I assume they were just to stupid to process the paper cert under the new system that is why they gave you all the BS about it - there is no new system when it comes to the paper GPU system - but incapable LH agents making up stories as they go to make you go away.....

Terrible!

No LH agent I have ever met has ever heard of printed SWUs/GPUs. After some pressuring them, they read the T&C and then call a sup.
There is no chance in hell that they would know if their flight is 'electronic' or not.

Sounds they now have some UA/CO-style GAs who also make up ad-hoc legislation :( :td::td:.
Or too lazy ... or hate men ... or don't know that UA pays for these things ...

anyone knows what LH gets if we use a GPU?

If you print it early enough, it will still be coach=>biz as LH's own certs.
Despite all garbage ... your chances of clearing are still infinitely higher than on UA itself. And if you fail, you still get booze, IFE, and meat.

Easy decision in my book ...

In the current DCS (aka 'PICTURES' with backend Unisys) the agent just processes the upgrade as a M&M upgrade and states s/he collected the paper cert. The new DCS (backend Amadeus Altea) tries to interface with the RM system (also Altea since 2012) to update the ticket. Since the system doesn't offer to accept paper vouchers, it fails. I will ask the question to the CITP folks when we interview them later this month: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufth...lufthansa.html

Of course if you can upgrade the flight before hand the discussion wouldn't come up in the first place... :rolleyes:

Interesting history ... in ZRH the system also doesn't work with evouchers. I could not used my expiring last vouchers on LH operated flights ex ZRH because they were "LH M&M evouchers" ....

I feel much better about my LH FRA to IAH flight now:(

Big success yesterday confirming upgrade (with paper certificate) at check-in in FLR for my MUC-EWR flight. I had a tight connection from FLR-MUC to my MUC-EWR flight, and when the agent went to look she saw that there were 6 upgrades available (however she had issue because in the system they could only be processed as M&M e-upgrades). The agent next to her said I would have to process at the gate in MUC, but I pressed the issue with my tight connection, wanted to see if they could call MUC to get me on the grading list. She called her supervisor in FLR, explained the situation, and she was allowed to clear it for me on the spot, stapled my certificate to the BP and no issue in MUC (in fact, I just scanned my BP in MUC, they never even collected the certificate when I boarded the plane...). Come to find out there were still open seats in C, but so nice to not have to stress about clearing right before boarding.

Now the friendly agent in FLR will get an earful. Why didn't you surrender the cert??

It wasn't her fault, it was stapled to the BP... it was just not collected in MUC as I boarded since they have the automated boarding.

If she cleared the pax into confirmed space, she should have collected it!

Of course she should not have done that but have armed pax with "being buzzed" at the gate.

But I suppose of the improved system supports none of these features.

The old one did just fine. I had agents clearing me 22 hours out (upon irrops), stapling the SWU to the F or Biz departure management card they issued me. At the gate I then traded the DM for a proper BP.

LH Agents who staple the SWU to the BP in MUC or FRA usually deface the bardcode on the BP so the pax need to do a manual boarding where the paper GPU is duly collected.

The agents are often not familiar with the GPU system. Especially in MUC, on numerous occasions, I had agents giving me back the printed GPU which they removed from the DM card.

One agent outright refused to take the GPU, stating that LH "can absolutely not do anything with it, you need to send it to United ...". I found a younger colleague and she took it without much resistance.

With today's UA Insider post (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...lectronic.html), the paper GPU is history.

On the plus side, you can waitlist GPUs. On the down side, no GPU application inside 10 hours.

And with the process of GPU's being used electronically on LH flights now live, I'll close this thread. Please continue the discussion in the in the above referenced thread.

goalie
UA Forum Co-Moderator