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11 Best Ways to Redeem Lufthansa Miles & More Miles for Max Value
Stephen Au
- Updated: August 14, 2022, 7:57am CDT | 41Comments
Earning Miles & More Miles With the Lufthansa Credit Card
The 11 Best Ways to Redeem Lufthansa Miles & More
1. Access Lufthansa First Class Award Space in Advance
2. Fly Star Alliance North America to South America: 56,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
3. Fly Star Alliance North America to Australia/New Zealand: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
4. Fly Star Alliance North America to Southeast Asia: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
5. Fly Star Alliance Domestic North America: 20,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
6. Fly Star Alliance North America to Asia: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
7. Fly Star Alliance North America to Southern Africa: 96,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
8. Fly Star Alliance North America to the Middle East: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
9. Fly Star Alliance North America to India: 96,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
10. Fly Star Alliance North America to Europe: 56,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
11. Leverage the Generous Definition of Central America & the Caribbean to Save Big on Economy Tickets
Booking Award Flights With Lufthansa
Using Your Lufthansa Miles & More
Star Alliance Lufthansa Airline Partners
Non-Star Alliance Lufthansa Airline Partners
Lufthansa Miles & More Award Chart
Awards Bookable Online vs. Phone
Award Redemption Rules
Lufthansa is not an award program most people think of when wanting to book an award flight. The inability to search for award flights without miles in your account and the fact that Lufthansa doesn't partner with any transferable currencies is a huge disadvantage.
However, there are definitely some options for you to maximize those points!
Access Lufthansa First Class Award Space in Advance
Fly Star Alliance North America to South America: 56,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to Australia/New Zealand: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to Southeast Asia: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance Domestic North America: 20,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to Asia: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to Southern Africa: 96,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to the Middle East: 71,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to India: 96,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Fly Star Alliance North America to Europe: 56,000 Miles in Business Class One-Way
Leverage the Generous Definition of Central America & the Caribbean to Save Big on Economy Tickets
Lufthansa Miles & More miles can be earned by signing up for its co-branded Barclays credit card.
The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® will let your spending earn Lufthansa miles to redeem for award flights. And since Miles & More doesn't have any useful U.S. transfer partners, this card can become incredibly valuable.
» Related: 14 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Lufthansa Miles & More Miles [2023]
Lufthansa is a member of the Star Alliance, and the airline also partners with airlines that are not affiliated with an alliance. What does this mean? If you are looking to use miles on flights to different countries and continents, the Lufthansa program can be used to your advantage.
In this article, we'll cover the best ways to redeem your miles for maximum value. When calculating the miles required for your award flight, it's important to note that Lufthansa uses both an award chart and a mileage calculator.
Lufthansa First Class in the nose of the 747-8 is like your own private jet, but with even better service. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash
If you wanted to access first class flights award space to Europe, you'd very quickly find that your only shot is Lufthansa's frequent flyer program. If you try to book Lufthansa first class using partner miles, you can only access availability a maximum of 15 days before departure.
If you've got significant credit card spending and are absolutely dead-set on trying Lufthansa first class without having to plan so close to departure, your only shot is to redeem Miles & More miles.
However, you can access award space up to 360 days before departure, which means you can plan almost a year in advance, provided you find availability. The cost for a one-way flight from the U.S. to Europe in first class is 91,000 miles, plus taxes and fees.
Miles & More passes on all fuel surcharges, so expect to also pay ~$850 in taxes and fees to go along with it. Here are some routes that don't originate in the U.S. but avoid pesky fuel surcharges:
Bangkok (BKK) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 111,000 miles + ~$300 in taxes and fees
Bogota (BOG) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 111,000 miles + ~$397.55 in taxes and fees
Buenos Aires (EZE) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 111,000 miles + ~$354.17 in taxes and fees
Cape Town (CPT) – Munich (MUC) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 91,000 miles + $260 in taxes and fees
Hong Kong (HKG) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 111,000 miles + ~$45 in taxes and fees
Mexico City (MEX) – Munich (MUC) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 101,000 miles + ~$281.08 in taxes and fees
São Paulo (GRU) – Frankfurt (FRA) one-way in Lufthansa first class for 111,000 miles + ~$47 in taxes and fees
Fly United business class to South America! Image Credit: Stephen Au
Several award programs divide South America into 2 separate regions. What makes Lufthansa's program great is that it groups the entire continent into 1 region. This means that you'll receive even more value for long-haul flights to southern South America.
Lufthansa considers Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela in its South America region.
For North America, Lufthansa puts Canada, Greenland, and the U.S. (excluding Hawaii) into the same North America region.
With 56,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight from North America to South America. You can also receive solid value for economy flights at 30,000 Lufthansa miles one-way.
Examples of nonstop Star Alliance flights to South America include:
Chicago (ORD) – São Paulo (GRU) on United
Los Angeles (LAX) – Bogota (BOG) on Avianca
Toronto (YYZ) – Santiago (SCL) on Air Canada
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be around $28. If you are flying Air Canada, expect to pay significantly more in taxes and fees; we recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide for booking United Airlines business class.
Try Air New Zealand in business class on your flight to Fiji. Image Credit: Air New Zealand
Nonstop flights to the South Pacific are long, which is why many people opt for business class. With Lufthansa, you can fly nonstop in business class for a reasonable number of miles.
Lufthansa groups Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tahiti (among others) into its Australia, New Zealand, Oceania region.
With 71,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight from the U.S. to Australia or New Zealand. Economy can also be a good way to use your miles at 40,000 Lufthansa miles one-way.
Hot Tip: The highest odds of snagging a coveted business class flight are within 30 days of departure from the U.S. to Australia or New Zealand.
Examples of nonstop Star Alliance flights to Australia or New Zealand include:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD) on United
San Francisco (SFO) – Auckland (AKL) on Air New Zealand
Curious about which cities Air New Zealand flies to from the U.S.? Check out our definitive guide to Air New Zealand's nonstop U.S. routes!
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be around $50. We recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
A comfortable lie-flat seat, fantastic food and beverage offerings, and even pajamas are what you can expect in EVA Air business class. Image Credit: EVA Air
Southeast Asia, like Australia or New Zealand, takes time to get to from the U.S. You will likely be on a 12-hour flight at some point, so many people focus on finding a comfortable way to fly that leg.
Lufthansa groups Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam (among others) in its Southeast Asia region.
With 71,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight from North America to Southeast Asia. While economy is only 40,000 Lufthansa miles one-way, you will not receive a ton of value because the cash cost of these flights tends to be low.
Hot Tip: Nonstop business class flights to this region are hard to find, so you will want to search close-in for an award flight.
Examples of nonstop Star Alliance flights to Southeast Asia include:
Los Angeles (LAX) – Singapore (SIN) on Singapore Airlines (partner availability in business class occasionally opens up on this route)
New York (JFK) – Taipei (TPE) on EVA Air
San Francisco (SFO) – Singapore (SIN) on United
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight should be around $28, though we recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide for booking Singapore Airlines business class.
Air Canada Signature class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Image Credit: Air Canada
While booking a domestic U.S. or Canada business class flight may not be as exciting as Southeast Asia or Australia, you can find value for these flights with Lufthansa miles.
With 20,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight within North America.
Examples of nonstop intra-North America Star Alliance flights include:
Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO) on United
Toronto (YYZ) to Vancouver (YVR) on Air Canada
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be around $43, and you can expect to pay more taxes and fees when flying Air Canada. We recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
If you want to fly to the Northwest Territories in Canada from the U.S., the cash cost will be astronomical. Luckily, you can see the Northern Lights with points with this itinerary:
Newark (EWR) – Vancouver (YVR) – Yellowknife (YZF) on Air Canada business class
This entire itinerary will run you only 30,000 miles + taxes and fees. Cash tickets on this itinerary will run you upwards of $2,000, which gives you a phenomenal 6-7 cents per point in value!
Have Air Canada Aeroplan Points? See our best ways to use Aeroplan points.
Enjoy the comfort of ANA business class. Image Credit: Stephen Au
Another long-haul flight that you'll probably want to fly in a premium cabin: U.S. to Asia.
Lufthansa groups China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, South Korea, and Taiwan in its Central Asia/Far East region, while other award programs typically do not include all of these countries in the same region.
With 71,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way business class Star Alliance flight from the U.S. to Asia. While economy is only 40,000 Lufthansa miles one-way, you will not receive a ton of value because the cash cost of these flights tends to be low.
Hot Tip: You will want to search close-in for award space in a premium cabin. Award space can be sparse if you're looking to fly on a prime carrier such as ANA or EVA Air.
Examples of nonstop intra-North America Star Alliance flights to Asia include:
Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT) on ANA
Houston (IAH) – Taipei (TPE) on EVA Air
San Francisco (SFO) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND) on United
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Beijing (PEK) on Air China
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be between $28-$242, depending on the airline. We recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide for booking EVA Air business class.
South African Airways A330-300 business class. Image Credit: South African Airways
Nonstop flights from the U.S. to Africa can be tough to find, but you're in luck: South African Airways will cover you.
Lufthansa divides Africa into 2 regions, with the Southern Africa region including Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
With 96,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way business class flight from the U.S. to southern Africa. Economy can also be a decent way to use your miles at 50,000 Lufthansa miles one-way.
Hot Tip: Nonstop business class flights from the U.S. to Africa are hard to find, so you will want to search 10 to 11 months out in the award calendar for availability.
South African Airways is the only airline offering nonstop flights on the following routes:
New York (JFK) – Johannesburg (JNB)
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Accra (ACC)
Also, United Airlines offers a nonstop flight from Newark (EWR) to Cape Town (CPT), which is a whopping 14 hours 30 minutes long.
Remember that not all of these routes above fall into the Southern Africa region, but they're excellent routing options for an onward, short-haul flight to your final destination.
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be around $285, but we still recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
It's going to be easy to wake up from a good night's sleep after flying Ethiopian's business class to Africa! Image Credit: Ethiopian Airlines
With the way Lufthansa divides Africa and the Middle East regions, the Middle East region is served by a few Star Alliance Airlines.
Lufthansa groups Egypt, Ethiopia, and Morocco (among others) in its Middle East region. Collectively, the following countries make up the "Middle East, Caucasus, North, West & Central Africa" region: Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Azores, Bahrain, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Madeira, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Ruanda, São Tomé and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen.
With 71,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight from the U.S. to the Middle East. Economy is only 40,000 Lufthansa miles one-way, but you will not receive much value because the cash cost of these flights tends to be low.
Hot Tip: Award availability in business class is hard to find. Based on a recent search, you will want to look 10-11 months out into the award calendar.
Examples of nonstop Star Alliance flights to the Middle East include:
Chicago (ORD) – Addis Ababa (ADD) on Ethiopian Airlines
Houston (IAH) – Lomé (LFW) on Ethiopian Airlines
New York (JFK) – Abidjan (ABJ) on Ethiopian Airlines
New York (JFK) – Cairo (CAI) on Egyptair
Newark (EWR) – Lomé (LFW) on Ethiopian Airlines
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Addis Ababa (ADD) on Ethiopian Airlines
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Cairo (CAI) on Egyptair
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be between $224 and $241. We recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
Bottom Line: With 2 Star Alliance airlines covering this region, you will have a much better chance of finding award availability in a premium cabin.
United Polaris 787-10. Image Credit: Stephen Au
The India region includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
With 96,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight from the U.S. to the India region.
Examples of nonstop Star Alliance flights to the India region include:
Chicago (ORD) – Delhi (DEL) on Air India
Newark (EWR) – Mumbai (BOM) on United
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be around $28 and will be significantly higher when flying Air India. We recommend calling Lufthansa to confirm the taxes and fees.
Middle seats provide direct aisle access in Lufthansa business class. Image Credit: Lufthansa
With so many of its member airlines based in Europe, the Star Alliance provides several nonstop flights from the U.S. to Europe.
With 56,000 Lufthansa miles, you can book a one-way Star Alliance business class flight from the U.S. to Europe.
Examples of nonstop Star Alliance flights to the Europe region include:
Chicago (ORD) – Amsterdam (AMS) on United
Los Angeles (LAX) – Vienna (VIE) on Austrian Airlines
San Francisco (SFO) – Zurich (ZRH) on SWISS Air Lines
Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Frankfurt (FRA) on Lufthansa
Taxes and fees for a one-way business class flight will be around $220 on United. The taxes and fees will vary by airline, with Lufthansa having higher taxes and fees (often over $600) — though it's best to call and confirm the taxes and fees before you book.
Need help booking an award ticket? See our step-by-step guide for booking Lufthansa business class.
Image Credit: My Caribbean Life
Miles & More considers Mexico as part of the greater "Central America & the Caribbean" region, which means that you can get some great deals on economy tickets for flights within these places: Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands.
One-way flights in economy are only 17,500 miles, which means that you can offset the cost of some pretty expensive tickets if you're traveling to obscure parts of this region. Here are some great example redemptions you can make:
Mexico City (MEX) – Panama City (PTY) – Port of Spain (POS) on Copa Airlines
Monterrey (MTY) – Panama City (PTY) – Aruba (AUA) on Copa Airlines
San Jose del Cabo (SJD) – San Salvador (SAL) – San Jose (SJO) on Avianca
The Lufthansa Terms & Conditions outline most of the redemption rules including stopovers, open jaws, and "Round the World" award flights.
It's important to read through the rules or contact the Miles & More team with questions related to your specific redemption.
» Related: The Best Ways To Fly to the Caribbean With Points and Miles
Miles & More is the frequent flyer program of Lufthansa and airlines like Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS Air Lines, and LOT Polish.
Lufthansa is a member of the Star Alliance (along with United Airlines), and it has individual partnerships with airlines outside of the Star Alliance.
Lufthansa's airline partners include the Star Alliance:
Aegean Ethiopian
Air Canada EVA Air
Air China LOT Polish Airlines
Air India Lufthansa
Air New Zealand Scandinavian Airlines
ANA Shenzhen Airlines
Asiana Airlines Singapore Airlines
Austrian South African Airways
Avianca SWISS
Brussels Airlines TAP Air Portugal
Copa Airlines Thai Airways
Croatia Airlines Turkish Airlines
Egypt Air United Airlines
Non-Star Alliance Partners
Air Astana Eurowings
Air Dolomiti LATAM
Air Malta Luxair
Cathay Pacific Olympic Air
The Miles & More program uses a region-based award chart that is driven by the destination/origin and the class of cabin you are flying in.
As noted in the award chart, you can combine Star Alliance flights with Lufthansa flights, as well as with other airline partners on a single award.
The award chart also has separate pricing for domestic flights (within and outside of Europe), flights using 3 regions, and "Round the World" itineraries.
Here's the award chart:
Miles & More Award Chart from May 9, 2019. Image Credit: Miles & More
Hot Tip: Child tickets for flights on Adria Airways, Austrian Airlines, Air Dolomiti, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Luxair, and SWISS can be booked at a 25% mileage discount.
Lufthansa's terms and conditions state that you can book award flights on the Lufthansa or Miles & More website for all flights operated by Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air Dolomiti, Air Malta, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Croatia Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, LOT Polish Airlines (except Premium Economy Class), Lufthansa, Luxair, Scandinavian Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS Air Lines, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines.
If you are looking to book an airline not listed, contact the local Miles & More team in California.
When searching for award space, the first choice would be United Airlines' website. Other options to search for Star Alliance award flights include Aeroplan and ANA.
Lufthansa has several terms to review from its website. Here are a few of the most important rules:
One-way flights can be booked with Lufthansa miles.
Star Alliance flights can be combined with Lufthansa as well as other airline partners within 1 award.
Stopovers and connecting flights require you to contact the Lufthansa team to book.
"Round the World" flights must cross the Atlantic and the Pacific once, and there must be at least 10 days between the start of the first and completion of the last long-haul flight.
For a flight award for children aged between 2 and 12 years, 75% of the miles for an award flight with a return flight are required. Infants who do not occupy a seat only pay the taxes, fees, and surcharges.
Flights can be booked up to 360 days before the departure date required.
If you need to rebook or cancel an award ticket, you will need to pay $58 per person. You can only change the date and time of the flight when you rebook. It is not possible to change the route.
Fly Smart awards are discounted flights that can only be booked online.
Mileage bargains are similar to Fly Smart awards but are temporary discounted offers.
The Miles & More program is an under-the-radar program that provides value on select routes. As with many award programs, the best way to use your miles is on long-haul flights in a premium cabin.
Now it's time to use your Lufthansa miles for an award flight!
Featured Image Credit: Cherag Dubash
How can I earn miles on Lufthansa?
You can earn miles for flights on Lufthansa and its partner airlines by booking with its hotel and car rental partners, and spending on Lufthansa's co-branded credit card.
Is it possible to earn Lufthansa Miles & More by using credit cards?
Lufthansa's co-branded Barclays credit card earns miles directly with Miles & More.
What are Miles & More worth?
You should be able to find redemption values above 5 cents per mile, particularly for premium cabins.
When you are looking at economy redemptions, recent searches confirm you can still receive more than 2 cents per mile in value.
Are Miles & More refundable?
Yes, but you will need to pay $58 to rebook or cancel the award flight that you booked.
When do Miles & More expire?
Your Lufthansa miles will expire after 36 months.
Is Lufthansa part of United Airlines?
Lufthansa is not part of United Airlines, but both airlines are part of the Star Alliance.
The alliance means you can redeem your Lufthansa miles for flights on United and your United Airlines miles for flights on Lufthansa.
While you can use miles from one airline to fly another airline, it's not possible to combine miles between the 2 programs.
How much does it cost to buy Miles & More miles?
Lufthansa does not currently offer the option to buy airline miles.
About Stephen Au
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Stephen has been privileged to enjoy many premium cabin products and 5-star hotels. As one of the foremost experts in credit cards, over the past 4 years, he has amassed a portfolio of over 70 credit cards, both personal and business. Stephen has personally tested, first-hand, almost every major rewards credit card on the market today, spanning banks such as American Express, Bank of America, Barclays, Brex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, City National Bank, U.S. Bank, and more.
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Dan Wasserman April 21, 2019
I am an Aeroplan member and looking at booking one-way flights for my wife and me from Eilat (ETH) to Frankfurt (FRA) next April. Is the mileage half of the 40,000 each? What are the likely service charges?
Stephen Au April 26, 2019
Since you're using Aeroplan miles, you need to follow their award chart here.
https://www.aeroplan.com/use-your-miles/flight-rewards-chart
Your economy flights will be 45,000 miles round trip per person or 22,500 miles one way per person.
The estimated taxes and fees will vary depending on the carrier. You can follow the steps in the below link to figure out the taxes and fees.
https://upgradedpoints.com/airline-fuel-surcharges/#How-to-Figure-Out-if-a-Flight-has-Fuel-Surcharges
Healy May 27, 2019
Where are you obtaining the list of non-alliance airline partners? I don't see any mention on the T&C and this page:
https://www.miles-and-more.com/row/en/program/partners.html#categoryselected=airlines
is all wonky.
Michael McHugh June 7, 2019
Hi Healy,
I'm not sure I'm following what you mean. When you review the list of the airline partners, I'm seeing the partners listed in the link that you sent.
Elena June 4, 2019
I'm impressed with the program and would like to join it. What steps should I take to accomplish it? Where can I find a form to fill in?
Christine Krzyszton June 4, 2019
Hello Elena. Here is the link to register. Click on "register" in the upper right hand corner. Thanks for reading. https://www.lufthansa.com/de/en/account-statement
Mike July 23, 2019
Thank you for the article. I'm trying to get to Hawaii from New York, and according to this I can book a round-trip in Economy with 40,000 Miles and More points. Are there any restrictions? United is charging 100,000 miles or more for an Economy round-trip flight, but I'd love to book through Miles and More and get them for 40,000 each. Any advice?
Stephen Au July 23, 2019
United Airlines uses dynamic award pricing, and MileagePlus members will have increased access to award availability whereas Miles & More members won't. You should be able to book an itinerary that is acceptable… it just might not be on the dates you like or the schedule you love. Please try looking for awards online on the Miles & More website. Thanks for reading.
Joseph Kania August 1, 2019
Any tips on how to get 1000 miles into my account? Hotel transfers no longer work and the new transfer option of 10 Euros per 1000 miles always gives me "unexpected error" and charges my credit card. I have called and emailed Lufthansa and they have been useless(they say something about it being a 3rd party transaction). They don't even have a contact number for LoyLogic (company running the point transfer). Thanks.
Christine Krzyszton August 5, 2019
Hi Joseph. Since your credit card was charged for the miles, you will see the transaction on your credit card statement. There should be a contact number for the third party listed in the charge details. If not, try this contact information I found on their website. email: [email protected] and phone number: +41 43 500 51 55
Joe May 27, 2020
I've had the same experience with LoyLogic. The charges aren't just holds either, they post to the credit card. Had to dispute through my card issuer.
BEATRICE AYEBARE KASIGAZI August 17, 2019
How long does it take for miles to be updated after a flight?
Jarrod West August 18, 2019
Hi Beatrice,
It can take up to 7 days after your flight for your miles to post to your account.
Sebastian August 19, 2019
Can you please show me an example award for North America to Europe, where the fees are only 28 USD for a 56k one-way Business Class award ticket? Its usually 300-800 USD per one-way (via miles&more website/service center)
Stephen Au August 19, 2019
Since fuel surcharges are not regulated in Europe, the best way to avoid fees is by booking with a carrier that doesn't levy fuel surcharges, such as United Airlines.
Thats not true…
ZRH-SFO one way – Economy 30k miles&more:
Direct with SWISS: +171 CHF surcharges
Direct with United: +272 CHF surcharges
Business class surcharges are double of those.
There are no cheap economy or business class flights for USD 5-10 like you state in your post. Please prove me wrong, would be happy to see such cheap award flights.
Andrew Kunesh August 23, 2019
Hey Sebastian, thanks for bringing this to our attention. Lufthansa raised taxes on award prices last year—we've updating the article to reflect this change. Safe travels!
Joel Berman November 1, 2019
Nice article but you can't transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Lufthansa since last June. Not sure if that will be restored or not.
Carole November 10, 2019
Hello, thanks for the useful information. I just earned Lufthansa Senator status for the third year in a row. The first year I received two upgrade vouchers. Last year I did not receive the vouchers. This year, I just received two vouchers. Does that sound right? do they only award the upgrade vouchers every other year? Thanks for any info!
Stephen Au November 12, 2019
That sounds a bit strange. Are you sure that you received vouchers and they just expired? In any case, it might be worth escalating with Lufthansa Miles & More to address your concerns.
Mary November 24, 2019
Hi, I have an issue with Miles and More. Tried to reach them by email and phone in Germany but they ignore me. What is the best way to reach their headquarters. Any names?
Christine Krzyszton November 25, 2019
Hi Mary. You could try their Twitter team @Miles_and_More. Perhaps one of our readers might have another suggestion or a specific contact.
peta colebatch January 7, 2020
I am having difficulty, as just credited my Miles and More points on long business class flight from australia to south america… and this was on the understanding I could transfer the points to my other frequent flyer programs. I'm now told this is not possible. So is it possible for me to use these points for family members to fly from Canada to Europe this year? It will be the only way I can get value from these points. thanks
Jarrod West January 8, 2020
Hi Peta,
Yes, you can definitely use your miles to book a ticket for someone else. Just make sure you put all of their info in as the passenger when booking the ticket.
Dave April 10, 2020
Is there anyway to extend miles and more points besides paying ransom prices or opening a credit card to extend them?
Jarrod West April 10, 2020
Hi Dave,
There is one other option, and that is to have elite status with Lufthansa. Those who have Frequent Traveller status, or higher, in the program will never lose their miles.
Dina Osman October 12, 2020
Due to the current situation and not being able to fly, what are the possibilities to spend the award miles other than spending them on flights and hotels? What are other options to use them before they expire?
Jarrod West October 13, 2020
Hi Dina,
This website will show you all of your options for redemptions. It includes options like redeeming your miles for merchandise or gift cards.
Jeff January 30, 2021
Am I crazy or are domestic USA redemptions on United metal no longer showing up? Sitting on a bunch of Miles & More expiring late summer. Need a backup if travel to Europe from USA and back is still restricted. I'm DFW based. DFW to ORD our IAH (United's current nonstops) don't show for Miles & More redemption but can be booked for $$ on Lufthansa's site. Tried many other United domestic routes, can't get Miles & More availability for any dates or locations. Not an issue with United universally as I can get them to pop up on South America routes.
Stephen Au February 1, 2021
Hey Jeff,
United has different levels of availability that don't always have the same partner level access.
In order to see availability that you can book using Lufthansa miles, you must find flights that are priced at the same rate as the old United award chart.
You're definitely not crazy, but United opens up more award space for its own MileagePlus members at different prices.
Jeff February 1, 2021
Thanks for the reply. So searching for Miles & More availability directly is not great. I need to select specific dates and they just come up with zero availability. For example, DFW to ORD and doing an individual search for each date. Takes a long time and can't seem to trigger any availability. With your reference to United availability and award chart, are you saying I can try an find availability via United's platform and then plug those discovered dates into Lufthansa's search? I'm DFW based so not as fluent with United. I'm very flexible on dates so I'd love to just have the system tell me when I can get from DFW to ORD and back on M&M points between now and the end of summer! Although I may just have to take a hit and get the credit card so I can extend and use them for a better international redemption once the world opens up. Thanks again for the reply!
Yes, you can find availability via United's platform. Only a small percentage of availability that you see on United's platform will also show up on Miles & More.
You can also call Lufthansa Miles & More, where the agents can search a bit quicker for you. The plus is that all the flights the Miles & More agent sees will be bookable using the miles you wish to use. The phone number is 1-800-581-6400.
Mike November 1, 2021
"Miles will expire after 36 months of no activity in your Lufthansa account." This is wrong. They will expire after 36 months regardless of activities.
Jarrod West November 9, 2021
Thanks for pointing that out! I've just corrected the post.
Daniel January 31, 2022
The big scam of Miles and More is that it adds airline surcharges even if the airline doesn't have them! With almost every flight, you will see the same "international/domestic surcharge" of CHF 270. HOWEVER, United does not have these surcharges yet Miles and More charges them anyway for flights exclusively using United. Of course, you can get rid of these surcharges (that don't exist in the first place) by using the Flex option of more miles. Then you only have to pay what the airline actually charges. I asked a representative why this was the case and of course, didn't get an explanation that was credible. If I didn't have quite a few miles in my account (that I can never seem to use), I'd get rid of it. I already took an Amex Platinum and so now all purchases go on that card and NOT the Miles and More Amex I already had.
Stephen Au January 31, 2022
Chances are that United is levying the same fuel surcharges as Lufthansa. You can actually use the Google ITA Matrix to check whether your flight has fuel surcharges:
https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/airlines/airline-fuel-surcharges/
Ethan Solomita February 21, 2022
As far as I can tell, it is impossible to book any flights ex-SFO in business except on LH/LX using the miles-and-more website. I cannot reproduce any options for any dates as mentioned in this article. I also cannot find a single date ex SFO to Europe in F.
Most of my searches just give me an error screen, that I can't fly there. Searches for Europe turn up LH but never UA.
Could someone tell me what I'm missing? I'm feeling like my miles are worth nothing at all except if I want to fly coach or Lufthansa to Europe in business.
Stephen Au February 22, 2022
These flights are very difficult to find. If you look at the entire calendar of ~360 days, you might only find 1 or 2 dates with availability for 1 passenger in Lufthansa first class.
Keep looking, I promise you, it's possible!
Madhukar Kulkarni May 17, 2022
I am member of LH MM program. I tried booking flight from Mumbai to SFO,one way for self and my spouse, by Swiss air or Singapore airlines. But both booking sites are not accepting my LH MM number and accept only respective airline milage program numbers like Swiss MM no or SIA MM no.
Please clarify how I can redeem my LH miles for booking flights on other member airlines including Air India. Can LH Customer service help me to book my flight on above airlines? Thanks in advance.
Stephen Au May 19, 2022
Hi Madhukar,
It is best to give Lufthansa Miles & More customer service a call. Provide them with your Lufthansa loyalty program number, and they should be able to help you search for flights on Swiss Air or Singapore Airlines that you can book using miles. Just remember that Singapore Airlines doesn't release award seats for flights to the U.S. in business or first class to partners like Miles & More.
Thomas August 3, 2022
Miles and More is the most useless flier program on the planet. Period. Awards are pretty much never available. At least not when you want to fly. If you're lucky they let you redeem your miles at times when no one wants to fly anyway. And then they will offer you awful connecting flights and charge you outrageous fees on top of that. I avoid Lufthansa whenever I can. If you feel the urge to collect miles do it with Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Canada or Oman Air.
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