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Should LH return GPU with Involuntary Downgrade?

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Should LH return GPU with Involuntary Downgrade?

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Old Sep 13, 2017, 9:32 am
  #16  
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Originally Posted by athome
I stay with it. It is attempted fraud. One also can read it out of the remarks from several comments in this thread stating that "UA does not have to know that you got a compensation", ...
I hope for you that LH is not cross checking with UA. If they do the chance is quite high that they will try to get the money back and if not successful may tty to go to court. They have done it for smaller amounts than 1000€.
This doesn't pass the sniff test. Downgrade compensation -- especially under EU law -- is supposed to be a penalty for the carrier for failing to provide the service advertised. That penalty is supposed to be on top of a refund for services not rendered.

By your logic, I could pay $19,541 for an F RT AUS-FRA ticket, get downgraded to C (cost: about $4K on dates where P is available), and only get an €8000 (~$9500) refund?

That's not the way it works. OP should absolutely be able to get a refund of his GPU, on top of the downgrade compensation from LH.
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 9:32 am
  #17  
 
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Originally Posted by athome
I stay with it. It is attempted fraud. One also can read it out of the remarks from several comments in this thread stating that "UA does not have to know that you got a compensation", ...
I hope for you that LH is not cross checking with UA. If they do the chance is quite high that they will try to get the money back and if not successful may tty to go to court. They have done it for smaller amounts than 1000€.
What does UA do when it has to downgrade its customers? It returns the GPU and offers compensation.

It is not fraud for a UA customer to expect that LH do the same.
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 11:19 am
  #18  
 
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Originally Posted by sannmann
What does UA do when it has to downgrade its customers? It returns the GPU and offers compensation.

It is not fraud for a UA customer to expect that LH do the same.
LH is not UA. German / European law is not US law.
One of the principles of European law is that you cannot be compensated, when you haven't paid for.
The same logic follows this example: when - as the OP - one gets downgraded from a flight paid by miles. Booking class O in this case. LH will not reimburse the mile difference O - I and pay the 1000€ compensation.
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 12:23 pm
  #19  
 
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I agree that downgrade compensation is not in lieu of a refund. Common sense would dictate that compensation is to "right the wrong" and a refund is just an adjustment of the form of payment back to what the customer originally paid. To suggest compensation (whether mandated by law or given as a customer service gesture) is enough and a refund is not due, is inaccurate and is only half the equation.

In the case being raised by the OP, the form of payment for premium cabin is a UA GPU. Therefore, UA should return the GPU, and LH is responsible for compensation under their policies/regulations. I would say UA doesn't owe the customer compensation - just the GPU back.
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 1:28 pm
  #20  
 
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Originally Posted by athome
LH is not UA. German / European law is not US law.
One of the principles of European law is that you cannot be compensated, when you haven't paid for.
The same logic follows this example: when - as the OP - one gets downgraded from a flight paid by miles. Booking class O in this case. LH will not reimburse the mile difference O - I and pay the 1000€ compensation.
That contrasts with UA's approach toward award booking downgrades. UA provides compensation in the form of a certificate based upon the length of the flight and also repays the difference in miles between I and O.
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 5:23 pm
  #21  
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why all this discussion? Flight credits as D-class (if not, that's an easy fix), OP gets GPU back from UA (that's easy) and OP got 1k EUR from LH. All is solved. This is exactly how it should be. I am confused.
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 9:53 pm
  #22  
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Originally Posted by cfischer
why all this discussion? Flight credits as D-class (if not, that's an easy fix), OP gets GPU back from UA (that's easy) and OP got 1k EUR from LH. All is solved. This is exactly how it should be. I am confused.
So far not an easy fix to change booking code back to D Liasing wit hLH directly re this Euro1000 received and equivalent to $1534 AUD so Im happy GPU not returned but I guess it is a "free instrument"
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Old Sep 13, 2017, 9:55 pm
  #23  
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Originally Posted by sannmann
That contrasts with UA's approach toward award booking downgrades. UA provides compensation in the form of a certificate based upon the length of the flight and also repays the difference in miles between I and O.
I have a fully paid fare RTW in D class issued on LH ticket stock -downgrade to I Class (award booking) from O Class (D with GPU applied) was inappropriate and LH staff in Australia agree
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Old Sep 14, 2017, 3:59 am
  #24  
 
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Originally Posted by cbourl
I have a fully paid fare RTW in D class issued on LH ticket stock -downgrade to I Class (award booking) from O Class (D with GPU applied) was inappropriate and LH staff in Australia agree
Did you ask UA for the GPU back? Also, I'd recommend asking UA to credit you for the D class booking. You may want to provide UA with a copy of your boarding pass.
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Old Sep 14, 2017, 7:22 am
  #25  
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Originally Posted by cbourl
So far not an easy fix to change booking code back to D Liasing wit hLH directly re this Euro1000 received and equivalent to $1534 AUD so Im happy GPU not returned but I guess it is a "free instrument"
why on earth would you liaison with LH? You want UA miles you need to work with UA. If you want the GPU back, you also must work with UA.
Send a copy of the ticket and your new BP to UA and ask them to credit the purchased class 'D' and return the GPU. If this is a 016 ticket it should be trivial, if not a 016 ticket it might take an special request from UA to LH.
Stop asking LH for things ... if you want UA items then you must work with UA.
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 2:23 pm
  #26  
 
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I wonder if the OP ever got his GPU back from United...
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 2:41 pm
  #27  
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Originally Posted by sannmann
I wonder if the OP ever got his GPU back from United...
No never did United offered to help me get it back but decided it wasn't worth it -1000 Euros is enough compensation and Im unlikely to use my last Global before it expires
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 2:46 pm
  #28  
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Originally Posted by cbourl
No never did United offered to help me get it back ...
And how would UA Know what happened?

Clearly, it was your choice / decision not to report but unclear how UA would have known about this downgrade unless you or LH reported it.
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 2:56 pm
  #29  
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
And how would UA Know what happened?

Clearly, it was your choice / decision not to report but unclear how UA would have known about this downgrade unless you or LH reported it.
I reported it UA said they would try and get it back but I decided not to follow through with return
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Old Sep 20, 2017, 3:08 pm
  #30  
 
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Originally Posted by cbourl
I reported it UA said they would try and get it back but I decided not to follow through with return
Look, this really isn’t that hard. Shoot a note to 1K Voice explaining what happened. You should get the upgrade instrument reinstated in your account in a day or two.
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