Feb 6, 2024, 10:58 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
This is an archive thread, the active thread is How to book LH F awards? when available? issues?
How to book LH F awards? when available? issues? {Archive}
Feb 15, 2018, 9:46 am
#946
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: TX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 446
I have AUS-IAH-FRA-VCE booked in business right now. If IAH-FRA opens up in first do I also need to have availability for FRA-VCE to book it or can I keep my current flights?
Thanks
Thanks
Feb 15, 2018, 9:57 am
#947
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Probably. It's theoretically possible for an agent to hold the space, but most cannot and their default tools require availability on all segments to reissue the ticket.
Feb 15, 2018, 5:24 pm
#948
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FRA-VCE pretty much yes. AUS-IAH UA can more easily store. Default would be to have the entire itinerary available.
Mar 2, 2018, 11:49 pm
#949
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 17
I have some questions and request advice.
Hey guys first time poster here, I like to come on this website from time to time to read up on flying tips. I would like some advice on a trip I’m about to take. I don’t have any status but I do want to pay using my MileagePlus miles
I plan to fly san-ewr and pay with cash, and then a couple of days later fly ewr-muc with my brother. I plan on getting a business award ticket and my brother is paying for RT PE tickets directly from LH so we’ll be on the same flights.
On the return I want to fly out of fra and spend a few more days in ewr before going back to san. I want to get a LH FC award but the thing is all I’m seeing is business class. If I search fra-san then I see FC award ticket availability fra-ewr with a layover in ewr.
So my questions are, if I call would I be able to get a non stop LH FC award ticket fra-ewr? If not could I be able to sdc if I do the fra-ewr-san? since the flight from ewr-san would be on UA metal. And if all that isn’t possible couldn’t I just buy the award ticket fra-ewr-san and just not take the ewr-san leg and just buy another ticket ewr-san a couple of days later with cash? Or is that not considered ethical? and would that come with repercussions?
I hope my questions are clear enough, I know I don’t have specific flight dates yet but with LH not opening FC availability until T-14 days, I’ll have to wait until I get closer to my planned flight days. Thank you for reading this and answering my questions and giving me any advice that I may have missed.
I plan to fly san-ewr and pay with cash, and then a couple of days later fly ewr-muc with my brother. I plan on getting a business award ticket and my brother is paying for RT PE tickets directly from LH so we’ll be on the same flights.
On the return I want to fly out of fra and spend a few more days in ewr before going back to san. I want to get a LH FC award but the thing is all I’m seeing is business class. If I search fra-san then I see FC award ticket availability fra-ewr with a layover in ewr.
So my questions are, if I call would I be able to get a non stop LH FC award ticket fra-ewr? If not could I be able to sdc if I do the fra-ewr-san? since the flight from ewr-san would be on UA metal. And if all that isn’t possible couldn’t I just buy the award ticket fra-ewr-san and just not take the ewr-san leg and just buy another ticket ewr-san a couple of days later with cash? Or is that not considered ethical? and would that come with repercussions?
I hope my questions are clear enough, I know I don’t have specific flight dates yet but with LH not opening FC availability until T-14 days, I’ll have to wait until I get closer to my planned flight days. Thank you for reading this and answering my questions and giving me any advice that I may have missed.
Mar 3, 2018, 12:21 am
#950
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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Posts: 66,850
Welcome to FT!, Jeffkitref
....
On the return I want to fly out of fra and spend a few more days in ewr before going back to san. I want to get a LH FC award but the thing is all I’m seeing is business class. If I search fra-san then I see FC award ticket availability fra-ewr with a layover in ewr. ....
How long is it before you want to travel?
It would be most unusual that LH F was really available as fra-ewr-san sooner than 10 day prior to travel, Generally, LH awards are only available 10 days or less before travel.
Dropping the last segment of an award will not create a problem.
SDCing an award is possible but can be difficult. You can only SDC when the remaining flights are all UA operated and you will need award space to be available (which is many times does not happen).
It would be most unusual that LH F was really available as fra-ewr-san sooner than 10 day prior to travel, Generally, LH awards are only available 10 days or less before travel.
Dropping the last segment of an award will not create a problem.
SDCing an award is possible but can be difficult. You can only SDC when the remaining flights are all UA operated and you will need award space to be available (which is many times does not happen).
Mar 3, 2018, 1:04 am
#951
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 17
Welcome to FT!, Jeffkitref
How long is it before you want to travel?
It would be most unusual that LH F was really available as fra-ewr-san sooner than 10 day prior to travel, Generally, LH awards are only available 10 days or less before travel.
Dropping the last segment of an award will not create a problem.
SDCing an award is possible but can be difficult. You can only SDC when the remaining flights are all UA operated and you will need award space to be available (which is many times does not happen).
How long is it before you want to travel?
It would be most unusual that LH F was really available as fra-ewr-san sooner than 10 day prior to travel, Generally, LH awards are only available 10 days or less before travel.
Dropping the last segment of an award will not create a problem.
SDCing an award is possible but can be difficult. You can only SDC when the remaining flights are all UA operated and you will need award space to be available (which is many times does not happen).
I think my best course of action would be to book about 2 days out that way I’ll be able to book the return flight as LH FC if not then I’ll book the outgoing O/W business, then I’ll wait to 2 - 3 days out again to book the return flight. What do you think? Is that a sound idea? I want to spend 3 days in ewr before going back to san and going ewr-san will be a united operated flight. Would I be able to SDC if a downgraded award was available? ie there isn’t a FC award available but there is business or economy award available. Im guessing as long as my ticket is FN I could do FN to JN to XN back to FN?
Mar 6, 2018, 9:48 am
#952
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: TX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 446
Someone booked 3 first class seats this morning on my IAH-FRA flight, leaving it at F5. The ORD-FRA flight is currently F7. I need to score two seats. From this thread, I am guessing IAH-FRA opens up one seat T-7 to T-10. Once flights get to F3 or so, do seats tend to open up last minute?
Mar 6, 2018, 11:13 am
#953
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Join Date: Apr 2013
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Sometimes.
14 days.
14 days.
Apr 2, 2018, 9:46 am
#954
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: TX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 446
Our flight is Wednesday and is currently showing F2. I has been that way for a week or so. I was hoping for at least one seat. Does LH fly with empty seats in F?
Apr 2, 2018, 9:51 am
#955
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I have seen them release down to 0 in the last 48 hours and then at the opposite end of the spectrum, not release any seats in an F7 cabin.
Some of this is route dependent but IMO, more like it not being a high priority with RM and/or they frequently forget, don't bother or don't care.
Last edited by SFO777; Apr 2, 2018 at 9:56 am
Apr 2, 2018, 9:54 am
#956
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: TX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 446
Thanks for the quick reply! That is disappointing but business class will be just fine.
Apr 3, 2018, 6:10 am
#957
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: TX
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Plat Pro
Posts: 446
I feel like I won the lottery. One seat opened up this morning and I was able to snag it. It is still F1 and I hope the other seat opens up. At least we can now use the FCT during our 4 hour layover. Thanks everyone for the help!
Apr 12, 2018, 8:24 am
#958
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 83
24 hours until my flight from Frankfurt. Availability shows F7 and they still haven't released a seat in F!?
Apr 12, 2018, 10:53 am
#959
Join Date: Jul 2015
Programs: UA Platinum, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 873
Is it just me or has LH been getting stingier with award space in F to North America? Am hoping for space to NYC around this time next month. I only have 2 possible days on which I can travel so I'm really hoping that LH F on one of the flights (2x FRA-JFK, FRA-EWR, MUC-JFK, or MUC-EWR) opens up on one of those days! Only the MUC-JFK flight has been opening up 2 weeks out, as of late. With so many flights you would think there would be at least one award seat between the two days. I've also noticed that LH seems much more reluctant to open up space on the A380.
Apr 12, 2018, 11:36 am
#960
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: UA:1k; MR: PLT; Hilton: Gold
Posts: 1,324
Is it just me or has LH been getting stingier with award space in F to North America? Am hoping for space to NYC around this time next month. I only have 2 possible days on which I can travel so I'm really hoping that LH F on one of the flights (2x FRA-JFK, FRA-EWR, MUC-JFK, or MUC-EWR) opens up on one of those days! Only the MUC-JFK flight has been opening up 2 weeks out, as of late. With so many flights you would think there would be at least one award seat between the two days. I've also noticed that LH seems much more reluctant to open up space on the A380.