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The Best Ways To Book Lufthansa First Class Using Points [Step-by-Step]

BY 

Spencer Howard

- UPDATED: October 22, 2021

1. Travel  / 
2. Airlines

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Without a doubt, the most famous first class experience from Europe is the Lufthansa first class cabin. The service inflight is tough to match, and the lounge experience in Frankfurt is simply stunning!

Carriers from the Middle East and Asia continue to provide amazing first class experiences, but the Lufthansa first class cabin remains one of the best experiences in the sky.

Let’s look at what you’ll get when you book Lufthansa first class, and then dive into booking this amazing experience using points.

A Look Inside Lufthansa First Class

Let’s say you’re flying out of Lufthansa’s hub in Frankfurt, Germany. When you arrive at the First Class Terminal, you will be greeted by a personal assistant and a valet parking service.

If you arrive in your own car, the valet parking service will take care of parking it for you. Have a rental car? It will be returned to the agency on your behalf. Your personal assistant will then be with you through check-in and security.

With these formalities complete, you can start enjoying the amazing First Class Terminal experience. Many airlines provide great first class lounges, but Lufthansa takes it to another level!

The Wining & Dining area is complete with food from expert chefs and your choice of beer, wine, and liquor. Cigar aficionados can also enjoy a fine smoke with their drink in a dedicated cigar lounge.

If you’d like to relax before your flight, you can choose from one of the famous Relax chairs or a quiet room with a daybed. Perhaps you’d prefer to relax by taking a bath? Well, you’re in luck! One of the 4 shower rooms also has a bathtub for you to enjoy (as well as a first class rubber duck).

Hot Tip: See our review of the Lufthansa First Class Lounge and Terminal, as well as a look at first class aboard the A380 from FRA to SIN and aboard the Boeing 747-8 from BOS to FRA in our detailed reviews. 

As you can see, Lufthansa goes out of its way to ensure you have a fantastic experience upon arriving at the airport. Now, let’s talk about the flight.

For maximum comfort, each first class suite includes a lie-flat seat with direct aisle access. If traveling with a companion, the middle section has a divider that can be raised when you need some quiet or lowered when you’d like to have a chat.

Onboard, the amazing Lufthansa service only continues in first class. From fine wine and Champagne to high-end scotch like Johnnie Walker Blue to more amazing cuisine, you won’t be disappointed. Just ask your flight attendant for whatever you need!

From start to finish, the Lufthansa first class cabin makes flying fun and relaxing.

How To Book Lufthansa First Class With Points and Miles

Now that you’ve had a taste of what to expect from this amazing cabin, let’s talk about how you can book this flight and try it yourself!

Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance, which is the largest airline alliance in the world. This provides plenty of options for booking Lufthansa first class, but we’re going to focus on the options in these next sections.

Hot Tip: Note that Lufthansa normally levies fuel surcharges of $800 or more in each direction for its first class flights.

Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles is our go-to frequent flyer program to book Lufthansa first class flights.

That’s because, in addition to the absence of any fuel surcharges being passed on, LifeMiles has fantastic redemption rates and an abundance of ways to rack up these miles.

Let’s get the drawbacks out of the way first — LifeMiles has an imperfect online search engine that doesn’t always have access to all award space, especially on Lufthansa first class.

Additionally, LifeMiles’ call center is a huge pain to deal with. So if you plan on using LifeMiles, see award space on United, and can’t replicate it on the LifeMiles website, you’re out of luck.

Here’s the award chart for flights between the U.S. and Europe:

The fact that you’re saving almost $800 on one-way award flights is a huge selling point of LifeMiles — being responsible for $1,700+ in taxes and fees on a round-trip award ticket can feel like highway robbery.

Follow these steps to book your Lufthansa first class flight using LifeMiles:

1. Visit LifeMiles’ homepage.
2. Change the language from Spanish to English by clicking the flag icon in the top-right corner and then English.
3. Log into your LifeMiles account on the new LifeMiles site.
4. On the homepage’s top banner after logging in, click Fly.
5. Click the drop-down menu that says Smart Search and choose Lufthansa.
6. Choose one-way or round-trip, fill in your trip details, and click Find Flights.
7. Choose your travel dates.
8. Finish the booking by redeeming LifeMiles and paying for taxes and fees with a credit card.

Here’s what a successful Lufthansa first class award search looks like on Avianca LifeMiles:

Earning Avianca LifeMiles

It’s easy to earn LifeMiles because this frequent flyer program has transfer partnerships with American Express Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Capital One Miles, Brex Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.

All of these programs except Marriott Bonvoy transfer at a 1:1 ratio instantly. Marriott Bonvoy transfers in 1 business day at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 LifeMiles after you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Also, there are frequent transfer bonuses, particularly from Amex and Citi, of anywhere from 15% to 30% — a bonus could cut down an 87,000-LifeMiles flight to just 67,000 LifeMiles, which is incredible for a $10,000+ plane ticket!

Recommended Amex Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO & BENEFITS
New 100k Welcome Offer The Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 60,000 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn 10x points on eligible purchases on the Card at restaurants worldwide and when you Shop Small in the U.S., on up to $25,000 in combined purchases, during your first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. $200 Hotel Credit: Get $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®. $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Peacock, Audible, SiriusXM, and The New York Times. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $200 Uber Cash: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status available to Basic Card Member only. $300 Equinox Credit: Get up to $25 back each month on select Equinox memberships when you pay with your Platinum Card®. Enrollment required. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $695 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,200
New Welcome Offer American Express® Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Rose Gold is back. You can now choose between Gold or Rose Gold. Earn 35,000 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® Points at Restaurants, including takeout and delivery, and earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S., totaling up to $120 per year. $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Boxed, and participating Shake Shack locations. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required. Get up to 12 complimentary months of an Uber Eats Pass subscription when you enroll with your Gold Card by 12/31/21. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $250 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here. UP's Bonus Valuation*: $1,320
New Welcome Offer The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Welcome Offer: Earn 85,000 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, 0% Intro APR for 12 months from the date of the account opening on purchases eligible for Pay Over Time. After that, your APR will be 14.24% to 22.24% based on your credit worthiness and other factors as determined at the time of account opening. Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com. Earn 1.5X Membership Rewards® points on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else. Cap applies. Unlock over $1,000 in value per year for statement credits on select purchases with your Card, including up to $400 with Dell Technologies, up to $360 with Indeed, up to $150 with Adobe and up to $120 on wireless telephone purchases. Enrollment required. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year toward baggage fees and more at one qualifying airline. $179 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $179 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. Access to more than 1,300 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting with The American Express Global Lounge Collection®. More lounge options than any other credit card on the market as of 8/2020. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $595 ($695 if application is received on or after 01/13/2022) Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Platinum card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $2,640
American Express® Business Gold Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Earn 70,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $10,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Gold Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. More Rewards: Get 4X Membership Rewards® points on the 2 select categories where your business spent the most each month 4X points apply to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. Pay Over Time Option: A flexible payment option to help manage cash flow on purchases of $100 or more. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $295 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Business Gold card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,540

Air Canada Aeroplan

Air Canada’s Aeroplan program is another great option to book first class awards on Lufthansa. You’ll be charged according to a distance-based award chart:

And if you want to add a stopover, you’ll pay just 5,000 additional points!

The booking process is simple and can be done online. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

1. Visit Aeroplan’s site.
2. Log into your Aeroplan account (you’ll need your account number).
3. On the homepage, you’ll see a search box. Toggle the slider that says Points.
4. Select your travel dates, cities, and number of passengers.
5. Select your flight and complete your booking.

Hot Tip: Check out our Aeroplan region definition guide to make it easy to find out how many points you need to book your award.

Earning Air Canada Aeroplan Points

Air Canada Aeroplan maintains transfer partnerships with Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Marriott Bonvoy.

Chase and Amex transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio. Capital One miles transfer instantly at a 2:1.5 ratio.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers in 5 business days at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 points after transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Air Canada Aeroplan.

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO & BENEFITS
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. Enjoy new benefits such as a $50 annual Ultimate Rewards Hotel Credit, 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on dining and 2x points on all other travel purchases, plus more. Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel. With Pay Yourself BackSM, your points are worth 25% more during the current offer when you redeem them for statement credits against existing purchases in select, rotating categories. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for a minimum of one year with DashPass, DoorDash’s subscription service. Activate by 12/31/21. Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more. Get up to $60 back on an eligible Peloton Digital or All-Access Membership through 12/31/2021, and get full access to their workout library through the Peloton app, including cardio, running, strength, yoga, and more. Take classes using a phone, tablet, or TV. No fitness equipment is required. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,200
Chase Sapphire Reserve® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year. Through 12/31/21, gas station & grocery store purchases will also count towards earning your Travel Credit Earn 5x total points on air travel and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $750 toward travel Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓® Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $550 UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $1,000
Chase Freedom Unlimited® Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Earn 5% cash back on grocery store purchases (not including Target® or Walmart® purchases) on up to $12,000 spent in the first year. Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1.5% on all other purchases. 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases, then a variable APR of 14.99 - 23.74%. No minimum to redeem for cash back. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open. Annual Fee: $0

Business Owner? Check out our article on the best Chase business cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points.

United MileagePlus

United MileagePlus has long been the go-to method for many people in the U.S. when booking Lufthansa first class.

United does not pass on the carrier-imposed surcharges on award bookings, just like Avianca LifeMiles.

It does, however, charge more miles for flying on a partner airline than United metal, so you’ll pay a bit more when booking on Lufthansa.

United got rid of its award chart and now relies on a dynamic pricing schedule, but you can expect to pay around 121,000 miles for a Saver award. Here’s the award chart:

You can book your flight online by following these steps:

1. Visit United’s website.
2. Sign in to your account.
3. Select Search for award travel.
4. Select your travel dates and your desired route.
5. Select your cabin of choice.
6. Select your flight (make sure it is operated by Lufthansa!).
7. Review your flight choice.

When you search on United’s site, confirm award availability before you transfer any Chase Ultimate Rewards. Once you have selected your flights, you will be able to review your choice.

Hot Tip: Occasionally, United will show phantom space — this means that the flight will show as an option, but after selecting it you will be notified that space no longer exists.

Earning United MileagePlus Miles

United MileagePlus is a Chase Ultimate Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy transfer partner.

Chase transfers almost instantly at a 1:1 ratio, while Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1.1 ratio with a bonus of 5,500 miles after transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to United MileagePlus.

In addition, there are co-branded United MileagePlus credit cards that can help you earn miles directly, too.

Recommended United Cards

CREDIT CARD	BENEFITS & INFO
UnitedSM Explorer Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 40,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays, and United purchases Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® fee Credit 25% back on United inflight purchases Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip) when you use your card to purchase your ticket Enjoy priority boarding privileges and visit the United ClubSM with 2 one-time passes each year for your anniversary Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining and select delivery services Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0 intro for the first year, then $95.
UnitedSM Business Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months you account is open. Receive a 5,000-mile "better together" bonus each anniversary when you have both the UnitedSM Business Card and a personal United credit card. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases, dining (including eligible delivery services), at gas stations, office supply stores, and on local transit and commuting. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, employee cards at no additional cost - miles earned from their purchases accrue in your account so you can earn rewards faster. Enjoy a free first checked bag - a savings of up to $140 per roundtrip (terms apply), 2 United ClubSM one-time passes per year, and priority boarding privileges. Get unlimited deliveries with a $0 delivery fee and reduced service fees on eligible orders over $12 for one year with DashPass, DoorDash's membership service. Activate by 12/31/21. $100 United travel credit after 7 United flight purchases of $100 or more each anniversary year. Annual Fee: $0 introductory for the first year, then $99.
United ClubSM Infinite Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 75,000 bonus miles Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United purchases including tickets, Economy Plus, inflight food, beverages and Wi-Fi, and other United charges. Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and on dining at restaurants and eligible delivery services. Earn 1 mile per $1 on all over purchases. Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheckTM fee credit. 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi onboard United-operated flights when using your card. Excellent Credit Recommended (740-850) Annual Fee: $525
United GatewaySM Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn up to 15,000 bonus miles Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines purchases, at gas stations and on local transit and commuting Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United Airlines purchases Earn 2 miles per $1 spent at gas stations Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on local transit and commuting Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases Earn 3x on grocery store purchases up to $15k for the first year account is open. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0
United QuestSM Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	Earn 80,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open Earn 3x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel, 1x on all other purchases Earn 3x miles on United purchases Earn 2x miles on dining and select streaming services Earn 2x miles on all other travel Earn 1x mile on all other purchases Each year, receive a $125 credit on United® purchases and two 5K-mile anniversary award flight credits. Terms apply. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $250

Asiana Club

Our third option isn’t the most commonly used method of booking, but Asiana Club provides another great way to book Lufthansa first class.

Here’s the award chart for U.S.-Europe flights aboard Lufthansa:

You will be required to call Asiana to book the award, as it does not allow partner bookings online.

Also, you must reserve and have your ticket issued 3 days prior to departure, which prevents snagging last-minute awards.

Here’s what you need to know:

1. Search for availability using United’s site (see above for the steps).
2. Call Asiana at 800-227-4262.
   • The U.S. call center is open between 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PST (Monday to Friday).
3. Tell the phone representative you’d like to book an award with Star Alliance partner Lufthansa.
4. Provide your travel dates and flight numbers.
5. Once you confirm space, you will be prompted to give your credit card for any necessary taxes and fees.

Asiana Airlines will pass on surcharges when booking award tickets, so include that in your calculation.

Earning Asiana Club Miles

Asiana Club is transfer partners with Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy transfers to Asiana at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 miles when you transfer 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points to Asiana.

Transfers from Marriott Bonvoy to Asiana take approximately 4 business days.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

CREDIT CARD	CARD INFO
Limited Time Offer Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	For a Limited Time Only! Earn 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn up to 14x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Card. Earn 2x Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains). 1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, qualifying you for Silver Elite Status. Restrictions apply. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $0
Limited Time Offer Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Learn More (at Chase's secure site)	For a Limited Time Only! Earn 125,000 Bonus Points and 1 Free Night Award (value up to 50,000 points) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. 1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Earn up to 17x total Bonvoy points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card. Earn 2X Bonvoy points for every $1 spent on all other purchases. Automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year. No foreign transaction fees. Earn unlimited Marriott Bonvoy points and get Free Night Stays faster. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-850) Annual Fee: $95
​​ Limited Time Offer Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Limited Time Offer: Earn 150,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points and a bonus Free Night Award after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Resort fees may apply. Terms apply. Offer expires 11/3/2021. Enjoy up to $300 in statement credits each year of Card Membership for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 6 Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2 points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy Points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy unlimited airport lounge visits when you enroll in Priority Pass™ Select membership. No Foreign Transaction Fees. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual Fee: $450 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. UP's Bonus Valuation*: $1,400
​​ Limited Time Offer Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card Learn More (at Amex's secure site)	Limited Time Offer: Earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points & 2 bonus Free Night Awards after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in eligible purchases within the first 3 months. Each bonus Free Night Award has a redemption level up to 50K points. Certain hotels have resort fees. Offer ends 11/3/2021. Earn 6x points at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Earn 4x points at U.S. restaurants, at U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers and on U.S. purchases for shipping. 2x points on all other eligible purchases. Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card account anniversary. Plus, earn an additional Free Night Award after you spend $60K in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Awards can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program. Certain hotels have resort fees. Enjoy complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status with your Card. Plus, earn Gold Elite status after making $35,000 in eligible purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Good to Excellent Credit Recommended (670-840) Annual fee: $125 Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. UP’s Bonus Valuation*: $875

Miles & More

Miles & More is the frequent flyer program for several European airlines including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, and Croatia Airlines.

You will need 7,000 miles in your Miles & More account to search for award availability online. If you don’t have the required miles to search online, call Lufthansa’s U.S. customer service center at 800-581-6400.

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.

The main benefit of this method is that you will have access to first class award availability more than 15 days in advance.

Partner bookings typically will only receive award inventory in first class around ~2 weeks before departure, making planning in advance difficult.

With Lufthansa’s own Miles & More frequent flyer program, you will be able to book first class up to 355 to 359 days before departure!

To complete a booking online, follow these simple steps:

1. Go to Miles & More.
2. Log into your Miles & More account.
3. Select your desired travel dates and route.
4. Select First as your class of service.
5. Select your desired flight.
   • Make sure you select a Lufthansa flight, as the search results will show other Miles & More partners.

You will be required to pay the carrier-imposed surcharges on award tickets when booking with Miles & More. The fees can be steep, but they are lower on flights from Europe rather than the U.S.

If you want to book a round-trip itinerary, search for both round-trip tickets and one-way tickets. Booking 2 one-way tickets might have lower combined surcharges than the round-trip option.

Hot Tip: We’ve got an entire post dedicated to the best ways to utilize your Miles & More miles for max value if you need more ideas.

Earning Miles & More Miles

Miles & More doesn’t have any transfer partnerships with the major flexible rewards currencies.

In the past, Miles & More was transfer partners with Marriott Bonvoy, but this has since been terminated.

Nowadays, the best way to earn Miles & More miles besides booking eligible revenue flights is with the co-branded Lufthansa Miles & More credit cards issued by Barclays.

Other Options for Booking First Class

Several other Star Alliance partners you might want to consider when booking Lufthansa first class are Aegean Airlines Miles+Bonus, ANA Mileage Club, and EVA Air Infinity MileageLands.

Great Lufthansa First Class Redemptions

If you’re looking for the cheapest mileage cost, Asiana Club might be your best bet. While you’ll still have to pay the surcharges, a one-way first class flight on Lufthansa is only 50,000 Asiana miles.

Avianca LifeMiles offers first class awards for 87,000 miles one-way between the U.S. and Europe. To sweeten the deal more, there are frequent transfer bonuses of 15% to 30%, primarily from Amex and Citi.

Air Canada Aeroplan is another great opportunity at 90,000 to 100,000 miles one-way, as there are more ways to earn Aeroplan points, particularly with Chase Ultimate Rewards. Also, you can add stopovers on one-way tickets for 5,000 miles extra.

On a one-way award from the U.S., you can expect $500+ in taxes and fees, while a one-way from Germany to the U.S. will be roughly $400. Depending on your origin in Europe, the taxes and fees will vary.

To fly between Europe and the U.S., you can also use 121,000 United miles for a one-way flight without carrier-imposed surcharges.

And if you absolutely need to plan far in advance, the only way to book Lufthansa first class more than 15 days before departure is using Miles & More miles.

Here’s a table summarizing all of the mileage programs and associated costs:

As you can tell, Asiana miles has the lowest cost by a long shot; but remember, Asiana has just 1 transfer partner in Marriott Bonvoy, making Asiana miles very difficult to earn.

If you’re redeeming points for Lufthansa first class and don’t need to book a stopover, Avianca LifeMiles is one of the best ways to go.

If you’re redeeming points for Lufthansa first class and would like to book a stopover or have lots of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Air Canada Aeroplan is an excellent program to use.

United MileagePlus has acceptable redemption rates, but you’d generally only want to use it if you already have a large balance of United miles.

Lufthansa Miles & More doesn’t have any transfer partners, but the ability to redeem points for Lufthansa first class without having to wait until 15 days before departure is a unique perk worth mentioning.

How To Earn Enough Miles for Lufthansa First Class

There are plenty of ways to earn enough miles to book Lufthansa first class.

Because Lufthansa is a Star Alliance airline, you can book these tickets using many different frequent flyer programs.

At first glance, Asiana miles seems to be the best deal, requiring just 50,000 miles — but upon closer inspection, you’ll realize that shelling out $800 extra for a one-way flight can be painful.

That, along with the fact that Avianca LifeMiles often enjoys transfer bonuses from Amex and Citi of anywhere from 15% to 30%, can make you realize that other frequent flyer programs are more practical.

Here is a summary of the transferable currencies you can use to book Lufthansa first class using points:

• Amex Membership Rewards transfers to Avianca LifeMiles and Air Canada Aeroplan at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Brex Rewards transfers to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to Air Canada Aeroplan and United MileagePlus at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Citi ThankYou Rewards transfers to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly.
• Capital One Miles transfers to Avianca LifeMiles at a 1:1 ratio almost instantly and Air Canada Aeroplan at a 2:1.5 ratio almost instantly.
• Marriott Bonvoy transfers to Avianca LifeMiles, Air Canada Aeroplan, and Asiana Club at a 3:1 ratio. United MileagePlus has a slightly better ratio of 3:1.1. For every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred, you’ll get an additional bonus of 15,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to your airline. Transfers to Avianca LifeMiles, Aeroplan, United MileagePlus, and Asiana Club take 1 business day, 5 business days, 3 business days, and 4 business days, respectively.

When Should You Search for Award Space?

Unlike Lufthansa business class award space, Lufthansa restricts first class award availability to its own Miles & More members until roughly 2 weeks before departure.

If you need to make sure you are booked on a flight ahead of time, the Miles & More program is your best bet. If you are more flexible and using a partner program to book, start looking for Lufthansa first class award space 15 days prior to your departure.

What Do You Get With Lufthansa First Class?

Lufthansa provides a luxury first class cabin experience that you won’t want to miss. With amazing service, a great lie-flat seat, and a wonderful lounge experience, there’s no doubt you will love flying on Lufthansa.

Lufthansa and Star Alliance First Class Lounges

As part of Star Alliance (the largest airline alliance), you will have access to many first class lounges across the globe when flying Lufthansa first class.

Lufthansa First Class Terminal

The Lufthansa First Class Terminal is an experience like few others. Travelers from around the world love this lounge so much, it has almost become a destination in and of itself.

This lounge does all the little things right: hot pretzels, dining from Michelin star-rated chefs, numerous beverage options, and much more. During your visit, you will have access to 130 types of whiskey!

Lufthansa Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt

If you are flying into Frankfurt, check out the Lufthansa Welcome Lounge, where you can take care of a little work or have a nice meal before heading into the city. If you need to freshen up after a long flight, you can have a quick shower to prepare for the day.

Final Thoughts

If there is a bucket list for out-of-this-world flight experiences, Lufthansa first class is definitely on it!

From the moment you arrive at the airport, you will be blown away by the service Lufthansa provides. A Porsche or Mercedes ride to your flight, plus Champagne and amazing meals in the lounge and on the plane…what more could you want?

If you didn’t already stop reading this article to go book your Lufthansa first class flight — what are you waiting for? Get to it!

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

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