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}
#1262
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Some pax do not select seats - this is more common on non-US carriers where people are more accustomed to seat assignments being done automatically at check-in (in Economy this is often the default unless you pay).
#1263
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Or carriers like LH/LX, where there can be problems getting seat assignments (even in J) if you purchase the flight as a codeshare. Or BA, where they charge for J seat assignments.
#1264
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For LX you can select seats on a 016 ticket using LX PNR.
#1265
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In contrast there are quite a few cases where LX is acting up even when on LX code and 016 ticket. I recently had to call to get seats assigned because the website kept erroring out.
#1266
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In the last two years at least, all my LH purchases are on 016 stock and I've always been able to select a seat on LH.com. J/F itineraries.
#1267
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There are limits though - for example when I have a GPU clear on an LH segment, nothing on the PNR works for online seat select anymore.
#1268
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UA doesn't sell nearly so many LX codeshares as it does LH, but you're going to have the same issue picking seats if you buy an LX operated codeshare. If you buy the LX native flight number, you should be able to pick seats online, but the LX website doesn't always work for seat selection and you may have to call even with a native flight number.
#1269
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sorry, this is complete b.s. I have a ton of 016 tickets and can most certainly select seats on the LH website for LH-coded and operated flights. Never an issue, not in the past and not today.
In contrast there are quite a few cases where LX is acting up even when on LX code and 016 ticket. I recently had to call to get seats assigned because the website kept erroring out.
In contrast there are quite a few cases where LX is acting up even when on LX code and 016 ticket. I recently had to call to get seats assigned because the website kept erroring out.
I book all my partner's LH tickets are all booked online, via United.com, either in D/C/J exclusively. Most of the time the itinerary has no United flights at all. Sometimes with LX flights sometimes pure LH or pure LX flights. Never booked as code share. Always 016 (obviously, as they are booked on united.com). The amount of $$$ spent on LH/LX flights could easily qualify him to be in the top tier status (whatever the equivalent of GS on LH is) but I chose 016 because of the RDMs & PQMs & PQDs even though he's already GS for life.
Never once could I reserve seats through LH.com - That's my experience. I might be wrong about my earlier post, but I wasn't B.S-ing, just sharing my experience (I should've worded differently)
In the past three weeks, I've picked seats on three UA ticketed, LH operated flights - all native LH flight number (and all J). Per my prior post, the key is codeshare or native flight number, not ticket stock.
UA doesn't sell nearly so many LX codeshares as it does LH, but you're going to have the same issue picking seats if you buy an LX operated codeshare. If you buy the LX native flight number, you should be able to pick seats online, but the LX website doesn't always work for seat selection and you may have to call even with a native flight number.
UA doesn't sell nearly so many LX codeshares as it does LH, but you're going to have the same issue picking seats if you buy an LX operated codeshare. If you buy the LX native flight number, you should be able to pick seats online, but the LX website doesn't always work for seat selection and you may have to call even with a native flight number.
As for LX, I have yet to see codeshares - perhaps because I only book LX for BKK-ZRH-TXL and vv.
Talking about LX for BKK-ZRH (LX 180/181) - "A" fares are an awesome deal, especially if you can get it round trip!
Last edited by WineCountryUA; Feb 19, 2018 at 11:17 am Reason: merging consecutive posts by same member
#1270
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Good to know! LX occasionally offers (relatively) cheap fares J SFO-HKG/SIN via ZRH (in the $4K range). Nice PQM run.
#1271
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I recently booked a number of awards operated by LH on UA.com with 016 stock. Easily picked seats for those on LH.com using the booking code provided by UA. No way to select seats on UA.com. UA codeshares operated by LH Group airlines don't allow seat assignments. Curiously other *A codeshare operated by LH group don't have that problem....
#1273
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#1274
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Huh. I have SFO-ZRH as a UA codeshare and it was because the UA flight number was about the only thing that had P space.. it felt like a mistake but I wasn't going to look too carefully!
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