One of the best things about United miles is that you can use them on Star Alliance partners. United’s award space isn’t great on its own flights (though better than American’s). But with myriad partners you can almost always get where you’re going in Europe or Asia.
I’m not a big fan of Lufthansa business class. It’s completely workman-like. But it’s available, or at least it almost always has been.
Credit: Lufthansa
I do not know whether this is a glitch, a temporary phenomenon, or a new revenue management philosophy but searching for partner award space there’s almost nothing available in business class across the Atlantic after February 7 .. and it’s become much harder to get before that, too.
Lufthansa is one of the airlines that has long offered better award space to its own Miles & More members than to partners.
- Partners can only access first class award space within 14 days of travel
- Lufthansa-controlled Swiss only lets first class awards be booked by Miles & More elites
- Both Lufthansa and Swiss offer more award space to Miles & More members than partners. That’s been true for a decade.
- That’s not how most airlines work, but it’s not uncommon. Air France makes more space available to Flying Blue members than SkyMiles or Mileage Plan members. Singapore makes almost no long haul premium cabin award space available to partner frequent flyer programs.
Nonetheless, Lufthansa was always a reliable source of award seats at least from the Midwest and East Coast (West Coast space has almost been tighter).
Now it seems if you want close-in award space that’s possible, but right now booking a year or even six months out in business class is not.
New York JFK – Frankfurt, business class awards appear available Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays only.
Similar results show up the other direction with a few stray dates where business awards are available.
Chicago – Frankfurt has mostly dried up, there are a smattering of available business class award dates in February and beyond.
Come January Washington Dulles – Frankfurt has business class award space Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays only.
And then after February 7 there’s more or less no business class award space showing available.
While these are United award calendars — and United’s award calendar is notoriously glitchy — this isn’t a United-specific issue, Aeroplan appears to show the same availability.
This appears to be an issue with at least most long haul routes and doesn’t affect intra-Europe flights.
Airlines want to make award seats available that won’t be sold for cash. And they can raise extra money opening seats to partners, who buy the seats at a deep discount, but those partner seats compete with space their own members can book — and their members are likely more profitable.
Definitely file this under developing but it seemed worth pointing out because it’s such a shift. It’s a blow in the meantime to the value of United and to other Star Alliance currencies.
(HT: Point Me to the Plane)
For a few weeks, I’ve found it nearly impossible to find Lufthansa F award space using UA miles. I was searching some pretty popular routes (HKG-FRA-JFK, PVG-FRA, etc.), but still, there were times when I found absolutely zero within the 14-day window. When I was doing the same searches in June/July, I was actually finding stuff. Not anymore.
Try SJC-FRA. Seems to be a gem for award space.
mid last week I hesitated about booking DEN-FRA in April while I sorted out my return flights. The next day all the LH business seats that had been available the previous day were gone. I was a little miffed as I had to settle for UA Business to London instead. Snooze & lose, as they say….
What I am wondering. I too noticed that there is no award space available showing for business award space on Lufthansa airlines traveling next May on the United Airlines website. I called Miles and More and they said sure there is Business Award Space if you have Miles and More Points. I don’t have many Miles and More points, but I have plenty of Mileage Plus points. I called United Airlines and asked the agent if he could book that flight using Mileage Plus points. He said no. Do you or anyone else know if it would help, if I called supervisor at United Airlines?
Reverberations from collapse of airberlin, I suspect, and the collapse of competition/reduction in capacity in the German market.
Blue, would you please expand upon your comment above? I am not grasping how the collapse of Air Berlin would change the availability of Lufthansa award seats in business class.
I’m looking at BOS-MUC next July in business class and the whole month shows business class availability on Swiss, Turkish and mixed cabin Aer Lingus. No LH though. There’s no problem finding economy on all the partner airlines though throughout the summer out of Boston.
@John Jones – As explained in the post, there is more award space available for Lufthansa’s own program than to partners like United.
Still no MP availability from DEN to MUC or FRA. Any updates on what may be going on?
I think we wait or air berlin to be digested