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}
Dec 12, 2014, 5:37 am
#76
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,166
My only feedback to UA on this is to try to find a way to eliminate the "10 Hours before departure" waitlist expiration. Most folks will be checked in by then via online checkin. If you are on the waitlist before checkin, why not allow this to carry over to the gate?
Dec 12, 2014, 6:52 am
#77
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,694
Able to use paper cert yesterday no problem, they even upgraded the domestic connection to FRA 
Dec 12, 2014, 7:49 am
#78
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, Marriott Tit
Posts: 18,231
Dec 12, 2014, 7:53 am
#79
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Houston
Programs: UA GS 2.6MM & Lifetime UC, Qantas Platinum, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Bonvoy Platinum, HawaiianMiles
Posts: 8,694
Dec 12, 2014, 8:03 am
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA 1K/1MM, Marriott Tit
Posts: 18,231
I received an email from MP yesterday about the changes.
No mention about eliminating V fareclass from UG eligibility.
No mention about eliminating V fareclass from UG eligibility.
Dec 12, 2014, 10:22 am
#81
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
Ug space ahead of the DM window, is very slim on LH. Not even my confirmed upgrade certs from LH did ever clear ahead of time the last two years.
The only way one could do this before was via *A upgrades which were only valid on Y/B fares
Dec 12, 2014, 3:16 pm
#82
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between SFO & SJC
Programs: UA 1MM (and no longer flying much)
Posts: 777
Warning: New LH system pulling 2 GPUs rather than 1
Warning: New LH system pulling 2 GPUs rather than 1
Yesterday, with the new online GPU system in place, I decided to upgrade a friend who's traveling SFO-FRA-CDG & CDG-FRA-SFO. I used the system to upgrade him SFO-FRA on flight 455. That cleared. Then I set it to upgrade him FRA-SFO on flight 454. That was waitlisted.
Later that night I noticed on my MP page that four rather than two GPUs had been deducted from my account. In the confirmation emails I received, it's clear that I was only doing upgrades for single segments. And the confirmation emails clearly stated that only 1 upgrade had been withdrawn for each request. The confirmation email is cut & pasted below.
So it seems that UA's IT is screwed up, LH's IT is screwed up, or they are having trouble with the interface between the two. It may be that this is a general problem for all flights. Or it may have to do with the fact that it's a connecting flight. I'm on hold now (and have been for a while) with the 1K desk.
Update: after a while on phone with MP customer service, they say they can't redeposit the GPUs to my account, until after the flights. They say the system clearly shows 2 upgrades taken for each segment, for the same passenger on the same day. I asked the agent to send me an email with her name on it confirming that this would happen, or at the very least that I'd be able to call MP and get it to happen. She said she cannot send me such an email. I'm now on hold to talk to her supervisor.
Further update: The MP supervisor was able to fix this but it took a lot of time. The key is that the confirmation email for the GPU's says which specific GPU was used. Then you want them to cancel the one for each flight that was NOT listed in the confirmation email. You also want to make sure the right ones redeposit if you have ones that expire 4/30/15 and others that expire on 1/31/16. That may take additional juggling.
Confirmation email for waitlisted upgrade is...
<begin cut & pasted email>
Lufthansa has added the traveler(s) in your request to their upgrade waitlist, which will clear as upgrade space becomes available. If your upgrade is confirmed, you will receive an email notification from United and the upgraded cabin will be reflected when you view the reservation on lufthansa.com. The waitlist will expire 10 hours before flight departure, and if your upgrade is not confirmed by then, we will automatically re-deposit the withdrawn Global Premier Upgrade(s) into the original MileagePlus® account.
Please note: Canceling or changing your reservation will remove your request from the waitlist and initiate a re-deposit of the withdrawn Global Premier Upgrade(s) into the original MileagePlus account.
--Flight information--
Flight number: 454
Departing: Frankfurt, Germany (FRA), 01/02/2015
--Traveler information--
<MY FRIEND'S NAME>
Ticket number: <HIS TICKET NUMBER>
Upgrade certificate number: <NUMBER>
Frequent flyer information: MileagePlus, <MY MP NUMBER>
Global Premier Upgrades withdrawn: 1
Request status: Upgrade request added to Lufthansa upgrade waitlist
Global Premier Upgrade terms and conditions:
Global Premier Upgrades are automatically deducted from the MileagePlus account at the time of upgrade confirmation or when travelers are added to the waitlist.
Contact Lufthansa to make changes or cancel.
Cancellation of a confirmed upgrade will result in return to the original cabin.
Global Premier Upgrades will be automatically re-deposited to the account from which they were withdrawn 24 to 48 hours after the cancellation.
If you have special service requests in your original itinerary, we cannot guarantee that they will be met in the upgraded class.
<end cut & pasted email>
Yesterday, with the new online GPU system in place, I decided to upgrade a friend who's traveling SFO-FRA-CDG & CDG-FRA-SFO. I used the system to upgrade him SFO-FRA on flight 455. That cleared. Then I set it to upgrade him FRA-SFO on flight 454. That was waitlisted.
Later that night I noticed on my MP page that four rather than two GPUs had been deducted from my account. In the confirmation emails I received, it's clear that I was only doing upgrades for single segments. And the confirmation emails clearly stated that only 1 upgrade had been withdrawn for each request. The confirmation email is cut & pasted below.
So it seems that UA's IT is screwed up, LH's IT is screwed up, or they are having trouble with the interface between the two. It may be that this is a general problem for all flights. Or it may have to do with the fact that it's a connecting flight. I'm on hold now (and have been for a while) with the 1K desk.
Update: after a while on phone with MP customer service, they say they can't redeposit the GPUs to my account, until after the flights. They say the system clearly shows 2 upgrades taken for each segment, for the same passenger on the same day. I asked the agent to send me an email with her name on it confirming that this would happen, or at the very least that I'd be able to call MP and get it to happen. She said she cannot send me such an email. I'm now on hold to talk to her supervisor.
Further update: The MP supervisor was able to fix this but it took a lot of time. The key is that the confirmation email for the GPU's says which specific GPU was used. Then you want them to cancel the one for each flight that was NOT listed in the confirmation email. You also want to make sure the right ones redeposit if you have ones that expire 4/30/15 and others that expire on 1/31/16. That may take additional juggling.
Confirmation email for waitlisted upgrade is...
<begin cut & pasted email>
Lufthansa has added the traveler(s) in your request to their upgrade waitlist, which will clear as upgrade space becomes available. If your upgrade is confirmed, you will receive an email notification from United and the upgraded cabin will be reflected when you view the reservation on lufthansa.com. The waitlist will expire 10 hours before flight departure, and if your upgrade is not confirmed by then, we will automatically re-deposit the withdrawn Global Premier Upgrade(s) into the original MileagePlus® account.
Please note: Canceling or changing your reservation will remove your request from the waitlist and initiate a re-deposit of the withdrawn Global Premier Upgrade(s) into the original MileagePlus account.
--Flight information--
Flight number: 454
Departing: Frankfurt, Germany (FRA), 01/02/2015
--Traveler information--
<MY FRIEND'S NAME>
Ticket number: <HIS TICKET NUMBER>
Upgrade certificate number: <NUMBER>
Frequent flyer information: MileagePlus, <MY MP NUMBER>
Global Premier Upgrades withdrawn: 1
Request status: Upgrade request added to Lufthansa upgrade waitlist
Global Premier Upgrade terms and conditions:
Global Premier Upgrades are automatically deducted from the MileagePlus account at the time of upgrade confirmation or when travelers are added to the waitlist.
Contact Lufthansa to make changes or cancel.
Cancellation of a confirmed upgrade will result in return to the original cabin.
Global Premier Upgrades will be automatically re-deposited to the account from which they were withdrawn 24 to 48 hours after the cancellation.
If you have special service requests in your original itinerary, we cannot guarantee that they will be met in the upgraded class.
<end cut & pasted email>
Last edited by endrond; Dec 12, 2014 at 3:57 pm
Dec 12, 2014, 3:24 pm
#83
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: WAS
Programs: UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, Nexus, GE
Posts: 2,123
Looks like it's trying to upgrade both segments each way. I hope your friend enjoys the extra middle seat that intra-European business on LH offers.
Dec 12, 2014, 3:27 pm
#84
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between SFO & SJC
Programs: UA 1MM (and no longer flying much)
Posts: 777
Actually, per MP customer service on phone, it shows two upgrades pulled for same segment. Also LH's website shows him as not upgraded intra-Europe. But I agree that I'd be even more pissed off if that happened.
Edit: problem mostly fixed, after ~90 minutes on phone.
Edit: problem mostly fixed, after ~90 minutes on phone.
Last edited by endrond; Dec 12, 2014 at 3:56 pm
Dec 12, 2014, 5:37 pm
#85
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,038
Last edited by cfischer; Dec 12, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Dec 12, 2014, 6:23 pm
#86
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: PHX
Programs: AA Gold, UA MM 1K, UK Gold, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat Amb
Posts: 397
EWR-MUC on UA, MUC-DEL on LH; how many GPU 1 or 2
Can anyone chime in:
Do I need two GPU's for EWR-MUC (UA) and MUC-DEL (LH) or the electronic GPU for LH take care of UA leg?
Thanks
Do I need two GPU's for EWR-MUC (UA) and MUC-DEL (LH) or the electronic GPU for LH take care of UA leg?
Thanks
Dec 12, 2014, 6:42 pm
#87
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,038
Dec 12, 2014, 7:51 pm
#88
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: OSL/IAH/ZRH (time, not preference)
Programs: UA1K, LH GM, AA EXP->GM
Posts: 38,265
.I wonder what the system will do when you only have 1 GPU left ... likely turn you down or blame you of some wrong doing ....
Dec 12, 2014, 8:01 pm
#89
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
Programs: Amethyst Premier Plutonium Medallion
Posts: 20,640
Dec 13, 2014, 9:20 am
#90
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UA 1K & 1MM/AA Gold & 1MM/HH Gold/Marriott Titanium
Posts: 2,924
I'm booked in business class in "D" for JNB-FRA on the A380, tried to use GPU to upgrade to First but got "Your paid fare class is not eligible for upgrades. (Error code: 523)" Hope new business class seats make it in time for my flight...
Hope new business class seats make it in time for my flight...