If you are rethinking your airline loyalty, want status with more than one alliance, or are considering a move within Star Alliance, Lufthansa Miles & More is well worth a look.
This article details the essential things you need to know about the Lufthansa Miles & More programme. If you want to know the best ways to earn and spend Miles & More miles, we will be covering that in part 2.
In this post:
The Lufthansa Group
The Lufthansa Group is the largest airline group in Europe. Members and hubs include:
- Lufthansa – Frankfurt
- Austrian – Vienna
- Brussels Airlines – Brussels
- SWISS – Zurich and Geneva
- ITA Airways – Rome Fiumicino and Milan Linate
- Eurowings – Düsseldorf
- Discover Airlines – Frankfurt and Munich
This provides a great deal of flexibility. Although none of these airlines is based in the UK, you have many options for connecting to long-haul flights or for European city breaks.
The combined route map covers over 300 destinations, with plenty of European coverage and many long-haul services across North America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The Fleet
With so many airlines, the Lufthansa Group operates one of the most diverse fleets in Europe, ranging from short-haul Airbus A320 aircraft to long-haul Airbus A350s as well as Boeing 747s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
First is available on selected routes. Lufthansa’s new Allegris product is gradually rolling out, introducing enclosed Business Class suite seats on selected services and an improved First Class experience.
As with most European airlines, short-haul Business includes a blocked middle seat and onboard catering, although Eurowings has just launched ‘Premium BIZ’, a more premium 2-2 product.
Star Alliance
Lufthansa was one of the founding members of Star Alliance in 1997, and it’s since grown to be the largest alliance in the world.
When you earn Miles & More status, you can enjoy the benefits far beyond the Lufthansa Group, whether you’re flying United across the Atlantic or ANA to Japan. Frequent Traveller is equivalent to Star Alliance Silver, and Senator/HON Circle is equivalent to Star Alliance Gold. Both include additional benefits, and your status is recognised when flying with any Star Alliance airline.
The Miles & More Loyalty Programme
Miles & More is the largest European airline loyalty programme, with over 39 million members worldwide.
Tracking periods run on a calendar-year basis, from 1st January to 31st December. If you qualify or renew during that year, your status starts as soon as you earn enough points and remains valid until the end of February in the year after next.
Croatia Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines also have Miles & More as their loyalty programme.
Points, Qualifying Points, and HON Circle Points
Miles & More is not easy to get your head around. As opposed to many airline loyalty programmes, there are different kinds of points you can collect with Miles & More. Each tier requires a different combination.
- Points: Earned on flights operated by Lufthansa Group airlines, co-issuing Miles & More airline partners, and Star Alliance airlines.
- Qualifying Points: Earned on flights operated by Lufthansa Group airlines and co-issuing Miles & More airline partners. So a flight on another Star Alliance airline may earn you Points, but not the Qualifying Points needed for Frequent Traveller or Senator.
- HON Circle Points: These count only towards HON Circle status and are only earned on Business Class and First Class flights operated by Lufthansa Group airlines and co-issuing Miles & More airline partners.
To work out exactly how many Points your flight will earn, use the Miles & More Travel Calculator.
Miles & More Status Tiers Explained
Here’s how you can progress through the tiers:
Member
You’ll be a ‘Member’ as soon as you create a Miles & More account. This will enable you to earn and spend miles and start working your way towards Frequent Traveller status.
Frequent Traveller
Qualification: 650 Points and 325 Qualifying Points in a calendar year
Frequent Traveller has a great set of benefits for a first elite status level, which mainly apply if you fly on Lufthansa Group airlines rather than crediting via partners.
Benefits include:
- Star Alliance Silver status
- Access to Lufthansa Group Business Lounges when flying on eligible airlines, even in Economy. This is a great benefit! When flying on other Star Alliance airlines, Star Alliance Silver does not include lounge access. Lounges are mainly located at Lufthansa Group hubs. Lufthansa also operates lounges at airports including Heathrow, Paris CDG and New York JFK and EWR.
- Extra baggage allowance
- Business Class check-in, regardless of the cabin flown
- Up to 50% extra miles with selected airline partners
- Miles don’t expire while you hold status
- Third-highest waiting list priority on Star Alliance flights
- Service hotline for faster support
- Complimentary Standard Zone seat selection on LOT Polish Airlines
There are also extra rewards when you collect set numbers of Qualifying Points, including:
- 700 points – 1 eVoucher for a cabin upgrade
- 800 – The option to convert some miles into points to help with status. Exchange up to 20,000 miles and get up to 125 Points and 125 Qualifying Points in return.
Once you earn 30,000 Qualifying Points, you’ll be awarded Frequent Traveller Lifetime Status.
Senator
Qualification: 2,000 Points and 1,000 Qualifying Points in a calendar year
Senator is the status tier to aim for. Benefits include:
- Star Alliance Gold status
- Senator and Star Alliance Gold Lounge access, including access for you and a travel companion
- First Class check-in regardless of cabin
- Priority boarding
- Free advanced seat reservation (excludes some fares)
- A free additional golf bag
- Second-highest waiting list priority on Star Alliance flights
- Booking guarantee on fully booked flights up to 48 hours before departure
- Two eVouchers upon qualification or renewal
- Senator hotline
- Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status when you link your accounts
- An advance of up to 50,000 miles
- A Companion Award Flight, giving one companion with less miles required on the same reward booking
There are also extra benefits when you meet set Qualifying Points thresholds:
- 2,200 Qualifying Points – a €50 Worldshop gift card.
- 2,500 – two extra eVouchers
- 3,500 – Nominate someone for a Frequent Traveller partner card
- 4,500 – 15,000 miles
- 5,500 – A First Class lounge voucher
Once you’ve earned 40,000 Qualifying Points, you’ll be awarded Senator Lifetime status.
HON Circle
Qualification: 6,000 HON Circle Points in a calendar year
As a top-tier status, HON Circle is aimed at regular Business and First Class flyers. The benefits provide an end-to-end premium experience, no matter which cabin you’re travelling in. HON Circle Points are only earned on eligible Business and First flights operated by Lufthansa Group airlines and selected Miles & More partners.
Benefits include:
- First Class Lounge access, including Lufthansa First Class Lounges, SWISS First Lounges, the Austrian HON Circle Lounge and the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
- First Class check-in, including access to the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt
- Exclusive chauffeur and transfer service
- Personal 24-hour HON Circle Service
- Four eVouchers upon qualification or renewal
Priority baggage handling - Highest waiting list priority on Lufthansa Group and selected Miles & More airlines.
Booking guarantee on fully booked flights up to 24 hours before departure
Increased availability on selected award flights for you and up to three companions - A Senator partner card
- Personal assistant service in Frankfurt, Munich and selected other airports.
- Mileage advance of up to 100,000 miles
You’ll also earn extra rewards when you earn a set number of HON Circle points:
- 7,000 HON Circle Points – Two extra eVouchers
- 8,500 – 30,000 miles
- 10,000 – Two extra eVouchers
- 11,500 – A Frequent Traveller partner card plus 35,000 miles
- 13,000 – A Senator partner card plus 50,000 miles
Special Fares
- Green Fares: If you book a Green Fare, you can earn extra status credit. Miles & More awards 20% extra Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points on flights within Europe or between Europe and North Africa, and 10% extra on intercontinental flights
- CO₂ offsetting: Packages that include SAF can earn you extra Points, Qualifying Points and, in some cases, HON Circle Points. Lufthansa Group members can have slightly different packages; for example, Eurowings runs PlanetBlu, where you can earn up to 50% more points.
The Marriott Partnership
If you link your Marriott Bonvoy and Miles & More accounts, you can earn Miles & More status points on qualifying stays. Earn 40 Miles & More Points per qualified stay, up to a maximum of 120 Points per year. Marriott stays only contribute Points, not Qualifying Points.
If you have Miles & More HON Circle or Senator status, you’ll also receive complimentary Marriott Gold Elite status.
eVouchers
eVouchers are upgrade vouchers. Each upgrade requires a set number of vouchers between 1 and 3, and you can’t use them on award flights.
Here’s the cost of upgrading one way:
| Upgrade | Number of Vouchers to Upgrade from Flexible Fares | Number of Vouchers to Upgrade from Lower Fares (K, L, T / N) |
|---|---|---|
| Economy to Business Class Short Haul Europe | 1 | 1 |
| Economy to Business Class Long Haul | 2 | 3 |
| Economy to Premium Economy Long Haul | 1 | 2 |
| Premium Economy to Business Class Long Haul | 1 | 2 |
| Business Class to First Class Long Haul | 2 | 2 |
There are a number of ways to earn them, including:
- Achieving Senator or HON Circle status
- Renewing your status
- Earning a set number of Qualifying Points
Vouchers are valid for 24 months, and you can also use them with Star Alliance partners (exceptions apply).
Alternatively, you can exchange eVouchers for 50 Points, 50 Qualifying Points and 50 HON Circle Points per voucher, with up to four redeemed per transaction. There is no limit to the number of eVouchers that can be exchanged per year.
If you are a Senator or HON Circle member, you can opt to convert eVouchers into a head start for the next qualification year, with 100 Points, 100 Qualifying Points and 100 HON Circle Points credited per voucher.
Earning Miles & More Status
Miles & More has a fixed per-segment earning chart. While this makes things simple, the flying required to earn status can be anything but.
| Cabin / Route | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continental | 20 | 20 | 40 | 40 |
| Intercontinental | 60 | 80 | 200 | 400 |
The Cheapest Way to Earn Status – Examples
These examples are based on average fares but will give you an idea of how easy or cheaply you could earn status. Keep in mind that with Frequent Traveller and Senator, half of those flights can be with partner airlines. With HON Circle, all travel must be Business or First with the Lufthansa Group.
Economy Short Haul Plus Marriott Stays – Cheap but Unrealistic
Realistically, the cheapest way to earn status is to fly short-haul Economy on a qualifying airline and find low fares.
If you factor in 3 one-night Marriott stays, you could earn 120 Points. Say you book 3 cheap stays, you could spend as little as £240.
With a cost of £90 per flight + your Marriott stays, you would need to fly:
- 27 flights for Frequent Traveller – £2,670
- 94 for Senator – £8,700
However, Eurowings sells fares for as little as £21.50 one way. In this case, it’s cheaper without the Marriott stays. You would need :
- 33 flights for Frequent Traveller – £709.50
- 100 for Senator – £2,150
This is pretty good going, but very unrealistic. So yes, you can earn status cheaply, but fares like this are very hard to find, and there’s a huge amount of flying required. That’s a minimum of 50 return trips for Senator!
Business Short Haul
The cheapest way to earn status in Business Class on short-haul flights. You’ll earn 40 Points and Qualifying Points on a short-haul Business segment.
If your flights were £300 each, you would need:
- 17 one-way flights for Frequent Traveller – £5,100
- 50 for Senator – £15,000
- 150 for HON Circle – £45,000
This is a much quicker route to Economy and a far more enjoyable experience with much less flying needed.
The Fastest Way to Earn Status – Examples
Flying in First
You can essentially earn status twice as fast flying intercontinental First vs Business. You’d need to fly:
- 2 one-way flights for Frequent Traveller – £12,000
- 5 for Senator – £30,000
- 15 for HON Circle – £90,000
While this is the fastest route on paper, it’s also the most expensive, and only really makes sense if you are already flying First.
Business Long Haul + 3 Marriott Stays
If you booked one-way flights for £1,300 each, you would need:
- 4 flights for Frequent Traveller = £5,200 (or £4140 with 3 flights and 3x £80 Marriott stays)
- 10 flights for Senator = £13,000
- 30 flights for HON Circle = £39,000
Status Matches and Challenges
Miles & More has recently offered regular status matches, targeting BA status holders and members of ITA’s former Volare loyalty programme before it joined Star Alliance. We’ll let you know in our news articles if another match is launched.
Past Challenges
Lufthansa has run challenges in the past, and I imagine they will launch one again within the next year or 2. The 100k challenge gave bonus miles for flying with a set number of Lufthansa Group airlines within a time period (e.g., 60k miles for 7 airlines).
Final Words
The Miles & More loyalty programme certainly rewards commitment, but it doesn’t make it especially easy to get there.
Miles & More is a great secondary airline loyalty programme alongside your Primary one in either SkyTeam or Oneworld. Picking up Frequent Traveller for relatively low effort gives you access to Lufthansa Group lounges and a useful set of benefits.
If Star Alliance is your alliance of choice. It’s a harder decision. Where Miles & More really comes into its own is if you regularly fly Lufthansa Group airlines, and if this is you, it will be by far the best loyalty programme for you.
There’s also the option to choose another Star Alliance loyalty programme, such as Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles, United MileagePlus, or Singapore KrisFlyer, and to credit your Lufthansa Group flights to it instead. The right decision really lies with where you travel most and the extra benefits offered. You can read our full Star Alliance guide here, which compares the best options, including Miles & More.
It’s also worth being realistic about cost. The idea of earning meaningful status for £2,150 for Senator status is, in most cases, just that – an idea. It’s doable if you’re happy to fly Economy once a week… But realistically, you’re looking at 5 flights in First (approx £30,000) or 10 Business flights (£13,000). Then there’s the small matter of £39,000 minimum for HON Circle status if the goal is benefits like First Class lounge access and chauffeur service.
But, if you go all in and take advantage of the upgrades and status benefits, Miles & More can be a very rewarding programme.
Make sure you also read part 2, which goes through how to earn and spend Miles, including First redemptions. Still unsure which loyalty programme is right for you? Make sure you read our other guides:
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