Feb 12, 2019, 1:21 am
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)
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:
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 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
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
For C->F upgrade, J, D, C fares are eligible, Z and P fares are not. ... Just check the tables here: https://www.miles-and-more.com/onlin...l=en&cid=18002
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
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.
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 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
Lufthansa GPUs Go Electronic {Archive}
May 20, 2019, 7:18 pm
#1936
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,211
One of my friends ( Friend A ) has succeeded to use a GPU for another friend ( Friend B ) on a LH flight, early May. However, the flight was marketed and operated by Lufthansa ( respectively under the LH code ). The ticket is a 220- ticket. Friend B is now on the waitlist for an upgrade and we hope his upgrade would clear soon.
Btw, Friend A used the United website to request this upgrade and Friend B was placed to the waitlist in Friend A's first attempt to fill out the necessary form.
Btw, Friend A used the United website to request this upgrade and Friend B was placed to the waitlist in Friend A's first attempt to fill out the necessary form.
May 20, 2019, 7:37 pm
#1937
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Mileage Plus, SPG
Posts: 14
One of my friends ( Friend A ) has succeeded to use a GPU for another friend ( Friend B ) on a LH flight, early May. However, the flight was marketed and operated by Lufthansa ( respectively under the LH code ). The ticket is a 220- ticket. Friend B is now on the waitlist for an upgrade and we hope his upgrade would clear soon.
Btw, Friend A used the United website to request this upgrade and Friend B was placed to the waitlist in Friend A's first attempt to fill out the necessary form.
Btw, Friend A used the United website to request this upgrade and Friend B was placed to the waitlist in Friend A's first attempt to fill out the necessary form.
May 20, 2019, 7:41 pm
#1938
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Australia
Programs: LHSen UA1K VAGold QFSilv HHon Diamond ShangrilaJade Radisson Gold SPG Gold Marriott Gold Hertz Presi
Posts: 1,049
I have been trying to request an LH upgrade using a GPU on United's website since Friday. I repeatedly get error code 118. I've spoken with multiple 1K agents and have been sent twice to web support. Web support's solution is to tell me to try different browsers and clear cookies. I've done so for Chrome, Safari and Explorer, all yielding the same error code 118. The 1K agents have told me that they are getting a lot of calls about this problem but there's no fix. I asked to speak with a web support supervisor who told me that there has been an ongoing problem since April 12 (!). The 1K agents said that their complaints started when UAL upgraded their online GPU request system on Friday (May 17) night. I'm frustrated as the UA people tell me that there is no other way to request an upgrade but through the (non-functional) UA website.
Is anybody having *success* in even applying for an LH upgrade now using UA's website? And, if so, please generally describe what you are doing that makes it work. I've got the LH record locator number, the flight is booked under an LH number, and the fare is in D class, which the UA website says is upgradeable with a GPU (but the LH website says is not.)
Is anybody having *success* in even applying for an LH upgrade now using UA's website? And, if so, please generally describe what you are doing that makes it work. I've got the LH record locator number, the flight is booked under an LH number, and the fare is in D class, which the UA website says is upgradeable with a GPU (but the LH website says is not.)
Last edited by cbourl; May 20, 2019 at 9:32 pm Reason: addition
May 21, 2019, 12:26 am
#1939
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Canada, USA, Europe
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 31,452
It’s a software bug that has been in place for at least two months.
May 21, 2019, 1:36 am
#1940
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: JAX
Programs: United Lifetime 1K, Global Service, Marriott LTTE, Hyatt GLobalist, AA MM,Hertz PC, Global Entry
Posts: 110
Update, My Fra to JNB still shows me in economy, but when I go to upgrade it says I am already upgraded.
Makes no sense to me at all. Guess I have to wait and see what happens
Makes no sense to me at all. Guess I have to wait and see what happens
May 21, 2019, 6:22 am
#1941
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Mileage Plus, SPG
Posts: 14
United seems in no rush to fix that software bug. Anybody have suggestions on a workaround for getting the request for a GPU put in with Lufthansa? A couple of times I got a 999 error code that told me to call Lufthansa. As expected that was a waste of time, with the added bonus that I couldn't understand half of what the person in Manila was saying. There seems to be no person at United to whom to elevate this.
May 21, 2019, 7:42 am
#1942
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Australia
Programs: LHSen UA1K VAGold QFSilv HHon Diamond ShangrilaJade Radisson Gold SPG Gold Marriott Gold Hertz Presi
Posts: 1,049
United.com web support tell me there is a problem with United communicating with LH hence error code 118 Has been happening since last Friday
Told to call back United.com support when LH Support desk is open - these agents after 8am CST have no idea of any LH support desk - first agent just said keep trying and didnt even know what a GPU was She said just said keep trying and when she kep saying a different error code from the one I'd told her i questioned this and she hung up on me! How professsional
Now on another call to United.com and this agent is helping by calling LH to endorse this GPU Im crossing my fingers otherwise Ill have to upgrade with milesandMore Miles since I used my last 2 M+M Evouchers to upgrade an LX longhaul to F
Interestingly I applied 2 GPUS this evening for a friend on an entirely United itinerary -Globals were deducted and one long haulsegment waitlisted, other longhaul sector confirned- however looking at reservation afterwards showed one segment still in economy and other segment with waitlist for upgrade, both domestic sectors each way were both upgraded - had to call the 1K desk who had to manually fix it up with united.com
Told to call back United.com support when LH Support desk is open - these agents after 8am CST have no idea of any LH support desk - first agent just said keep trying and didnt even know what a GPU was She said just said keep trying and when she kep saying a different error code from the one I'd told her i questioned this and she hung up on me! How professsional
Now on another call to United.com and this agent is helping by calling LH to endorse this GPU Im crossing my fingers otherwise Ill have to upgrade with milesandMore Miles since I used my last 2 M+M Evouchers to upgrade an LX longhaul to F
Interestingly I applied 2 GPUS this evening for a friend on an entirely United itinerary -Globals were deducted and one long haulsegment waitlisted, other longhaul sector confirned- however looking at reservation afterwards showed one segment still in economy and other segment with waitlist for upgrade, both domestic sectors each way were both upgraded - had to call the 1K desk who had to manually fix it up with united.com
May 21, 2019, 11:59 am
#1943
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Mileage Plus, SPG
Posts: 14
I spoke with a supervisor at the 1K desk. United knows about this problem with GPUs. It is a software glitch in the new system they implemented on Friday night for holding all upgrade e-certificates. There is nothing that the 1K desk can do about it. She told me to just keep trying daily to test whether the bug had been fixed. Then she tried to sell me on the new Chase United Visa card. As if to pour salt on the wound.
May 21, 2019, 2:21 pm
#1944
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Australia
Programs: LHSen UA1K VAGold QFSilv HHon Diamond ShangrilaJade Radisson Gold SPG Gold Marriott Gold Hertz Presi
Posts: 1,049
United seems in no rush to fix that software bug. Anybody have suggestions on a workaround for getting the request for a GPU put in with Lufthansa? A couple of times I got a 999 error code that told me to call Lufthansa. As expected that was a waste of time, with the added bonus that I couldn't understand half of what the person in Manila was saying. There seems to be no person at United to whom to elevate this.
I've voice dmy thoughts about LH call centre on LH forum - pretty clueless, even about selling their own LH products and fare rules as well
May 21, 2019, 5:46 pm
#1945
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Mileage Plus, SPG
Posts: 14
United customer support emailed that reservation agents were emailed:"When submit form to upgrade LH flight using GPU customers are receiving error code 118. Currently there is no workaround however technology has been notified and working on a resolution.Thanks, ecommerce Operations Team"
I reached out to United on Twitter and had a long series of messages. The upshot was:
"our Web Support Team has advised me that the error you are receiving is one of the known errors with the current upgrade request system. They have advised to shut down all browsers and try it again about 1-2 hours from now, as they continue to troubleshoot the issue."
2.5 hours later, after clearing history and cookies and restarting Chrome and Safari, I get the same error messages.So, still out of luck and at the mercy of United IT (or whatever firm in India that they outsource to).
May 22, 2019, 7:20 pm
#1946
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,231
Trying to upgrade a flight on 6/1. 1K line can't convert the ticket from codeshare to LH flight number because there was no space available and told me that I will need to call during LH operating hours so that they can work with LH to "open up space". I believe that this is separate from then issues that others are having with the online system, but will report back once I get to that step.
May 22, 2019, 11:06 pm
#1947
Join Date: May 2018
Programs: Mileage Plus, SPG
Posts: 14
Trying to upgrade a flight on 6/1. 1K line can't convert the ticket from codeshare to LH flight number because there was no space available and told me that I will need to call during LH operating hours so that they can work with LH to "open up space". I believe that this is separate from then issues that others are having with the online system, but will report back once I get to that step.
May 23, 2019, 9:43 am
#1948
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,231
Well, this is a new one for me... I have a U fare, currently with a UA codeshare flight number. I called in to UA to have them convert to a LH flight number so that I could apply for the upgrade using the website, and after about 20 minutes on hold was told that U was not available and that I'd have to upgrade to a higher fare class in order to have the ticket number converted. They said that LH is not willing to open up the U fare class to exchange the flight number.
And, if I try to book a dummy flight through united.com, it is showing U6...
Has anyone run into this before? What is going on???
And, if I try to book a dummy flight through united.com, it is showing U6...
Has anyone run into this before? What is going on???
Just sent a note to the twitter team to see whether they might be able to figure this one out...
Last edited by WineCountryUA; May 23, 2019 at 5:19 pm Reason: merged update / consecutive posts by same member
May 23, 2019, 11:39 am
#1949
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,498
May 23, 2019, 11:52 am
#1950
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1K (MM), DL, AA, AS, HHonors, SPG, Kimpton, Hyatt, IC PC, Marriott Titanium (LT PLT), Hertz PC
Posts: 7,231
Well, Twitter was no help (told me only Y,B could be upgraded on LH). But I did get a very helpful 1K agent on the phone who explained the issue to me. She said that the transatlantic segment is married with my intra-EU flight, and the latter does not have U available. Therefore they can’t convert the longer flight. New one for me, and kind of a bummer since I now have a non-upgradeable U fare unless space opens up intra-EU...
if if all goes well I should have around 1.5 hours on the ground in MUC tomorrow and I may ask at the LH lounge whether they have the power to un-marry or convert the flight number.
if if all goes well I should have around 1.5 hours on the ground in MUC tomorrow and I may ask at the LH lounge whether they have the power to un-marry or convert the flight number.