Lufthansa Miles & More: How to earn and redeem miles, elite status and more

Lufthansa Group has grown a ton lately. The group purchased a number of European airways whereas increasing the Lufthansa route network from its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich Airport (MUC) hubs. One factor it’s possible you’ll not learn about Lufthansa is that a number of airways round Europe use its Miles & Extra loyalty program, a few of which are not a part of Star Alliance.

Moreover, Miles & More has some interesting sweet spots that make it value taking a more in-depth have a look at if you happen to’re primarily based in Europe. Plus, U.S.-based flyers that steadily fly to Europe on Lufthansa or one other Lufthansa Group airline could discover extra use in incomes Miles & Extra miles than miles with United Airways or one other Star Alliance companion.

You are in the correct place in case you are curious concerning the Miles & Extra program. Right here, we’ll clarify all the things you must know, beginning with elite standing and companion airways and transferring on to incomes and redeeming miles.

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An summary of Lufthansa’s  Miles & Extra program

Lufthansa Group owns Miles & Extra, but it surely’s used as the first loyalty program for a lot of totally different airways all through Europe. The airways that use Miles & Extra as their major loyalty program are:

• Air Dolomiti
• Austrian Airways
• Brussels Airways
• Croatia Airways
• Uncover Airways
• Eurowings
• LOT Polish Airways
• Lufthansa
• Lufthansa Metropolis
• Luxair
• Swiss

Many of those airways are both fully owned by Lufthansa Group or have beforehand been partially or wholly owned by the group. Nonetheless, some airways — specifically LOT Polish Airways and Croatia Airways — have by no means been affiliated with Lufthansa Group however nonetheless decide to make use of Miles & Extra as a loyalty program.

As most of those airways are members of Star Alliance, you will not be shocked to study you possibly can earn and redeem miles on the Star Alliance airways:

• Aegean Airways
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• All Nippon Airways
• Asiana Airways
• Austrian Airways
• Avianca
• Brussels Airways
• Copa Airways
• Croatia Airways
• Egyptair
• Ethiopian Airways
• EVA Airways
• LOT Polish Airways
• Lufthansa
• Shenzhen Airways
• Singapore Airways
• South African Airways
• Swiss
• TAP Air Portugal
• Thai Airways
• Turkish Airways
• United Airways

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This system additionally companions with a handful of different airways, together with:

• Air Astana
• Air Malta
• Cathay Pacific
• LATAM
• Vistara

Observe that there could also be restrictions concerning the flights on which you’ll be able to earn or redeem miles inside these partnerships. Evaluate the airline’s partner page on the Miles & Extra web site earlier than you propose your travels so what to anticipate.

Miles & Extra elite standing tiers

Like most airline loyalty packages, Miles & Extra gives quite a lot of elite standing tiers that supply elevated mileage earnings and advantages like lounge entry, upgrades and fast-track safety. There are three standing tiers: Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle.

Incomes Miles & Extra elite standing

If you wish to earn Miles & Extra elite standing, it’s essential to earn each factors and qualifying factors. You’ll be able to earn factors on carriers that use Miles & Extra as their loyalty program, in addition to on Star Alliance companions. Qualifying factors and HON Circle factors can solely be earned on the next airways: Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airways, Brussels Airways, Croatia Airways, Uncover Airways, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airways, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Metropolis, Luxair and Swiss.

Moreover, HON Circle factors are solely earned on business- and first-class flights.

Listed below are the next level thresholds wanted to attain standing:

• Frequent Traveller standing: 650 factors and 325 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months
• Senator standing: 2,000 factors and 1,000 qualifying factors in a calendar 12 months
• HON Circle standing: 6,000 HON Circle factors in a calendar 12 months

You’ll be able to solely earn factors, qualifying factors and HON Circle factors for elite standing by way of flying, versus another packages that assist you to earn status from credit card spending. Nonetheless, a restricted variety of factors, qualifying factors and Hon Circle factors may be earned on journeys with Austrian AIRail, Lufthansa Categorical Rail and Swiss Air Rail (with a most of round 1 / 4 of the factors wanted for every standing stage).

You earn factors, qualifying factors and HON Circle factors primarily based on two elements: journey class and whether or not your flight is taken into account intercontinental or continental. All factors are awarded as follows:

Incomes Lufthansa standing is not simple, however every standing tier comes with attention-grabbing advantages. High-tier HON Circle standing comes with among the most premium perks of all airline statuses. This is a have a look at every tier’s respective advantages:

Frequent Traveller

• Enterprise-class check-in with Miles & Extra airline companions.
• Entry to the First Class Terminal (solely with a first-class ticket on Lufthansa and/or Swiss flights).
• One further checked bag in financial system, two further baggage in premium financial system and enterprise class, and three further baggage in first-class.
• Entry to Lufthansa Enterprise lounges when flying on Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance carriers.
• Earn as much as 50% extra redeemable miles: You’ll be able to earn 25% bonus miles on flights operated by Uncover Airways, Eurowings, Luxair and different Miles & Extra airline companions, and a 50% bonus with choose carriers together with Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airways, Brussels Airways, Croatia Airways, LOT Polish Airways, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Metropolis, Swiss and United Airways.
• Miles will not expire so long as your standing stays.
• Devoted cellphone assist.

These advantages are surprisingly wealthy for low-tier elite standing. Bear in mind that you may solely entry Lufthansa Enterprise lounges, not Star Alliance companion lounges like United Golf equipment or the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges. It’s because Frequent Traveller consists of Star Alliance Silver advantages, not Star Alliance Gold.

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Senator

• The entire advantages of Frequent Traveller.
• Senator and Star Alliance Gold lounge entry.
• First-class check-in.
• Precedence safety.
• Precedence boarding.
• Two improve eVouchers every year that you should utilize for a one-class improve. You need to use one eVoucher for an improve inside a single area or two vouchers for an intercontinental one-class improve. For instance, upgrading from premium financial system to enterprise on a transatlantic flight requires two eVouchers.
• 48-hour reserving assure earlier than departure within the highest reserving class.
• Companion Award: This allows you to add a companion to all award tickets at a 50% mileage low cost. This is applicable when flying award tickets on Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airways, Brussels Airways, Croatia Airways, Uncover Airways, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airways, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Metropolis, Luxair and Swiss.
• Free seat choice.

HON Circle

HON Circle is the cream of the crop for Miles & Extra standing. It consists of all Senator standing advantages already talked about and entry to the well-known First Class Terminal at Frankfurt Airport on all Miles & Extra flights whatever the class of service. This can be a large perk because the terminal is a devoted area for first-class and HON Circle vacationers, with upgraded lounges and extra. Plus, members will get the next perks:

• Limousine switch on flights operated by Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airways, LOT Polish Airways, Lufthansa and Swiss.
• Obtain 4 improve vouchers, which can be utilized in the identical approach that Senator members can use certificates.
• 24-hour reserving assure earlier than departure within the highest reserving class.
• Elevated award availability as much as 14 days previous to departure.
• Two or three baggage in financial system class (relying on the route), three baggage in premium financial system and enterprise class, and 4 baggage in first-class.

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Incomes miles with Miles & Extra

Miles & Extra miles are considerably tougher to earn than different airline miles. Although the loyalty program does not have switch companions, that does not imply they’re not possible to earn — listed here are all the perfect methods.

Earn by flying on Miles & Extra and Star Alliance carriers

You’ll be able to earn Miles & Extra miles by flying on Miles & Extra and Star Alliance airways. Tickets booked with a Miles & Extra member airline — like Lufthansa or Swiss — will earn miles primarily based on fare price. If you happen to’re touring on a Star Alliance companion flight not ticketed by a Miles & Extra airline, you may earn miles primarily based on the next calculations:

• Miles on continental flights: You will earn a flat price in accordance with the reserving class.
• Miles on intercontinental flights: You will earn primarily based on the reserving class and distance flown.

Incomes charges can differ from provider to provider and rely upon how the ticket was booked. Verify every carrier’s earning rate for probably the most up-to-date info.

Spend on a Miles & Extra bank card

Within the U.S., Lufthansa and Miles & Extra supply a cobranded bank card issued by Barclays known as the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard. The cardboard is providing a present welcome bonus of 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 within the first three months of account opening. You need to use this card to earn 2 miles per greenback spent with Miles & Extra airline companions and 1 mile per greenback spent on all different purchases.

Extra card perks embrace two Lufthansa Enterprise lounge passes and a complimentary annual companion ticket for every account anniversary.

This card has an $89 annual charge and could be a good possibility for incomes Miles & Extra miles.

The knowledge for the Miles & Extra World Elite Mastercard has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.

E-book resort rooms and rental automobiles

You may as well earn Miles & Extra miles if you e-book resort rooms with the Miles & Extra resort reserving platform. For instance, you may earn 500 miles per qualifying keep at choose Hyatt inns. Simply notice that you just typically will not be capable to earn resort factors or use hotel elite status benefits on these bookings because you’re reserving by way of an online travel agency. Nonetheless, many boutique and impartial inns are listed on the Miles & Extra portal, so it could be worthwhile to make use of it to e-book inns that you just would not in any other case earn factors with.

You may as well book rental cars by way of the portal however could not be capable to use automobile rental standing advantages or earn rental automobile standing. As at all times, take into account whether or not incomes Miles & Extra miles outweighs these potential exclusions.

One factor to remember: All the time cross-check resort and rental automobile costs when utilizing the Miles & Extra resort portal. Whereas the costs are often similar to reserving immediately, typically the costs can fluctuate.

Redeeming miles with Miles & Extra

We typically advocate redeeming your Miles & Extra miles for award journey. Whilst you can redeem for merchandise, resort stays and present playing cards, this is not really helpful as you may get a a lot decrease redemption worth than for flights.

Redeeming Miles & Extra miles for award flights

Miles & Extra employs a typical award chart, which means that flights do not fluctuate in worth. Award flights are priced primarily based on zone and sophistication of service, and you’ll e-book any Star Alliance flight with award area. As for pricing, award flights are surprisingly cheap. For instance, transatlantic flights are 30,000 miles in financial system, 40,000 in premium financial system class, 56,000 in enterprise class and 91,000 in first-class. The business-class price particularly is superb.

You’ll be able to view the entire Miles & Extra award chart on the loyalty program’s website (PDF hyperlink); notice that the award chart exhibits round-trip costs.

Do notice that Miles & Extra provides gas surcharges for many tickets — in follow, that is about $850 per round-trip ticket for intercontinental flights in first-class. The one exceptions are Air Canada flights inside North America and United Airways flights inside North America, South America and Oceania; these awards incur minimal taxes and costs.

Redeeming miles for flights is straightforward, with one giant caveat. Head to the Miles & Extra web site and navigate to the “Spend miles for flights” page. Scroll to the middle of the display screen, enter your flight particulars and click on the blue “Search flights” button. Then, your flight choices will seem on the heart of the display screen; click on on the flight you wish to e-book and comply with the on-screen prompts to e-book.

Nonetheless, there’s a maddening restriction on the flexibility to look award flights: It’s essential to have a minimum of 7,000 miles in your account earlier than you possibly can even seek for award availability, not to mention e-book it.

The most effective makes use of of Miles & Extra miles

Redeeming Miles & Extra miles is one factor, however discovering an incredible redemption is one other. The award chart may be very cheap and a few actual candy spots may be discovered. This is a have a look at a number of of our private favorites for U.S.-based vacationers:

• Lufthansa first-class: Miles & Extra gives a good redemption worth for transatlantic tickets in Lufthansa first-class following the recent LifeMiles devaluation. Nonetheless, Lufthansa solely opens first-class award area to its companions a most of two weeks earlier than departure (and often solely three days earlier than the departure date), however this is not the case for Miles & Extra. You’ll be able to entry Lufthansa’s first-class award area months beforehand, so planning holidays on one of many world’s greatest first-class merchandise is less complicated.
• Economic system flights to Hawaii: You’ll be able to e-book United financial system flights from wherever in the USA to Hawaii for simply 20,000 miles every approach in financial system class, which is a superb deal, particularly in case you are originating on the East Coast.
• North America to Oceania in enterprise class: Flights from the U.S. to Australia, New Zealand and the remainder of Oceania price simply 71,000 miles one-way.
• North America to Southeast Asia in enterprise class: Likewise, flights from North America to Southeast Asia price simply 71,000 miles one-way in enterprise class. You will need to pay gas surcharges on these tickets, however you possibly can fly superior business-class merchandise on carriers like Air Canada, All Nippon Airways and EVA Airways for a fraction of a income ticket.

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