United doesn’t have access to all Lufthansa award space — here’s what we know

United MileagePlus members do not currently have access to all Lufthansa award space.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our free daily newsletter!

This week, TPG found that some Lufthansa awards are not appearing on the United website despite appearing on Air Canada, ANA and other Star Alliance partner websites. For example, Air Canada Aeroplan shows Lufthansa business class award tickets from Frankfurt (FRA) to Newark (EWR) on Aug. 25, 2021.

The award is also bookable on ANA’s website as a part of a round-trip itinerary since you cannot book one-way award tickets with ANA Mileage Club.

United’s website is not showing the flight — instead, you can only book United’s own flight between Frankfurt and Newark at the Everyday Award level.

The same goes for this flight from Dallas (DFW) to Frankfurt. Air Canada, Singapore Airlines and ANA all show award availability in business class for one passenger.

But when we search on United, only an economy seat appears on the same flight.

We’ve seen award space discrepancy on a handful of Lufthansa flights through the end of the year. We initially thought this was a case of phantom award space where an airline shows award space that isn’t actually bookable. But this isn’t the case. One TPG staffer managed to book a Lufthansa flight with Air Canada Aeroplan that wasn’t showing on the United website.

Video: United Just Purchased 270 Planes — and That Could Mean More Upgrades for Passengers (Travel + Leisure)

  • a palm tree

    This Grand Budapest Palace Has Been Transformed Into a Modern Luxury Hotel

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a group of people walking in front of a building

    You Can Buy a Luxury Residence in the London Building Where James Bond Was Born

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a group of people on a beach with a palm tree

    15 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Caribbean Vacation

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a large ship in the water

    Royal Caribbean to Require Unvaccinated Guests Sailing From Florida to Have COVID-19 Insur

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a group of people standing on a rocky hill

    10 Incredible Natural Wonders to See in Your Lifetime, According to T+L's A-List Advisors

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a view of a canyon

    The Ultimate Adventure Travel Bucket List

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a train cake sitting on top of a grass covered field

    This Beer Company Is Giving Away a Custom Airstream to Its Funniest Fan

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a large passenger jet flying through a blue sky

    Los Angeles' Newest Airline Is Giving Away Free Flights to Recent College and High School

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a group of people standing in front of a building

    Iceland Lifts COVID-19 Restrictions for Locals and Visitors

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • Disney Cruise Line Pushes Back Trial Sailing After Crew Tests Positive for COVID-19

    Disney Cruise Line Pushes Back Trial Sailing After Crew Tests Positive for COVID-19

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a large passenger jet flying through a cloudy blue sky

    United Just Purchased 270 Planes — and That Could Mean More Upgrades for Passengers

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a house with a lawn in front of a building

    This Idyllic Hotel Is Bringing the Best of Fitness, Shopping, and Cocktails to the Hampton

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a view of a city

    Everything You Need to Know About Traveling Through Newark Airport

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • Soak in Natural Mineral Water and Sleep Under the Stars at This Hot Spring Oasis in the Ut

    Soak in Natural Mineral Water and Sleep Under the Stars at This Hot Spring Oasis in the Ut

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a person sitting on a suitcase

    UK Plans to Ease Quarantine Rules for Travel to U.S., EU for Vaccinated Travelers

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a view of a city

    Sweden Will Welcome American Travelers Starting June 30

    Travel + Leisure Logo

    Travel + Leisure

  • a palm tree
    This Grand Budapest Palace Has Been Transformed Into a Modern Luxury Hotel
    The Matlid Palace has been given a new life as the newest hotel in Marriott's Luxury Collection.

    Travel + Leisure Logo
    Travel + Leisure

  • a group of people walking in front of a building
    You Can Buy a Luxury Residence in the London Building Where James Bond Was Born
    For more than a century, the building has been closed to the public, but it'll reopen next year with a hotel, restaurant, spa, and residences that you can purchase now.

    Travel + Leisure Logo
    Travel + Leisure

  • a group of people on a beach with a palm tree
    15 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Caribbean Vacation
    Read on for common travel mistakes in the Caribbean — and how to avoid them.

    Travel + Leisure Logo
    Travel + Leisure

UP NEXT

We attempted to call United and book two Lufthansa award tickets that appeared on the Air Canada website. Two agents told us that it wasn’t possible to book these award tickets. One agent told the author that United does not have access to specific partner award space, even if it appears on partner websites.

It’s worth noting that some Lufthansa award space still shows on the United website, but it’s significantly less than what you’ll find on Air Canada and other partners.

Related: Lufthansa details the future of its first-class experience

Is Lufthansa withholding award inventory from  United?

This leads us to believe that Lufthansa is withholding award inventory from United — which is something we haven’t seen before.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a rhyme or reason to this, as United hasn’t publicly acknowledged the change. TPG’s Zach Griff speculated that Lufthansa might be trying to renegotiate reimbursement rates for United-booked award tickets. Reducing award space to United could be a bargaining chip for Lufthansa as bookings pick up now that Germany has reopened its borders to tourists from the U.S.

On the other hand, United could be restricting Lufthansa space to get members to book flights on its own planes. United had devalued partner redemptions in the past when it removed partner award charts and raised prices by 10%+ across the board.

Related: The best websites for searching Star Alliance award availability

Bottom line

United currently has access to fewer Lufthansa award seats than other Star Alliance partners. This makes it harder to book transatlantic flights as Europe reopens and effectively devalues United miles. It also makes it harder to accurately search for award space, as seats bookable with one airline may not be bookable with another. We recommend using Air Canada or ANA’s websites to search for Lufthansa award space until this is resolved.

This potentially sets a bad precedent for the future of award travel. We’ve often heard of airlines releasing more award space to their own loyalty members. But seeing an airline release fewer seats to a single airline partner is new.

TPG has reached out to United and Lufthansa for comment. We will update this story when we hear back.

Feature photo by Nate Hovee/Shutterstock.com

SPONSORED: With states reopening, enjoying a meal from a restaurant no longer just means curbside pickup.

And when you do spend on dining, you should use a credit card that will maximize your rewards and potentially even score special discounts. Thanks to temporary card bonuses and changes due to coronavirus, you may even be able to score a meal at your favorite restaurant for free. 

These are the best credit cards for dining out, taking out, and ordering in to maximize every meal purchase.

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

Source: Read Full Article