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}
Oct 28, 2018, 4:00 pm
#1636
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,088
Does not change when you add the CPH segment. Sorry to say it, but you should have changed to LH code right at booking. What you can do is wait and set an alert for Q-class to become available, the Y9B8 does not look promising however.
IMO there is nothing UA can do here; they won't pay LH for an M-class when you have a Q-class ticket and LH won't let them ticket in Q-class when there is no inventory.
Oct 28, 2018, 4:26 pm
#1637
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: United
Posts: 15
F4 is 50% sold. While at times they may clear UGs with that kind of inventory, most of the time they will not. A lot of C/F tickets get bought last minute and while F4 may look comfortable ... it is not. My A fare FRA-BOS which I bought 10 weeks ago was at F8A8 ... now the flight is F1! And it is 10 days to go.
You can absolutely clear BOS-FRA in advance; I cleared one for January already ... but the flight was F7A6.
You can absolutely clear BOS-FRA in advance; I cleared one for January already ... but the flight was F7A6.
On a related topic, in the past week or so, when using expert mode I cannot see any F inventory anywhere on LH flights.
It's not that it shows F0/A0 it just doesn't show any F/A information.
Is there some problem with their system.
Oct 28, 2018, 4:42 pm
#1638
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1,141
F4/A4 means they're willing to sell 4 seats in A booking class and 4 in F booking class. The numbers don't add up to a total — if they sell 1 F seat, it'll go down to F3/A3.
Given that all LH planes (with F) have 8 F seats, F4/A4 means that half of the seats are sold (or excluded for sale for any reason).
Given that all LH planes (with F) have 8 F seats, F4/A4 means that half of the seats are sold (or excluded for sale for any reason).
Oct 28, 2018, 5:40 pm
#1639
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
Nowhere in the GPU rules does it mention anything about changing flight numbers requiring inventory, and for good reason; it would be an asinine prohibition. What are you supposed to do if the flight in question is at Q1 when buy your ticket — or if the UA code has Q > 0 but the LH code doesn’t?
OP: HUCA. If necessary, refer to the GPU rules. Be polite, so as not to get any negative comments into the PNR, but don’t give up. As someone suggested, this is actually one of the few cases where I’d consider escalating, especially if I got a few unhelpful responses in a row.
It’s always possible for inventory on a codeshare to be different than inventory on the native flight number, which is why I say that you never actually did see it. There may have been 6 or 8 F seats available on the flight, but UA might have been authorized to sell only four.
You can look at th LH inventory through a paid tool like ExpertFlyer or KVS, or you can do it the painful (but free) way — try a booking on the LH site (or matrix.itasoftware.com) for 8 passengers, then 7, then 6, etc.
Oct 28, 2018, 7:41 pm
#1640
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,088
While that’s the same thing that UA is claiming, it’s bunk. UA can absolutely reticket this under the native flight number, despite the lack of inventory. They have a procedure in place for exactly this. They can force the inventory (it’s called a long sell) and, if necessary, get their LH liaison to allow the reticketing.
Nowhere in the GPU rules does it mention anything about changing flight numbers requiring inventory, and for good reason; it would be an asinine prohibition. What are you supposed to do if the flight in question is at Q1 when buy your ticket — or if the UA code has Q > 0 but the LH code doesn’t?
OP: HUCA. If necessary, refer to the GPU rules. Be polite, so as not to get any negative comments into the PNR, but don’t give up. As someone suggested, this is actually one of the few cases where I’d consider escalating, especially if I got a few unhelpful responses in a row.
The OP bought this ticket a long time ago; flights don't go from Q to M within hours.
Oct 28, 2018, 8:21 pm
#1641
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
I haven’t personally had this happen, but I remember examples from the board. As I recall, the general take is that it’s easier when LH has open inventory in the same fare class, but that isn’t a requirement (nor should it be).
Likely true, but it wouldn’t have to go from Q to M to cause this problem. Even a one-category increase would do the trick.
Oct 28, 2018, 8:38 pm
#1642
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,088
If you buy a ticket and right away change it to native flight numbers ... it is pretty much not an issue. So that is SOP that one should follow.
Can it be done. Sure it can be done ... but it is not SOP and I don't have any knowledge that this has worked in the past. In my experience, positive inventory available ... no problem. Otherwise ... YMMV.
Oct 29, 2018, 3:50 am
#1643
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: United MileagePlus
Posts: 69
Counterexample. On UA to boot. You upgrade with an RPU ... and you want to reverse it. Not possible unless the original fare class is available. And yes, UA could do this, but they won't! And the reason is obvious, this is a voluntary change ... like changing from UA to LH code ... it requires inventory to be available.
If you buy a ticket and right away change it to native flight numbers ... it is pretty much not an issue. So that is SOP that one should follow.
Can it be done. Sure it can be done ... but it is not SOP and I don't have any knowledge that this has worked in the past. In my experience, positive inventory available ... no problem. Otherwise ... YMMV.
If you buy a ticket and right away change it to native flight numbers ... it is pretty much not an issue. So that is SOP that one should follow.
Can it be done. Sure it can be done ... but it is not SOP and I don't have any knowledge that this has worked in the past. In my experience, positive inventory available ... no problem. Otherwise ... YMMV.
Oct 29, 2018, 7:34 am
#1644
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: United
Posts: 15
You never did, at least on routes to/from the US. What you saw was F inventory on the UA codeshare. UA retired the F and A fare buckets last week as part of the preparation for selling Premium Economy; thus, no more UA codeshares on LH flights in first class.
It’s always possible for inventory on a codeshare to be different than inventory on the native flight number, which is why I say that you never actually did see it. There may have been 6 or 8 F seats available on the flight, but UA might have been authorized to sell only four.
You can look at th LH inventory through a paid tool like ExpertFlyer or KVS, or you can do it the painful (but free) way — try a booking on the LH site (or matrix.itasoftware.com) for 8 passengers, then 7, then 6, etc.
About the first remark: well, at least it supplied a lower bound on the number of open sits.
About the third remark: Nice! LH website allows to make a booking for up to 6 persons. It shows that there are 6 F sits available for my flight. Hopefully this will suffice.
Oct 29, 2018, 8:45 am
#1645
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: AS 75K; UA 1MM; Hyatt Globalist; Marriott LTP; Hilton Diamond (Aspire)
Posts: 56,470
That is absolutely false. UA can make an exception and put you back in your original fare class, even if they're not selling that inventory. I've done it more than once.
Oct 29, 2018, 11:23 am
#1646
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,417
About the first remark: does this change have any effect on using GPU's on LH?
About the first remark: well, at least it supplied a lower bound on the number of open sits.
About the third remark: Nice! LH website allows to make a booking for up to 6 persons. It shows that there are 6 F sits available for my flight. Hopefully this will suffice.
About the first remark: well, at least it supplied a lower bound on the number of open sits.
About the third remark: Nice! LH website allows to make a booking for up to 6 persons. It shows that there are 6 F sits available for my flight. Hopefully this will suffice.
F6 is a much better scenario than F4 this far out. ^ Fingers crossed...
Oct 30, 2018, 1:06 pm
#1647
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,088
Is that really the point here though?
Nov 5, 2018, 4:24 am
#1648
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: UA 1K MM,Marriott platinum,ihg spire
Posts: 146
GPU not returned after failed upgrade
Hi,
Flew LH 772 (FRA - BKK) on october 28 , was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Flew LH 773 (BKK-FRA) on november 3, was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Ticket was on 220 stock.
Are GPU not automatically returned when the upgrade fails ?
Send email to 1Kvoice, but no reply yet.
Flew LH 772 (FRA - BKK) on october 28 , was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Flew LH 773 (BKK-FRA) on november 3, was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Ticket was on 220 stock.
Are GPU not automatically returned when the upgrade fails ?
Send email to 1Kvoice, but no reply yet.
Nov 5, 2018, 4:42 am
#1649
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Hi,
Flew LH 772 (FRA - BKK) on october 28 , was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Flew LH 773 (BKK-FRA) on november 3, was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Ticket was on 220 stock.
Are GPU not automatically returned when the upgrade fails ?
Send email to 1Kvoice, but no reply yet.
Flew LH 772 (FRA - BKK) on october 28 , was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Flew LH 773 (BKK-FRA) on november 3, was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Ticket was on 220 stock.
Are GPU not automatically returned when the upgrade fails ?
Send email to 1Kvoice, but no reply yet.
Nov 5, 2018, 9:21 am
#1650
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,088
Hi,
Flew LH 772 (FRA - BKK) on october 28 , was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Flew LH 773 (BKK-FRA) on november 3, was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Ticket was on 220 stock.
Are GPU not automatically returned when the upgrade fails ?
Send email to 1Kvoice, but no reply yet.
Flew LH 772 (FRA - BKK) on october 28 , was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Flew LH 773 (BKK-FRA) on november 3, was booked in E class. Upgrade did not clear. GPU still not returned to my account
Ticket was on 220 stock.
Are GPU not automatically returned when the upgrade fails ?
Send email to 1Kvoice, but no reply yet.