Lufthansa Miles and More

Jan 21, 2024 By Susan Kelly

This is the loyalty program card offered by Lufthansa Airlines in the United States. It offers potentially valuable benefits if you have specific needs, such as the desire to fly frequently to destinations that Lufthansa and it's Miles & More partners can take you, which generally includes Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

However, the card does come with several severe drawbacks. One of them is a deficiency in helpful bonus-spending categories, which slows down the accumulation of reward miles and is one of the reasons for the deficiency. Additionally, the possibility of high taxes and fees on award tickets reduces the value of the awards you earn.

The card comes with an annual companion ticket, effectively a buy-one-get-one-free bargain on an economy-class ticket for a traveling companion. This might be a significant advantage. However, you will be responsible for paying the applicable taxes and fees, which might total hundreds of dollars.

You should only use this card if you flew Lufthansa or its partners. This is because it needs to catch up with the finest airline credit cards offered by major U.S. airlines. Find lufthansa miles and more review.

Key Features

  • Card type: an airline credit card
  • The cost is $89 per year.
  • Gain eligibility for the sign-up bonus of 50,000 reward miles by making a minimum of $3,000 in purchases and paying the annual fee within the first 90 days of account opening.
  • You will earn two award miles for every dollar spent on tickets purchased directly from integrated airline partners of Miles & More, but you will only earn one for every dollar spent on everything else.
  • The economy-class companion ticket is included in the cost of the companion ticket. There will be taxes and fees applied.
  • The lounge entrance is provided through two vouchers that may be used once each for usage in the Lufthansa Business Lounge.
  • APR introductory offer on balance transfers: 0% introductory APR on balance transfers for the first 15 billing cycles, followed by a variable continuing APR of either 20.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24%.
  • The cost for transferring a balance is either $5 or 5% of the total amount, whichever is larger.
  • There is no cost for international transactions.
  • Credit score required: Excellent.

Companion Ticket

After making a purchase with the card for the first time and again on the cardmember anniversary each year after that, the main cardmember is eligible for a companion ticket good for travel in economy class. To make a reservation, you must call in. The fact that the companion ticket may be subject to limitations as well as taxes and fees, which may significantly drive up the price, is one of the possible catches. For example, a weekend fee is often about $60 round way for a companion pass. This is in addition to any potentially costly taxes that may be applicable.

Rewards

You may make award reservations on Lufthansa, Austrian Carriers, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, and other Star Alliance airlines, as well as other partners, like United Airlines in the United States. Taxes and fees are not included, and the total cost of certain redemptions may increase significantly. The terms and conditions of the card state that the entire cost of taxes, fees, and carrier charges might be hundreds of dollars. You may redeem your miles for a variety of different things, including products, gift cards, vehicle rentals, and hotel stays, among other things.

Other Benefits

  • Lounge passes. Cardholders get two complimentary tickets for a single visit to the Lufthansa Business Lounge each year.
  • Convert your miles into those for elite rank. Change the award miles you earn on purchases into status miles for higher rewards. You have one opportunity every year to convert 5,000 award miles into 25,000 award miles at a ratio of 5 to 1. For example, 5,000 award miles equal 1,000 status miles after being converted. As a point of comparison, the minimum need to achieve the lowest elite level in the loyalty program is 35,000 status miles. This status is known as "Frequent Traveler."
  • Travel discounts. Get up to 15% discount on hotel reservations and vehicle rentals.

Spending Rewards

It is not very beneficial to earn double miles for expenditures linked to Lufthansa but just one mile for every dollar spent on anything else. This is because it could be more useful for ordinary spending, like purchasing groceries, eating out, or filling up your vehicle's petrol tank. At the very least, the double-mile benefits apply to more than simply traveling with Lufthansa. These direct Miles & More partners—Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Austrian Airlines Group, Eurowings, and LOT Polish Airlines—are all included. However, the majority of Americans do not consider any of these airlines to be their first choices.

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