Meh. Cash is the fungible instrument to end all fungible instruments. LH GPU upgrade certs are not. If UA was going to come out with this convoluted system for requesting the upgrades, and (supposedly) kill their frangibility, I think it's pretty reasonable for folks to expect a bit less risk of loss associated with them.

I am now being told that it is too much work for UA to track the paper upgrades. The system is being compared to the old paper tickets (which could always be replaced after a while). Too difficult to make it work, they claim.

This is very much akin to what former Rep. Barney Frank called the "reverse Houdini," which occurs when a politician ties himself up in knots and then says, "Gee I wish I could help you but I can't because I'm tied up in knots" (from a 1985 Washington Post column).

UA designed the system--and now claims it can't make it work.

The paper certificates are like cash. When LH receives one it doesn't call UA to see whether it has been reported lost/stolen. There is no provisi:rolleyes:n for doing that. This differs from paper tickets which were tied with ticket numbers to a reservation. In this case UA asks for the LH record information but that is written on the certificate, not in the LH reseravation. Also, the certificate does not have to be used for the indicated flight.

Yes, the paper certificate system is a kludge, but it's better than no option to upgrade on LH.

Can you tell me where this is written down? (Don't waste your time--I looked and couldn't find it.) It was UA that made the comparison to paper tickets in an email to me. And if the flight number and time and date have to be on the cert, you really can't use it on another flight.

It is pretty simple: UA knows that it sent me the paper cert. I know who sent it and the date. Please don't try to tell me that there is no system for UA to know whether it gets used. Anyone with any accounting system beyond a kindergarten play bank has to know this. If they want to help, they can. But this is the new UA. Every time I fly pmUA crews tell me that they hate the new management. Never heard one say a single positive thing about them.

If I recall correctly (and I may be wrong), the old paper UA SWU's weren't replaceable if lost or stolen either.

Except you can use the certs on flights/dates that aren't listed on the cert. At least this was what was told to me by an LH agent at SFO.

And folks that have done that have posted in this thread

Sigh. What typical FT nonsense this all is.

"We all know that those paper certificates are good as cash, can be used on any flight, and are irreplaceable if lost. Therefore, everyone should know that. If they don't, sucks for them!!! Bwahahahahahahaha."

:rolleyes:

If it says on the certificate that it's as good as cash, then fine, I guess. But my strong expectation in receiving such a certificate, since it's marked for a particular flight, would be that it'd be replaceable if not used for that flight. That is my expectation based on being a normal person in the normal people world.

When UA issued paper SWUs, a MP rep told me lost or stolen SWUs could be hotlisted via the certifcate number in order to track them. Why doesn't UA make the LH GPU process electronic as it is for UA GPUs?

Why doesn't COdbaUA do what PMUA did? :confused: :(

Not to my personal experience. The LH lounge agent even called somewhere to get the OK, to put the 2 of us on standby for our FRA JNB flight. Then, she cleared my companion, and refused to do mine, because my paper upgrade has his name on it/ and he was right there with me. She sent me to the gate and the gate agent was shaking her head hearing the absurdity I encountered. She then even got us seats together.
Oh, the transfer desk agents did not even know what to do with these paper upgrades from UA.

Hi All-

I'm hoping someone can help me out with a question on LH upgrdes. I apologize in advance if this info is here (likely is), but after reading a dozen pages of this thread, I still don't have a clear answer. So, I thought I'd put the questions in one place.

I'm extremely well versed in the UA upgrade game and do the C->F on TPACs regularly. But, I've got a trip in April that is going to be via Europe vs the "normal" TPAC routes.

I will fly either PEN-SIN-FRA-BOS or PEN-SIN-ZRH-BOS, with FRA being my preference. My issue is that I hate the LH C seat for sleeping - its terrible. My goal is to fly LH via FRA, but only if I can likely upgrade C->F. Yes, I know its a big unknown and only day of, but would like some ideas from the collective wisdom on how to do this. My understanding from reading is as follows, please confirm or correct:

-I want to upgrade SIN-FRA C->F, but I cannot get added to the list until I'm physically in SIN - correct?

-Assuming that, I need to be there >3 hrs before departure due to the catering issue. Therefore, I will need to schedule my PEN-SIN flight to have a >3hr layover (obviously plus time for getting to the LH desk etc) - correct?

-On the return, if I fly BOS-FRA-SIN and want to upgrade both segments, I have to do them at the individual airport, correct? (i.e. I have to wait until I arrive in FRA to try for FRA-SIN)?

-How early can this be done before the flight? I assume I have to wait until the flight opens for check-in? I can see this being a major issue for BOS-FRA because they are contract agents that serve all airlines in term E.

-For FRA-SIN, I'd be arriving at approx 6am from BOS and then I'd have a ~14hr layover before I head to SIN. Would I be able to go to the LH check in at 6am and get on the list for that night?

-Anyone know of any sort of prioritizing criteria of who gets an upgrade first? (status, time onto the list, fare.....)

-Honestly, what's the success rate these days for this convoluted system for C->F upgrades? If this is a long shot, I may just not bother and book LX via ZRH in C as LX C >> LH C, but obviously would prefer to do the ride in F on LH.

-If some/all of the upgrades don't clear, how much of a nightmare is it to get the SWU's redeposited into my account?

Thanks in advance for the help!

-I want to upgrade SIN-FRA C->F, but I cannot get added to the list until I'm physically in SIN - correct?
Yes.
-Assuming that, I need to be there >3 hrs before departure due to the catering issue. Therefore, I will need to schedule my PEN-SIN flight to have a >3hr layover (obviously plus time for getting to the LH desk etc) - correct?
Debatable, but 2+hours should be OK to report at the LH checkin/gate. I doubt LH has anything open landside that early anyway.

-On the return, if I fly BOS-FRA-SIN and want to upgrade both segments, I have to do them at the individual airport, correct? (i.e. I have to wait until I arrive in FRA to try for FRA-SIN)?
Yes.

-How early can this be done before the flight? I assume I have to wait until the flight opens for check-in? I can see this being a major issue for BOS-FRA because they are contract agents that serve all airlines in term E.

BOS has LH desks that open about 3 hours before departure of any LH flight (LH flies to MUC & FRA from BOS). You could go there the day before and ask an agent handling the late MUC flight to put you on the grading list.


-For FRA-SIN, I'd be arriving at approx 6am from BOS and then I'd have a ~14hr layover before I head to SIN. Would I be able to go to the LH check in at 6am and get on the list for that night?

Yes, no problem.

-Anyone know of any sort of prioritizing criteria of who gets an upgrade first? (status, time onto the list, fare.....)

Time stamp on the grading list. Its a big long list with various requests like employees travelling on standby, revenue pax who still need seating etc. The FM/DST just goes thru the list and makes decisions. In FRA if the flight is open for grading, the agent can process the upgrade on the spot if there are any seats available.

-Honestly, what's the success rate these days for this convoluted system for C->F upgrades? If this is a long shot, I may just not bother and book LX via ZRH in C as LX C >> LH C, but obviously would prefer to do the ride in F on LH.

SIN is a route where LH does sell the F seats in the A380. Check on the
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...ds-thread.html if the days you are looking at even have seats open in F. Also note that GPUs can only be applied to J/C/D fares, Z & P are excluded, so you are looking at a hefty fare upcharge to play the GPU upgrade poker.

-If some/all of the upgrades don't clear, how much of a nightmare is it to get the SWU's redeposited into my account?
Just mail them back.

Success upgrading LH C to F with US paper cert
 

I followed directions on FT (thanks!) and UA website, and secured a paper cert for upgrade (booked on LH 413 EWR-MUC). Called GS and the agent confirmed what I'd read here: the cert has to be presented to the GA.

I arrived at the gate ~2 hours before departure--nobody there. Checked in at the LH lounge (terminal B), and after I showed the EWR-MUC boarding pass I brought out the cert and asked the agent if she could help me with the upgrade. She checked, said there was one seat open, and called to see if an F meal could be added. I told her a C meal was fine, but whoever was on the phone told her the upgrade was fine.

Got my BP for 2G, and am all set--slightly less than two hours before departure.