coach!

So for all practical purposes the system is basically unchanged.

I was upgrading multiple legs and actually used the certs out of order, by mistake. The agents didn't check the flight segment info & the confirmation number on the cert didn't match my LH reservation either. (A UA mistake) I think as long as your name matches and the GPU is still valid you won't normally have issues.

I was pretty happy with the process and went 4 for 4 on my upgrades on this trip, 3 on LH, 1 on UA. It will be awesome when we can just do this electronically, especially if we can confirm the upgrade before arriving at the airport as LH seems to open up space at about T-24.

I flew from BUD-FRA-SEA last September. There were a couple of open Business class seats, but the BUD agents are on contract and did not take my upgrade certificate. At FRA, the Senator lounge agent said that I had to go to the gate. The gate was very far from where the bus dropped us off, so it took about half an hour to walk there and go through immigration. The gate agent told me that all the Business seats were taken, but she put me on the waiting list at the gate, and I went to the Senator lounge. When i got back to the gate, I waited until the end to board, but all the Business class passengers showed up. I sat in the exit row. Not a big deal for a daytime flight, but it was not as good as Business class!

I was on an award itinerary from FCO-FRA-SEA in February, and there are fantastic new lounges near the gate for the SEA flight. We went to the Business lounge first, but my younger son wanted to see the Senator lounge, and since *G allows access for only two people, just he and I visited the Senator lounge. It was just as crowded as the Business lounge, but it has some more interesting seating areas (one with a mural of a forest), an omelet bar, great pretzels, and a better drink selection.

Does getting a Lufthansa upgrade certificate take an additional GPU?
 

I have a flight scheduled as follows:

Outbound: MDT - MAD 3 passengers - used 3 GPUs

Return: BAR - FRA - IAD - MDT 3 passengers - used 3 GPUs.

The BAR-FRA leg is Lufthansa, the rest are UA. I called today to get the paper Lufthansa certificates for the BAR-FRA leg and the agent told me I need to use additional GPUs to get the Lufthansa certificates.

I have never tried this before and it sounds odd to me as I ticketed on UA website. Do I really need to use 6 GPUs for the return trip?

Assuming you mean Barcelona, yes the certs are only valid for 1 Segment and require a GPU. LH domestic first is not worth upgrading to anyway though.

+1 million

On intra-Europe flights, mainline LH uses aircraft with seats that are the same in business as in coach.
Only advantage is that the middle seat is kept open. Legroom is the same (minimal legroom if you are tall.)
They do serve a meal, but IME, it is not all that good.

You are 1K, so no issues with the bags, with check-in, or the lounge.

Do not use GPUs to upgrade the LH segment. If you have so many GPUs hanging around, I wouldn't mind receiving the extras!! (jk)

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I did indeed mean Barcelona.

I wanted to report back on sending one of the new (named) certificates back to United. I sent it back via regular (!) postal mail and it took about 5 business days to post as deposited in my MileagePlus account. Very impressive, I was counting on it getting lost.

Cannot find anyone at UA that knows how to print a GPU for LH!
 

6 calls to the 1K -- ALL of them answered as Premier Services. No one knows how to do it!

Call #1. Told her I needed a GPU printed for LH. Transferred me immediately to Mileage Plus. Except it was general member mileage plus. The kind lady said she didn't know what a GPU was. Sent me back to the general line where the guy asks for your MP number. I gave up.

Call #2. I asked to be transferred to 1K mileage plus, no mention of why. Ended up at general MP. Same results as #1.

Call #3. I said I needed to be transferred to 1K MP to get a GPU printed. Agent asked 'what's a GPU?' Ended up at general MP line. Again, 'what's a GPU'?

Call #4.

Asked 1K if she what a GPU was (politely)? Yes.

Explained situation of the past 3 calls. She sympathized. Asked politely for a legacy UA call center. 'This is a UA call center. We're all United now.'

What Call center is it? 'SLC' Right, can you connect me to DTW, ORD, or HNL?

'I don't know where you'll end up. Let me try to help you. We have a manual for how to do this.' OH NO. I don't want to train you!

'Ok, I'll ask a supervisor' <long pause> 'You're absolutely right. The supervisor doesn't know what a GPU is either!' OMG. Are you kidding?

'I'm going to read about this. OK, you're right, we USED to have a program like this. But it ended in Feb. Now....'

Ma'am, I know all that. I have the flight information right here. 'Oh. Well, we have a Star Alliance desk. Let me transfer you there.' NO, that's not going help.

'OK, I'm going to call MP for you.' <long pause> 'Ok, I'm speaking with MP on your behalf.' Is it 1K MP? 'It's MP.' Yes, I know. Is it 1K MP? If not, they won't know what a GPU is. 'She's in the Phillipines.'

Ah, but does she know what a GPU is? 'I'm explaining it to her.' Lovely. Now I'm training two of you. 'She wants to know if you want it emailed or mailed via USPS.' What? They've never been able to email these. They are a piece of paper!

'OK, I'll tell her to USPS it to you.' No, let's email it so if it doesn't come in 15 mins I can call back. 'OK' <pause> 'Sorry, now she says they have to mail it.' OK, but I want it overnighted -- look at the date of the flight! 'I'll tell her.'

This is insane. And I'm not even done yet. This was once a 5 minute phone call. Now it's 5 phone calls just to find somebody that can spell GPU.