Lufthansa Frequent Flyer scheme

Lufthansa's Frequent Flyer Scheme - Miles&More

Miles&More, is just like most of the rest in the Star Alliance. You get one mile for each real mile flow, even on the cheapest fares. It is however quite hard to even get onto the bottom rung of the membership ladder - you have to fly a long haul flight, to even be allowed to join.

The status miles you have earned between January 1 and December 31 of any given year add towards the status you get.

Lufthansa CRJ at London LHR

There are four tiers of Miles&More membership. Basic, Frequent Traveller, Senator, and HONCircle. Your Status Level Executive Bonus is a tally of miles flown over the past year which determines your status (to get to Silver or Gold) however it is no longer be given for Star Alliance flights except for United and Lufthansa. You advance up the tier levels as you fly more. Lufthansa are fairly good at upgrading Senator passengers, and even more so for HONs, but only if economy is overbooked. Full details on how to get upgrades are listed in the Hints & Tips section below. As always my advice on how to get an upgrade applies.

Earning Miles&More Miles

Lufthansa BAE146 at LHR

However within Europe, flights now have a fixed benefit, regardless of the length of flight. Most Economy flights (Q class) get 500 miles, while those in classes B & Y (flexible economy) get 750 miles. Class L & T (Restricted Economy) gets 125 miles.

Worldwide you get the miles flown, except for classes B & Y (flexible economy) get which gets 1.5 times the number of miles (minimum 750) while class L & T (Restrited Economy) gets 0.5 times (minimum 125 miles).

There is a 25% mileage bonus for Miles&More members with status of Frequent Flyer (Silver) and Senator (Gold) level.

The Portuguese airline TAP Air Portugal is a new Miles & More partner.

Miles&More Frequent Flyer (Basic)

Miles&More Frequent Traveller (Silver)

Miles&More Senator Card

You get access to the Lufthansa Frequent Traveller or Business Lounges all over the world, and check in at the Business Class counter, regardless of class of travel. There is also a 25% mileage bonus.

Miles&More Senator (Gold)

Miles&More Senator Card

It is well worth while getting to this level. There is Check-in at a Lufthansa First Class or Star Alliance Gold Counter, regardless of fare paid. You get an extra 20kg of luggage on all Star Alliance flights (or one more piece on US flights) and an Executive Bonus of 25% on the usual crediting of bonus (and status) miles.

Of course the main perk of this level is the lounge access. You get access to the Lufthansa Senator lounges travelling in any class, plus of course the Star Alliance Gold lounges with same day Star Alliance ticket. And - a nice bonus - is access to the Lufthansa Welcome Lounge at Frankfurt with valid Lufthansa Boarding Pass from an arriving intercontinental flight.

A totally unpublicised perk of Senator Status is access regardless of carrier. There is full open doors access for Senator status: you gain access to the Senator lounge even if flying on a non-Star Alliance carrier, or even if aren't flying anywhere. Now that airlines like BA and Qantas have axed their Open Doors scheme, it is one of the few airlines left that allows this open doors access.

Miles&More Senator Welcome Pack

On getting to this level you get two free Upgrade eVouchers, which upgrade you to the next level of service, and can also be used accompanying family members and friends. Two vouchers are required for an upgrade on intercontinental flights. You get two more eVouchers every time your status is renewed.The perk of extra upgrades at 50,000 miles has been withdrawn.

There is also an opportunity to take along a companion for half the amount of miles on a Lufthansa freebie.

On getting to this level you'll get a nice pack with your new card, a booklet with details of the scheme, and two luggage labels. These are made out of red leather with a silver buckle (and say Lufthansa on one side, and Lufthansa the other) with a plastic slip in card. These act as a priority luggage offload indicator, and means your luggage, should, in theory, come off the conveyor first. This is always a bit of a gamble.

For Senators, if you fly long haul in economy, you will be seated in the first four rows of the economy section, or the exit row and the window seats of the last two rows. These are signed as "preferred" seats, and blocked for status customers, as a "quiet zone". Ths is stricly enforced for pre-reservations, and if you are travelling with non-status passengers, you will be forced to sit elsewhere.

Finally, there is an account overdraft, or rather what is called a "Mileage advance" of up to 50,000 miles, if you don't have enough accumulated miles to cover the cost of an award. Alas, you really do have to pay this back by the time your Senator status expires. The overdraft used to be a lot more generous, but abuse by some members means this perk had to be scaled back.

Miles&More Hon Circle (Black)

The perks are a delight - there is Check-in at a Lufthansa First Class or Star Alliance Gold Counter, regardless of fare paid. Access to the worldwide Lufthansa Senator lounges and Star Alliance Gold lounges with same day Star Alliance ticket. You get an extra 20kg of luggage on all Star Alliance flights (or one more piece on US flights) and an Executive Bonus of 25% on the usual crediting of bonus (and status) miles. Your partner is automatically given a Senator card.

The best bit is you get access to Lufthansa's First Class lounges. A personal assistant will be there for you, to help you with anything you may need from the moment you arrive. They will take care of the check-in and will accompany you through a special security control. They will also handle all the formalities for international flights, leaving you free to enjoy the benefits of the FRA & MUC First Class lounges, which are two of the best in the world, with relaxation zones, bathrooms, restaurants, and a limo to the plane. Note that you don't get this if you are just transiting at these airports, unless you deliberately exit then take a cab to the first class terminal.

There is full open doors access: you are allowed to enter all lounges, including First Class, even when travelling on non Star Alliance airlines, or even if you don't fly that day at all. Alas, there is an exception. For the First class terminal at Frankfurt, you will have to have a boarding pass for Lufthansa.