Lufthansa Upgrade | Bid | With Miles

Who doesn’t want to travel in a superior class for a better flight experience? The flag carrier of Germany, Lufthansa allows passengers to conveniently upgrade their booked seats to a higher class. A Lufthansa Upgrade is however subject to availability which can be confirmed till 24 hours before the departure date.

Majorly, no matter the upgrade class, you have three options to make an upgrade:
First is the obvious way. Just pay for the upgrade at a fixed price depending upon the current travel class and flight route.
Second is when you bid for the upgrade at the price of your choice.
And, the third option is you make an upgrade by paying with the accumulated miles from your Frequent Flyer Account.

We will discuss the proper steps in detail below for upgrades in different classes. Also, you will learn about the eligibility criteria, when it is not possible to make an upgrade, & other crucial information that will enable a successful upgrade of your seats on Lufthansa.

Lufthansa Upgrade to Business Class

This is the most common upgrade used by passengers. Learn more about it here.

Criteria for Business Class Upgrade on Lufthansa

There are certain factors you need to take into account when you are looking to make an upgrade on Lufthansa Airlines Business Class:

Check the availability of seats in business class.
You should have a confirmed reservation.
Your ticket must have been issued already.
The upgrade request can be made anywhere between 360 days to 24 hours before departure time. However, this timeline depends upon the destination thus you need to cross-check online by entering your booking code.
For group booking, you must make an upgrade for all the passengers under a single booking. To purchase upgrades for only a few passengers and not all, you have to speak to the Lufthansa Airline for terms.

When Are You Not Eligible for an Upgrade on Lufthansa?

Following are the cases when it is not possible to make an upgrade on Lufthansa:

In case, if you have already checked in for your flight.
The service documentation has not been issued if you have not paid for the additional services.
In this case, the additional services you booked do not permit an upgrade, e.g., bringing a pet as cabin baggage.

Similarly, you can make an upgrade to First Class and Premium Economy.

Lufthansa Upgrade to First Class

You can also make an upgrade on Lufthansa first-class seats for long-haul flights. Thus you can enjoy more privacy and a better dining experience, along with a personal assistant who will accompany you at your arrival and departure point at the airport and will help with travel formalities. The general eligibility criteria apply the same as the business class.

Lufthansa Upgrade to Premium Economy

From Economy, you can go to Premium Economy and enjoy increased legroom, more comfortable seats, and a range of additional amenities to experience. On premium economy, you can get priority boarding and exclusive lounge access. The general eligibility criteria apply the same as the business class.

Is Last Minute Upgrade Possible?

Yes, if there is availability you may get a last-minute upgrade at the airport ticket counter, bag drop counter, check-in counter or even at some airport gates.
Now let’s discuss the exact steps on how to make the upgrade on Lufthansa in detail.

How to Upgrade Seats on Lufthansa

There are several ways to get an upgrade at Lufthansa Airlines, stroll here for more details on upgrading herein:

Pay for The Lufthansa Upgrade

This is pretty straightforward. You log in to your account on the website to pay the Lufthansa upgrade fee to get the upgrade. Or, you can speak directly to the airline representative to handle the upgrading process. You may even do that at the airport.

Lufthansa Bid Upgrade

The process in this case is also simple: you have to place a bid to upgrade your seat. And, if the airline accepts your bid, you can pay the bid price and get the seat upgrade. Thus, you can experience a higher class of service which includes dining options, more legroom, along several personalized options.

Be aware that this Bid Upgrade program from the airlines is available on select flights and classes of service. The process is simple: just keep a tab on emails you are receiving from Lufthansa after you have made the booking. Once you receive a bid email that has special promotions or opportunities you can make one and wait for a revert from the airline’s side.

Handy Tips for Lufthansa Bid Upgrade

If you want to increase your chances of getting a bid upgrade, keep the following tips at bay. The timing of the bid is crucial. The earlier you make the bid when fewer seats have been sold, it will naturally give a better chance for your bid to be accepted. Make sure you are realistic with your bid amount. Don’t go for the lowest common denominator because Lufthansa would be less likely to accept bids if it’s lower than the starting price, for instance. You may consider applying for a bid upgrade during the off-peak times when you are more likely to get a seat upgrade.

Lufthansa Miles Upgrade

This is another common approach to applying for Miles Upgrade. But, you’ll have to use your award miles to make it happen. The most common process (as stated below) is through the official website but you can also do that at the airport check-in counter or by speaking directly to the airline’s local Miles & More staff.

The exact steps to Upgrade are as follows:

Go to the official Lufthansa website & head to the “Miles & More” page
Click on the option: “Book Your Upgrade Now”
From the My Bookings section, click on the upgrade option. (You may also use your booking code to get to your flight option.)
Login to your account using your user ID.
Choose your miles or vouchers to upgrade here.

In case of any further queries on how to make the upgrade, do reach out to Lufthansa for clarification.

Conclusion

The above post has covered in detail how to go about upgrading your seats to Premium Economy, Business Class or First Class. Go through the various eligibility criteria shared above to qualify for an upgrade. Thus, a better travel experience awaits you now!

FAQs

In Lufthansa, the upgrade can be initiated from the 331 days of booking to the 10 hours before the departure. In order to upgrade, a bid can be submitted under the "My Booking" option or at the airport by airline counters. However, the upgrade is mostly subject to the availability of space; if the seat is available, then only a request can be accepted.

Yes, it could be worth upgrading to Lufthansa business class. This is because when you get a higher for a higher cabin, then you can have more services than others. Her e, upgrade can be confirmed immediately if space is available or within the 8 weeks it could be confirmed.

Lufthansa upgrades are different for different destinations, such as cabins. So, when you are looking to upgrade to premium economy from economy, it may cost around $180. Further, you can place a bid or purchase instantly, too.

Yes, you can upgrade with Lufthansa at the gate. However, this option is available only to a few selective airports. The last-minute upgrade is a fixed price or by redeeming miles at the check-in counters.

Lufthansa free upgrades are assigned to specific classes and categories. If you have one of those benefits, then you can ask Lufthansa Airlines customer service at the check in gate or make a call by using Lufthansa phone number, 1 (800) 645-3880.