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UA paid/award tickets affected by LH strikes [2015] - who to talk to? Options?

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Old Mar 22, 2015, 8:20 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Previous threads
Booked w/UA Miles on LH F - how to protect if possible LH strike causes IRROPS? (2014)

Strategy question after LH strike inconvenience (2014)

Lufthansa pilot strike....016 ticket (2014)

LH flight ticketed on UA stock--strike policy? (2012)

German air traffic control strike Mon. Feb 20(2012)

Lufthansa Pilot Strike
Airports:
•Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)
•Munich, Germany (MUC)

Original Travel Dates: March 17, 2015 – March 21, 2015

Changing to earlier or later flights is allowed.

Final Travel must be completed by: End of Validity of ticket (one year from date of issue)​​
Flight Changes:
•When rescheduled travel commences by March 23, 2015, change fees and fare differences will be waived.
•Travel may be rescheduled in any fare class, same cabin.
•For all other dates and ticket uses, the change fee will be waived, but a difference in fare may apply.
LH Forum threads
Upcoming UFO (flight attendants) strike 2015
The current LH statement on the November 2015 strike:

Lufthansa information on announced strike action by the union of Independent Flight Attendants Organisation (UFO)
Against the background of the announced strike by the Independent Flight Attendant’s Organization (UFO) on Lufthansa flights from Friday 6th of November until Friday 13th of November 2015, Lufthansa is trying to keep the effect of the strike on its customers as low as possible.

The announcement would affect flights from Lufthansa German Airlines – Flights operated by Lufthansa CityLine, Germanwings, Eurowings, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines are not affected by potential strike actions and will therefore run as planned.

At the moment no concrete strike actions are announced, hence the effect of these strike actions on flight operations cannot be estimated at this point in time. As soon as these effects are known, Lufthansa will set up a goodwill policy for all booked passengers. Passengers booked on a flight which has to be canceled due to strike actions, always have the opportunity to rebook or cancel their flight free of charge.

Lufthansa passengers, who provided Lufthansa with their mobile phone number in their customer profile, will be informed about any cancellations via SMS.
UA Waiver
LH Cabin Strike Action
Airports:
Berlin, DE (TXL)
Dusseldorf, DE (DUS)
Frankfurt, DE (FRA)
Hamburg, DE (HAM)
Munich, DE (MUC)

Original travel dates: November 6, 2015 – November 13, 2015

Flight changes: The change fee and any difference in fare will be waived for new flights departing between November 5, 2015 – November 20, 2015, as long as travel is rescheduled in the same cabin (any fare class) and between the same cities as originally ticketed.
For wholly rescheduled travel departing after November 20, 2015, through February 28, 2016, or for a change in departure or destination city, the change fee will be waived, but a difference in fare may apply. Final travel must be completed by February 28, 2016.
Extended
Possible Lufthansa Flight Attendant Strike
Airports:
Berlin, DE (TXL)
Dusseldorf, DE (DUS)
Frankfurt, DE (FRA)
Hamburg, DE (HAM)
Munich, DE (MUC)

Original travel date(s): November 26, 27 and 30, 2015​

Flight changes: Fees for same-day standby will be waived within 24 hours or original departure.

The change fee will be waived for travel rescheduled on earlier or later flights departing between November 24, 2015 and February 28, 2016 between the same cities as originally ticketed. A difference in fare may apply.

​​
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UA paid/award tickets affected by LH strikes [2015] - who to talk to? Options?

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Old Mar 18, 2015, 10:34 am
  #1  
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UA paid/award tickets affected by LH strikes [2015] - who to talk to? Options?

DW scheduled to fly tonight in LH F to Europe, flight has been canceled by LH strike. Booked via my Plat miles.

Just spent 45 minutes on the phone with a seemingly helpful Plat Line agent. Best they could find was some convoluted routing.

BA has seats in business PHL-LHR-SOF (the original destination and origin.)

Can I ask/force/push UA to put her on this flight? She cannot arrive on the 20th which is the best UA is giving her right now.
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 10:45 am
  #2  
 
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You can. UA should accomodate you on OAL in this situation. Give them a call with the flight numbers you want. You may have to push them a little bit.

The questionable part is when did the cancellation happen? If it happened before the day of travel then UA is responsible for re-accommodation. If the cancellation happened on the day of travel then the operating carrier (LH) is responsible. Regardless of who is responsible since UA owns the ticket they will probably help you but it might be worthwhile to check with LH too to see what they can do.
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 11:18 am
  #3  
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Thanks for the advice. I didn't catch the cancellation until today.

I will call UA back and see if they can/will do this. Or maybe LH will endorse over to BA.

There's also apparently an option to go on AC via YYZ on their fligth instead of LH.

Stupid LH pilots. smh
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 11:38 am
  #4  
 
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BA PHL-LHR-SOF is definitely the best option.

If the new flights must be *A, also look at departing ZFV, which opens up EWR for the TATL segment. But I'm still seeing 3 transfers--yikes! But possible to avoid LH hubs FRA/MUC.

Good luck!
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 11:57 am
  #5  
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To make sure that options aren't being missed, start by looking at what *A carriers serve SOF and from where. Then check to see whether one can get to those airports from PHL or EWR using *A but avoiding UA. Another possibility is to consider departing from IAD, although EWR is easier from Philadelphia.
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 2:04 pm
  #6  
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LH had auto-rebooked her in business from PHL-YYZ-IST-SOF. In business.

No thanks.

As much trouble as it's going to cause, I just rebooked her tomorrow on similar flights minus the Canada garbage. Assuming LH has their act together, she should be OK. I'll get her a car to EWR for tomorrow.

thank you all for the suggestions and responses.
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 3:27 pm
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Originally Posted by Cargojon
LH had auto-rebooked her in business from PHL-YYZ-IST-SOF. In business.

No thanks.

As much trouble as it's going to cause, I just rebooked her tomorrow on similar flights minus the Canada garbage. Assuming LH has their act together, she should be OK. I'll get her a car to EWR for tomorrow.

thank you all for the suggestions and responses.
They have announced another strike for Friday, short and medium-haul.
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 6:10 pm
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Best thing to do here is to get to the gateway city that has the LH F flight and ask the LH agents to reaccommodate you. At the airport, gate agents will happily rebook into other airline First. In advance, on the phone, UA agents will generally only rebook onto partner flights and only onto flights where those partners have released award inventory.
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Old Mar 18, 2015, 7:58 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by gusd
They have announced another strike for Friday, short and medium-haul.
Yeah saw that just a bit ago. I have a plan B in place for her assuming she actually gets to FRA....via OS flights. It's an additional connection but she gets in around the same time.

Originally Posted by mherdeg
Best thing to do here is to get to the gateway city that has the LH F flight and ask the LH agents to reaccommodate you. At the airport, gate agents will happily rebook into other airline First. In advance, on the phone, UA agents will generally only rebook onto partner flights and only onto flights where those partners have released award inventory.
In fairness to my agent on the Plat Line, award inventory wasn't an issue. In LH F and didn't have a problem being re-accomodated in it.
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Old Mar 22, 2015, 7:26 pm
  #10  
 
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Will UA rebook us on another carrier if LH strikes?

We are on UA flying to VCE thru FRA on the 30th, and coming back from FLR on the 7th April, again thru FRA then to SFO on UA. Our FRA- VCE /FLR-FRA is on LH. Now I read on the LH FT forum more strikes planned for Easter.

Being a worry wart, I wonder if I can change the LH legs for something else, like Swiss, now, or do I have to wait for the strike to call in and get rebooked? Can I call the 1K desk or do I have to try to reach LH?
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Old Mar 22, 2015, 7:30 pm
  #11  
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To rebook now you need UA to do it. On the day of travel LH will handle it. Unless UA has a waiver published it is unlikely you'll get a free change or see inventory limit overrides.
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Old Mar 22, 2015, 7:59 pm
  #12  
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You can do it now, with applicable change fees, if award space is available on the routing you want.
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Old Mar 23, 2015, 11:18 pm
  #13  
 
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No dice on free changes now

Have similar worries with an LHR-FRA-IAH flight booked on 3 April (convoluted, I know, but the cheapest at the time). Called United yesterday to inquire about changing free of charge to non-LH flight and was told it wasn't possible until a waiver had been issued.
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Old Nov 4, 2015, 5:01 am
  #14  
 
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Upcoming LH Strike - Changing UA Reservations

All - with the strike coming up starting this Friday I have several UA 016 tickets that will be affected next week. I have found alternative flights to nearby cities on non LH airlines - anyone had any issues / tips for calling in to UA and requesting changes?
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Old Nov 4, 2015, 6:07 am
  #15  
 
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Revenue tickets or reward tickets? Either way I would change them if I could.


SunLover
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