Lufthansa Miles & Extra: How one can earn and redeem miles, elite standing and extra

Lufthansa Group has grown a ton lately. The group purchased a number of European airways whereas increasing the Lufthansa route community from its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Munich Airport (MUC) hubs. One factor you might 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 & Extra has some attention-grabbing candy spots that make it price taking a better take a look at in case you’re primarily based in Europe. Plus, U.S.-based flyers that ceaselessly 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 accomplice.

You are in the correct place if you’re curious concerning the Miles & Extra program. Right here, we’ll clarify every thing that you must know, beginning with elite standing and accomplice 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, nevertheless it’s used as the first loyalty program for a lot of completely 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 totally owned by Lufthansa Group or have beforehand been partially or wholly owned by the group. Nonetheless, some airways — particularly LOT Polish Airways and Croatia Airways — have by no means been affiliated with Lufthansa Group however nonetheless choose to make use of Miles & Extra as a loyalty program.

As most of those airways are members of Star Alliance, you will not be stunned to study you may 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

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

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

Be aware that there could also be restrictions relating to the flights on which you’ll earn or redeem miles inside these partnerships. Assessment the airline’s accomplice web page on the Miles & Extra web site earlier than you intend your travels so what to anticipate.

Miles & Extra elite standing tiers

Like most airline loyalty packages, Miles & Extra gives a wide range 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, you will need 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 here are the next level thresholds wanted to attain standing:

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

You’ll be able to solely earn factors, qualifying factors and HON Circle factors for elite standing by flying, versus another packages that help you earn standing from bank card spending. Nonetheless, a restricted variety of factors, qualifying factors and Hon Circle factors might be earned on journeys with Austrian AIRail, Lufthansa Specific 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 a number of the most premium perks of all airline statuses. Here is a take 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 economic system, two further luggage in premium economic system and enterprise class, and three further luggage in firstclass.
• 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 telephone 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 accomplice lounges like United Golf equipment or the Air Canada Maple Leaf lounges. It’s because Frequent Traveller contains Star Alliance Silver advantages, not Star Alliance Gold.

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Senator

• All the advantages of Frequent Traveller.
• Senator and Star Alliance Gold lounge entry.
• First-class check-in.
• Precedence safety.
• Precedence boarding.
• Two improve eVouchers annually that you should use for a one-class improve. You should use one eVoucher for an improve inside a single area or two vouchers for an intercontinental one-class improve. For instance, upgrading from premium economic 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 contains 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. It is 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 luggage in economic system class (relying on the route), three luggage in premium economic system and enterprise class, and 4 luggage in firstclass.

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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 would not have switch companions, that does not imply they’re inconceivable to earn — listed below are all the most effective 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 accomplice flight not ticketed by a Miles & Extra airline, you may earn miles primarily based on the next calculations:

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

Incomes charges can differ from service to service and depend upon how the ticket was booked. Examine every service’s incomes price 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 referred to as the Miles & Extra® 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 should 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 price and could be a good possibility for incomes Miles & Extra miles.

The data 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 supplied by the cardboard issuer.

E book lodge rooms and rental vehicles

You too can earn Miles & Extra miles whenever you ebook lodge rooms with the Miles & Extra lodge reserving platform. For instance, you may earn 500 miles per qualifying keep at choose Hyatt motels. Simply notice that you simply usually will not be capable of earn lodge factors or use lodge elite standing advantages on these bookings because you’re reserving by an on-line journey company. Nonetheless, many boutique and unbiased motels are listed on the Miles & Extra portal, so it could be worthwhile to make use of it to ebook motels that you simply would not in any other case earn factors with.

You too can ebook rental vehicles by the portal however could not be capable of use automotive rental standing advantages or earn rental automotive standing. As at all times, think about whether or not incomes Miles & Extra miles outweighs these potential exclusions.

One factor to remember: At all times cross-check lodge and rental automotive costs when utilizing the Miles & Extra lodge portal. Whereas the costs are often akin to reserving instantly, generally the costs can fluctuate.

Redeeming miles with Miles & Extra

We usually suggest redeeming your Miles & Extra miles for award journey. When you can redeem for merchandise, lodge 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 value. Award flights are priced primarily based on zone and sophistication of service, and you’ll ebook any Star Alliance flight with award area. As for pricing, award flights are surprisingly affordable. For instance, transatlantic flights are 30,000 miles in economic system, 40,000 in premium economic system class, 56,000 in enterprise class and 91,000 in firstclass. The business-class price particularly is superb.

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

Do notice that Miles & Extra provides gas surcharges for many tickets — in observe, that is about $850 per round-trip ticket for intercontinental flights in firstclass. 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 charges.

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” web 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 middle of the display screen; click on on the flight you wish to ebook and comply with the on-screen prompts to ebook.

Nonetheless, there’s a maddening restriction on the flexibility to look award flights: You need to have at the least 7,000 miles in your account earlier than you may even seek for award availability, not to mention ebook it.

The most effective makes use of of Miles & Extra miles

Redeeming Miles & Extra miles is one factor, however discovering an amazing redemption is one other. The award chart could be very affordable and a few actual candy spots might be discovered. Here is a take a look at a couple of of our private favorites for U.S.-based vacationers:

• Lufthansa firstclass: Miles & Extra gives an honest redemption worth for transatlantic tickets in Lufthansa firstclass following the current 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 finest first-class merchandise is simpler.
• Economic system flights to Hawaii: You’ll be able to ebook United economic system flights from anyplace in the USA to Hawaii for simply 20,000 miles every approach in economic system class, which is a good deal, particularly if you’re 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 may need to pay gas surcharges on these tickets, however you may 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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Backside line

Lufthansa Group’s Miles & Extra program is among the many most rewarding loyalty packages. HON Circle and Senator standing supply standout advantages, and its redemption charges for premium-cabin awards are a number of the finest. Nonetheless, its miles are additionally one of many hardest currencies to earn, particularly for these of us primarily based within the U.S.