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}
#1576
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 129
Do you know for a fact that previously waitlisted P -> O will now not clear?
#1578
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,066
no, they will keep it waitlisted. Once it is in the system it is good to go. I have several examples where that was the case. Whether it will clear of course is a different story.
#1579
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Germany
Programs: Delta Platimum, United 1K
Posts: 64
Just become 1k today. Tried to upgrade from P and website showed fare class not eligible. So sad.
Saw that others have experienced the same thing. Oh well...
Saw that others have experienced the same thing. Oh well...
#1580
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 102
Been watching my upcoming flight in 2 weeks that was finally upgraded (Z -> O) after the system issues but before these new changes have taken effect....
Every day I log in expecting to see a downgrade but so far so good my FC reservation is still there...
Every day I log in expecting to see a downgrade but so far so good my FC reservation is still there...
#1581
What I’d like to know is if Z class is eligible for upgrade.
How do I pull back a GPU, does anyone know? I have a confirmed Z upgrade now but I will pull back a GPU and attempt to reapply to see if it goes through or not.
#1582
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,066
Z-class is not eligible. If you want to cancel a GPU you will have to call Lufthansa to cancel it. Once cancelled you can re-apply it, but Z is not eligible. I am not sure what you are trying to do here.
#1583
I know it’s not _officially_ eligible but I’m curious if they fixed it when they made sure P no longer works, or if it’s still slipping through the cracks.
#1584
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: LAX
Posts: 10,911
I have one P waitlisted for this week - online it shows "Business, First Restricted (P)"... i think in the past it was showing "waitlisted" but i may be wrong.. and it went from f2 to f0 over the last 24 hrs anyways.. bummer
#1585
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,066
#1586
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat, 6C AMB, HH Silver
Posts: 238
Hello All,
Some newbie help please... if my GPU is waitlisted on LH, J to F, at within T-24, should I go ahead a check-in and hope that I can still snag one of the open seats? or do I wait and see if the upgrade clears (ever the optimist). Does checking-in make a difference?
Thanks,
FF
Some newbie help please... if my GPU is waitlisted on LH, J to F, at within T-24, should I go ahead a check-in and hope that I can still snag one of the open seats? or do I wait and see if the upgrade clears (ever the optimist). Does checking-in make a difference?
Thanks,
FF
#1587
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Portland OR & Bangkok
Programs: United GS, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 662
Hello All,
Some newbie help please... if my GPU is waitlisted on LH, J to F, at within T-24, should I go ahead a check-in and hope that I can still snag one of the open seats? or do I wait and see if the upgrade clears (ever the optimist). Does checking-in make a difference?
Thanks,
FF
Some newbie help please... if my GPU is waitlisted on LH, J to F, at within T-24, should I go ahead a check-in and hope that I can still snag one of the open seats? or do I wait and see if the upgrade clears (ever the optimist). Does checking-in make a difference?
Thanks,
FF
3 out of 3 times the upgrades were cleared at the check in counter - didn't have to wait at the gate!
So I came to a personal conclusion that it is better to just go to the airport early when the upgrade hasn't cleared prior to T-24
#1588
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat, 6C AMB, HH Silver
Posts: 238
Thanks! I live 5 minutes from the airport... so I would be easy to pop over a few hours early... thanks! I'll hold off.
#1589
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: FRA ✈️ SFO
Posts: 68
And they did! Just cleared my P -> O upgrade waitlisted on a GPU. The upgrade cleared at 11:14am for today's flight at 3pm. That's approx. T-4h. FWIW, I waitlisted the flight weeks ago when it was possible. This was a very affordable P fare (FRA-SFO-FRA roundtrip about 2.2k EUR). I spent LH Miles&More miles to upgrade FRA-SFO and a GPU to upgrade SFO-FRA. Ticket was issued by LH (220*).
#1590
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Programs: UA 1K, AA Plat, 6C AMB, HH Silver
Posts: 238
Hello All,
Some newbie help please... if my GPU is waitlisted on LH, J to F, at within T-24, should I go ahead a check-in and hope that I can still snag one of the open seats? or do I wait and see if the upgrade clears (ever the optimist). Does checking-in make a difference?
Thanks,
FF
Some newbie help please... if my GPU is waitlisted on LH, J to F, at within T-24, should I go ahead a check-in and hope that I can still snag one of the open seats? or do I wait and see if the upgrade clears (ever the optimist). Does checking-in make a difference?
Thanks,
FF
First leg cleared at checkin, after a bit of an issue with my passport, oddly enough. They had to “force the upgrade to issue a boarding pass”. I’ll take it. Second, was when I’m sitting in the lounge... name is called... “document check”. Agent asks if I have my boarding pass for FRA-JNB. I say... no... waiting for my upgrade to clear. A few clicks and boarding pass issued!!! A very happy traveler!!
Cheers all.
FF