Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Upgrading Flights Operated by ANA , Lufthansa or COPA
Partner PlusPoints Upgrade Awards
For general information on upgrading ANA or Lufthansa flights with PlusPoints (note to use miles is a separate process) see Upgrading Flights Operated by ANA , Lufthansa or COPA You actually request the upgrade through the online form, here: Partner PlusPoints Upgrade Awards
Per United web support, you only need to fill in the required* info.
**The LH flight you are upgrading must be an LH flight, not a UA codeshare flight. If you have a UA codeshare flight, you can call websupport and they will (put you on hold and] change your itinerary to one with an LH flight#.
Note that UA websupport might give you a new ticket # when you do the above, but if the original ticket # was 016 UA stock, it will remain so, and thus you will still be earning RDMs at the UA rate (11x for a 1K), not the *A rate. In case of a $6000 biz fare for LAX-FRA that you are trying to upgrade to F for example, as a 1K you would earn 66,000 UA RDM if booked as a UA flight. And even though after booking you get them to change the UA flight # from a UA codeshare flight to an LH flight, the 016 ticket stock sticks, and you earn 66,000 RDMs.
(FYI, had the ticket stock been an LH stock, the RDM's earned would be 5790 miles x 150% = 8685 RDMs. Big difference)
Note that sometimes the online upgrading does not work, and you may get an error message to call an 877 number, which is now defunct but still resides on .bomb...Ignore it and just call web support. They might put you on hold while they call LH but they will get the job done.
Eligible Economy Fares to Apply PlusPounts
Upgradeable to business fares include U/H/Q the lowest eligible economy fares. G&E the two top premium economy fares and Y/B/M the most expensive economy fares. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24219165-post205.html)While UA has not changed their T&Cs, LH appears to have expanded the potential fare classes
For C->F upgrade, J, D, C fares are eligible, Z and P fares are not
.
LH booking class P, Z upgreadable for miles and eVouchers
From April to September 2018 it was possible to confirm and waitlist P,Z-class LH flights with a PlusPoints. Confirming and waitlisting is no now longer possible, but previously waitlisted segments will continue to clear as/if available.
Checking for Upgrade Availability
Upgrades to E, C and F come from the R, I and O fare bucket, but its a subset, which theoretically is not the same as the award subset. If awards are available it is a strong indication the upgrade is available too. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24861289-post342.html)
In case of upgrade clearing but eticket refresh problems:
Checking for availability prior to calling
Use ANA or even united.com to see availability.
To check if C/F upgrades may open up, ask in this thread: Determining LH Y/C/F loads? [the help me guesstimate loads thread]
Regarding ticket stock, Oliver reports:
Each LH flight segment requires a separate set of PlusPoints
A single set of PlusPoints can be used to only upgrade a single LH flight segment, And that PlusPoints cannot be extended to include another LH flight segment or another UA flight segment.
Problems getting mileage credit for upgraded LH segments
Numerous reports of denial of mileage credits (RDMs, PQMs, PQSs, PQDs) for upgraded tickets. This issue is probably due to LH uses the same fare bucket for mileage awards and upgrades. It seems patience, persistence, and documentation of the originally paid fare are needed to get credit.
You probably won't get credit by simply submitting the online form or asking a CSR to do so for you. A CSR needs to submit a System Issue Form, together with the mileage request, explaining that you flew in I class, but you paid for a mileage-earning booking class.
T-10
While the original system did not allow the upgrade waitlist to carry on past t-10 hours, the have been multiple reports that this is no longer the case. If not cleared in advance - the upgrade wait-list will last all the way until the door closing. UA has not updated the text on the LH upgrades to reflect this change.
Premium Eco To Biz Upgrade
Archive Thread: Lufthansa GPUs Go Electronic {Archive}
Related Thread
How to upgrade with UA miles on Star Alliance carriers
Partner PlusPoints Upgrade Awards
For general information on upgrading ANA or Lufthansa flights with PlusPoints (note to use miles is a separate process) see Upgrading Flights Operated by ANA , Lufthansa or COPA You actually request the upgrade through the online form, here: Partner PlusPoints Upgrade Awards
Per United web support, you only need to fill in the required* info.
**The LH flight you are upgrading must be an LH flight, not a UA codeshare flight. If you have a UA codeshare flight, you can call websupport and they will (put you on hold and] change your itinerary to one with an LH flight#.
Note that UA websupport might give you a new ticket # when you do the above, but if the original ticket # was 016 UA stock, it will remain so, and thus you will still be earning RDMs at the UA rate (11x for a 1K), not the *A rate. In case of a $6000 biz fare for LAX-FRA that you are trying to upgrade to F for example, as a 1K you would earn 66,000 UA RDM if booked as a UA flight. And even though after booking you get them to change the UA flight # from a UA codeshare flight to an LH flight, the 016 ticket stock sticks, and you earn 66,000 RDMs.
(FYI, had the ticket stock been an LH stock, the RDM's earned would be 5790 miles x 150% = 8685 RDMs. Big difference)
Note that sometimes the online upgrading does not work, and you may get an error message to call an 877 number, which is now defunct but still resides on .bomb...Ignore it and just call web support. They might put you on hold while they call LH but they will get the job done.
Eligible Economy Fares to Apply PlusPounts
Upgradeable to business fares include U/H/Q the lowest eligible economy fares. G&E the two top premium economy fares and Y/B/M the most expensive economy fares. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24219165-post205.html)While UA has not changed their T&Cs, LH appears to have expanded the potential fare classes
... Just check the tables here: https://www.miles-and-more.com/onlin...l=en&cid=18002
.
From April to September 2018 it was possible to confirm and waitlist P,Z-class LH flights with a PlusPoints. Confirming and waitlisting is no now longer possible, but previously waitlisted segments will continue to clear as/if available.
Checking for Upgrade Availability
Upgrades to E, C and F come from the R, I and O fare bucket, but its a subset, which theoretically is not the same as the award subset. If awards are available it is a strong indication the upgrade is available too. (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24861289-post342.html)
In case of upgrade clearing but eticket refresh problems:
Originally Posted by oliver2002
Both longhaul LH segments cleared into I after being on waitlist. The first didnt get stickered, so the DCS (amadeus altea) rejected online and agent checkin. The eticket helpdesk had to manually update the first coupon for the DCS to accept the coupon. My seat in C was safe, since the PNR was updated correctly, just the ticket was not updated completely to the satisfaction of the DCS. Everyone looking at the booking agreed the upgrade was legit, so you will not be denied boarding or downgraded, just budget enough time
Originally Posted by oliver2002
The LH GA must have called the eticket helpdesk and pointed out the * SSR remark in your reservation that shows an upgrade was applied and the e-ticket just needed a fix/sticker. See my experience above.
To check if C/F upgrades may open up, ask in this thread: Determining LH Y/C/F loads? [the help me guesstimate loads thread]
Regarding ticket stock, Oliver reports:
Each LH flight segment requires a separate set of PlusPoints
A single set of PlusPoints can be used to only upgrade a single LH flight segment, And that PlusPoints cannot be extended to include another LH flight segment or another UA flight segment.
Problems getting mileage credit for upgraded LH segments
Numerous reports of denial of mileage credits (RDMs, PQMs, PQSs, PQDs) for upgraded tickets. This issue is probably due to LH uses the same fare bucket for mileage awards and upgrades. It seems patience, persistence, and documentation of the originally paid fare are needed to get credit.
You probably won't get credit by simply submitting the online form or asking a CSR to do so for you. A CSR needs to submit a System Issue Form, together with the mileage request, explaining that you flew in I class, but you paid for a mileage-earning booking class.
T-10
While the original system did not allow the upgrade waitlist to carry on past t-10 hours, the have been multiple reports that this is no longer the case. If not cleared in advance - the upgrade wait-list will last all the way until the door closing. UA has not updated the text on the LH upgrades to reflect this change.
Premium Eco To Biz Upgrade
Related Thread
How to upgrade with UA miles on Star Alliance carriers
LH Electronic PlusPts Upgrades -How to use, will it clear?, issues w/flight credit,..
#286
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,189
Long time 1K member. Purchased a LH ticket marketed by United in Q fare class. As I have done several times called mileaegeplus to convert the ticket from codeshare to LH to apply pluspoints. However, both representative and supervisor refused. They claimed that since Q fare class is not available on LH anymore for this flight they cannot convert the ticket and so I cannot apply PP for the upgrade. Never heard this before, thought that if I purchased LH in Q its United's responsibility to convert the ticket regardless of coach availability on LH. I understand that the upgrade is subject to LH availability, but the ablity to *request* the upgrade should not be subject if I purchased a Q fare, no? At least that is how I read what UA website says.
#287
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: UA- 1K, DL-DM, AA-G, BON-T
Posts: 336
So I had a similar issue when I tried to change a flight from UA to LH (I was on a United metal flight and wanted a LH metal flight). The agent said they couldn’t sell me a Q fare because when she goes to change to LH it doesn’t exist so no UA Q fare as well. She said if I wanted an upgrade LH fare the cost would be $1023. Got off the phone went to UA website, it offered me the LH flight in Q with UA code (using the tool that lets you select which fare you want) - cost $25. Then called in and said please change UA code to LH code. Boom done. PP on LH cleared the next day (5 days before flight). That all said, I hated LH’s J class - wow those seats have the smallest footwell I have every sat in and zero privacy and my neighbors legs were all on me (sat in the middle section of J). That said J is better than Y so I’ll take the win.
#288
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,966
As many have told you before, FRA-WDH is not a LH flight and therefore is obviously not eligible for +P upgrades. Not sure why this keeps getting posted ... LX, OS, SN etc. flights are not eligible either.
#289
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA PP, UA 1K/MM, WoH Globalist, HH Gold
Posts: 1,194
Per OMAAT, EF can’t do alerts for Star Alliance + Virgin Australia + Vistara upgrades and awards any more:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/expe...-availability/
https://onemileatatime.com/news/expe...-availability/
#290
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,966
Per OMAAT, EF can’t do alerts for Star Alliance + Virgin Australia + Vistara upgrades and awards any more:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/expe...-availability/
https://onemileatatime.com/news/expe...-availability/
#291
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: AA PP, UA 1K/MM, WoH Globalist, HH Gold
Posts: 1,194
#292
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 31,966
You could never get that from EF in the first place; LH upgrade inventory for +Ps has never been viewable on EF. The post referred to the ability to search for available Q-class.
#293
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,128
A friend was so kind to sponsor my upgrade from PE (E) to Business (I) with PP for my flight to DFW tomorrow. Request went into waitlist in May, was transferred to the DCS at T-72h and cleared at T-36h. Since I had not checked in, the original segment was swapped with the WL segment and and went from HL to KL. Was able to pick a new seat from MMB and checkin without issues. Lets see if all goes well for my return from DEN on Sunday.
#294
Join Date: May 2014
Programs: UA 1K, AA Gold, DL Silver
Posts: 410
Cheapest LH fare class for PP upgrade?
I booked a codeshare flight (UA marketed, LH operated) in Q class. I called to have it switched to a true LH number so I can request upgrade with PP, and the rep said I needed to pay a few hundred dollars for the lowest upgradable LH fare class. I believe some of the UA fare classes might not match up to LH ones... does anyone have fare class equivalents so I can get this right?
#295
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: DCA
Programs: UA 1K; *G and *A Top 1000; HHonors Diamond; *$ Gold; Global Entry
Posts: 2,269
I booked a codeshare flight (UA marketed, LH operated) in Q class. I called to have it switched to a true LH number so I can request upgrade with PP, and the rep said I needed to pay a few hundred dollars for the lowest upgradable LH fare class. I believe some of the UA fare classes might not match up to LH ones... does anyone have fare class equivalents so I can get this right?
#298
Join Date: Jun 2023
Location: ZRH
Programs: UA: 1K
Posts: 18
PP Upgrade showing availability wrong class?
Hi all,
I want to apply plus Points on my FRA - EWR leg, currently booked in D.
when applying plus point upgrade i get the below:
“business cabin upgrade”
am I right in assuming the system believes me to be in Y?
Has anyone encountered this before?
Or would it show this even for a first class upgrade?
thanks everyone
I want to apply plus Points on my FRA - EWR leg, currently booked in D.
when applying plus point upgrade i get the below:
“business cabin upgrade”
am I right in assuming the system believes me to be in Y?
Has anyone encountered this before?
Or would it show this even for a first class upgrade?
thanks everyone
#299
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Anywhere but home
Programs: UA 1K/MM, DL GM/MM, AA Gold, HH Dia, PC Plat, ALL Sil, MR Gold
Posts: 4,550
It is confusing but here they mean you are trying to upgrade from business class. Not a problem.