Old Feb 12, 2019, 1:21 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is the archive thread, the active thread is Lufthansa GPUs Go Electronic (How to use, will it clear?, issues w/flight credit,...)

For general information on upgrading ANA or Lufthansa flights with a GPU, see Upgrading Flights Operated by ANA or Lufthansa. You actually request the upgrade through the online form, here: Request a GPU for a Select Partner Airline.

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 a GPU

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
Originally Posted by oliver2002
For C->F upgrade, J, D, C fares are eligible, Z and P fares are not.
Originally Posted by andywaw
Effective April 20th, 2018, all Lufthansa revenue Business Class fares, including P and Z, are eligible to be upgraded to First Class using miles or eVouchers. ...
LH booking class P, Z upgreadable for miles and eVouchers
Appears this also applies to use of UA GPUs IF booked as native flight number on LH or UA ticket stock.
Presently UA is not converting codeshare to native flight numbers, as required for this process, if P or Z fare
From April to September 2018 it was possible to confirm and waitlist P ,Z-class LH flights with a GPU. 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 N, 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.
Checking for availability prior to calling
Originally Posted by oliver2002
Upgrades to E, C and F come from the N, 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.
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:
Originally Posted by oliver2002
Any ticket stock will do.
Each LH flight segment requires a separate GPU
A single GPU can be used to only upgrade a single LH flight segment, And that GPU 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 GPU upgrades to reflect this change.

Archive Thread: Lufthansa GPUs Go Electronic {Archive}

Related Thread
How to upgrade with UA miles on Star Alliance carriers
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Lufthansa GPUs Go Electronic {Archive}

Old Feb 19, 2018, 9:33 pm
  #1276  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
they codeshare on all TATL routes. JFK/EWR/BOS as well.
Guess I've just been lucky getting LX38/39 booked as native LX flight number.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 2:38 pm
  #1277  
 
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To use a GPU, do I have to buy the ticket through UA.com, or can I go to LH's website?
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 2:39 pm
  #1278  
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Originally Posted by dimramon
To use a GPU, do I have to buy the ticket through UA.com, or can I go to LH's website?
You can buy it through LH. It has to be a Q fare or higher.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 3:03 pm
  #1279  
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Originally Posted by Rumples
7 days out now, and still showing 11 seats open in Business. Fingers crossed for LAX - MUC on the flying pencil
wish you luck today. Not looking too bad right now with J3 and G1.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 4:50 pm
  #1280  
 
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Originally Posted by cfischer
wish you luck today. Not looking too bad right now with J3 and G1.
hey! thank you! im sitting in the star alliance lounge right now on pins and needles.

I was hoping that more space would open up, but the agent at the counter said that they oversold in Prem. Economy...I don't know if that means that they will bump them up to Business?

LH wouldn't tell me where I am on the list, and they are very closed lipped on anything regarding my upgrade. I checked in and they said that I would have to wait until I get to the gate.

We will see!

Appreciate the well wishes.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 5:37 pm
  #1281  
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Originally Posted by Rumples
hey! thank you! im sitting in the star alliance lounge right now on pins and needles.

I was hoping that more space would open up, but the agent at the counter said that they oversold in Prem. Economy...I don't know if that means that they will bump them up to Business?

LH wouldn't tell me where I am on the list, and they are very closed lipped on anything regarding my upgrade. I checked in and they said that I would have to wait until I get to the gate.

We will see!

Appreciate the well wishes.
That is very strange/impossible. G2J1 now ... can't really be oversold in PE (anymore at least). Hope you'll make it. It is a long flight to be sitting in coach
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 5:41 pm
  #1282  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
That is very strange/impossible. G2J1 now ... can't really be oversold in PE (anymore at least).
Nope. But I would take what the agents say on these subjects with a grain of salt.
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 5:56 pm
  #1283  
 
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Originally Posted by Kacee
Nope. But I would take what the agents say on these subjects with a grain of salt.
I made it!! 14h seat! Didnt know what they meant by oversold but still very happy. 11 hours is a long time
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Old Feb 24, 2018, 6:26 pm
  #1284  
 
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Originally Posted by cfischer
That is very strange/impossible. G2J1 now ... can't really be oversold in PE (anymore at least). Hope you'll make it. It is a long flight to be sitting in coach
thank you for well wishes. Im sitting in business and very happy.

Have a great weekend
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Old Feb 27, 2018, 6:40 pm
  #1285  
 
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Had anyone apply GPU on the P fare to LH first class on UA website?
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Old Feb 27, 2018, 6:53 pm
  #1286  
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P fares are not GPU eligible.
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Old Mar 19, 2018, 12:20 pm
  #1287  
 
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Just booked FRA-ORD and ORD-FRA in D class so put in first requests. Cairo is cheap for business so hope this works out.
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Old Mar 19, 2018, 5:01 pm
  #1288  
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Originally Posted by schley
Just booked FRA-ORD and ORD-FRA in D class so put in first requests. Cairo is cheap for business so hope this works out.
I have found ORD to be an easy upgrade from C to F on LH.
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Old Mar 22, 2018, 9:21 pm
  #1289  
 
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When do waitlists from C->F (O space) clear? I'm right around T-36h, still waiting. One seat left in F.
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Old Mar 23, 2018, 2:17 am
  #1290  
 
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Originally Posted by np05
One seat left in F.
On the seatmap?

In O class??

If it's the former, probably forget being upgraded...

If it's the latter, then who knows - maybe the upgrade hasn't reached the LH system yet.
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