PA101 From Germany, joined Jan 2005, 491 posts, RR: 1 Posted (8 months 1 week 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3144 times:
Hey everybody,
I'm hoping that someone can help mit out with this one, 'cause I'm confused...
I just need about 600 more frequent flyer miles this year to secure Premier Status for 2013 for my longtime UA Mileage Plus account. You would think, that flying LH domestically within Germany should get you mileage accrual too, but sometimes it does, sometimes it don't...
I've checked UA online and it says, no mileage accrual for LH booking classes T and L, fair enough.
However, I'm now looking into visiting a friend, and the booking class would be E (it's discounted, but not even the cheapest option, that would be booking class K). Would I get UA MP miles for that? The LH booking engine says, for that ticket in E that if you are in Miles & More, you'd get 500 miles per sector (so actually more miles than you actually fly)??? I would think that if it would earn me Miles & More miles, it also should earn me Mileage Plus miles, shouldn't it?
RyanairGuru From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 2511 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (8 months 1 week 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 3113 times:
I agree that UA are sometimes less than transparent when listing the booking classes earned on their partners, but to answer your question: no.
The clue is in the statement: "All other fare classes do not accrue mileage". Basically, if it isn't listed in the table then it doesn't earn. T and L are only specifically listed because they need to differentiate between intra-Europe and long haul.
It's not just UA, they all seem to be as bad. I have a couple of upcoming trips with AA in Q: with AA I would have got 100% earn but as a QFFF I get 0%. In reverse, I have a flight coming up with QF in K which will earn me 100% - out of interest I checked AAdvantage and it would have given me 50%.
Quite how the alliance partners work out earn between them is a complete mystery to me, so I gave up bothering about it and just make sure I check the award table before booking
(p.s. I did check before booking the AA flights but they were SO cheap that it seemed worthwhile forgoing the FFs)
FlyingColors78 From United States of America, joined Nov 2011, 4 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (8 months 1 week 1 day 13 hours ago) and read 2983 times:
Within Star Alliance, the actual operating carrier determines if and how many miles you earn for your flight. In the case of E class on LH, they will credit miles to your Miles & More account, however, they will not award miles to members of other frequent flyer programs. Always check the airline's web site of frequent flyer program you intend to use (United MileagePlus in this instance) to see if mileage can be earned on the carrier and class of service you intend to use. The United web site shows which classes you earn miles on for each partner airlines. E class is not shown on the LH chart. A footnote under that chart reads: "All other fare classes do not accrue mileage." Conversely, there are certain deeply discounted inventories on United that do not qualify for mileage credit in Miles & More.
I am a Mileage Plus member, and just completed a trip on Austrian Airlines in P - a discounted business class booking inventory. My ticket was almost $3,000 between US & Vienna, and I did not earn any credit as Austrian does not provide mileage or status credit to MileagePlus members for travel in P. However, I could have received credit to my Miles & More account. I will certainly pay more attention to this in the future.
Thanks for your help. I now found the table chart on UAs website too.
I guess I was just too naive in the past - figuring, it'll give you miles with A, it also give you miles with B within an alliance... (thus I never got a Miles&More account)
LAXintl From United States of America, joined May 2000, 22042 posts, RR: 51 Reply 7, posted (8 months 1 week 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2912 times:
Quoting FlyingColors78 (Reply 5): Within Star Alliance, the actual operating carrier determines if and how many miles you earn for your flight.
Its essentially a financial transaction with LH having to buy the United miles for you. Hence they opt not to award miles on discount fares, or sometimes only partial mile credit based on fare paid.
From the desert to the sea, to all of Southern California
airtrainer From Belgium, joined Aug 2003, 1519 posts, RR: 13 Reply 8, posted (8 months 1 week 21 hours ago) and read 2859 times:
Quoting PA101 (Reply 6): I guess I was just too naive in the past - figuring, it'll give you miles with A, it also give you miles with B within an alliance... (thus I never got a Miles&More account
No, you were not naive. Things were much easier in the past, especially with UA...
CoachClass From United States of America, joined Jan 2010, 356 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (8 months 1 week 11 hours ago) and read 2824 times:
Quoting airtrainer (Reply 8): Things were much easier in the past, especially with UA...
I couldn't agree more. In 2004 I got LH Business class r/t LAX to Rome for either 80 or 90k using United's Mileage Plus.
For what's it's worth, I have determined that being a member of LH's Miles and More from here in the states is too difficult to navigate upgrades and free tickets. United's web site is much easier. And, when redeeming free flights from LH (MIA-FCO), I recently had to pay large German VAT tax as well a US taxes ($521), considerably higher than when redeeming from US airlines.
So, I have essentially cashed out, but still like flying LH and Swiss. I'll fly LH but accrue UA miles to get LH free flights/upgrades.
airtrainer From Belgium, joined Aug 2003, 1519 posts, RR: 13 Reply 10, posted (8 months 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 2802 times:
Quoting CoachClass (Reply 9): I couldn't agree more. In 2004 I got LH Business class r/t LAX to Rome for either 80 or 90k using United's Mileage Plus.
For what's it's worth, I have determined that being a member of LH's Miles and More from here in the states is too difficult to navigate upgrades and free tickets. United's web site is much easier. And, when redeeming free flights from LH (MIA-FCO), I recently had to pay large German VAT tax as well a US taxes ($521), considerably higher than when redeeming from US airlines.
So, I have essentially cashed out, but still like flying LH and Swiss. I'll fly LH but accrue UA miles to get LH free flights/upgrades.
Indeed, taxes for award tickets with Miles & More are considerably more expensive. Living in Belgium I could get the M&M credit card from SN but I think it's still better to deal with Mileage Plus.
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