14 Best Ways to Earn Lots of Lufthansa Miles & More Miles [2021]
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Lufthansa is the largest European airline, carrying more passengers than any other. It operates flights to 19 domestic destinations in Germany and 205 international destinations in 78 countries.
It also has the largest European frequent flyer program called Miles & More. In addition to being partners with other Miles & More airlines, Lufthansa is a member of the Star Alliance.
By the time you finish this post, you will know tons of ways to earn Lufthansa Miles & More miles so you can redeem them for travel… and more!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Earn Points With the Lufthansa Credit Card
1. Enroll in Miles & More
Enroll in the free Lufthansa Miles & More loyalty program to get started earning miles right away, with or without an affiliated credit card.
At first, you can print out a temporary card. The regular plastic card will be mailed as soon as you have earned 1 award mile with Lufthansa or another Miles & More partner.
2. Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Card Sign-Up Bonus
The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® is affiliated with Lufthansa. Generally, there’s a decent welcome bonus of around 50,000 Miles & More miles.
3. Card Bonus Categories
Use the Lufthansa Miles & More card to earn 2 miles per $1 for purchases from integrated airline partners (AirDolomiti, Austrian Airlines Group, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Luxair, and SWISS). All other purchases earn 1 mile per $1 spent.
Just like with other airline credit cards, the more you use the Miles & More card, the more miles you will earn. Build up your Miles & More balance quickly by using it for both monthly and unexpected expenses!
Earn Miles Through Travel
4. Book Lufthansa and Airline Partner Flights
There are 4 types of miles earned by flying Lufthansa and its partner airlines:
- Award Miles
- Status Miles
- Executive Bonus Miles
- HON Circle Miles
In this section, we are going to focus on Award Miles, but we’ll cover all of the types of miles later on.
Mileage for flights booked directly with Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Eurowings, and Brussels Airlines are now based on ticket price: 4 miles per €1.
Elite status holders receive a 25% (Senator) or 50% (HON Circle) bonus on Austrian Airways, Lufthansa, SWISS, Air Canada, Air Dolomiti, All Nippon Airways, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, or United Airlines.
Elite status holders receive a 25% bonus (Senator or HON Circle) on Aegean Airlines, Air Astana, Air China, Air India, Air Malta, Air New Zealand, Asiana Airlines, Avianca, Cathay Pacific, Condor, Copa Airlines, Egyptair, EVA Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, LATAM, Luxair, Olympic Air, SAS, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, TAP Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines, and all other partner airlines not listed here.
Tickets booked through travel agents can also have this formula applied. Look to see if your ticket number starts with the following: 220 (Lufthansa), 724 (SWISS), 257 (Austrian Airlines), 082 (Brussels Airlines), or if it is from Eurowings.
Bookings through other airlines or third-party channels where the ticket number starts with other numbers earn based on fare class and flight distance.
Bookings through third-party channels or flying other airlines are earned based on the ticket number.
You’ll earn fixed mileage award miles for European flights based on each booking class. For international flights, mileage is determined by the booking class and miles traveled.
The table below shows how many miles you can earn for flights within Germany. See a complete list of miles earned for all Lufthansa flights.
Germany Domestic Flights
| Travel Class | Booking Class | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class | C, D, J | 1,500 |
| Business Class | Z | 1,000 |
| Business Class | P | 500 |
| Economy Class | B, Y | 1,000 |
| Economy Class | H, M, U | 500 |
| Economy Class | Q, S, V, W | 250 |
| Economy Class | K, L, T | 125 |
International European Flights
| Travel Class | Booking Class | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Business Class | C, D, J | 2,000 |
| Business Class | Z | 1,250 |
| Business Class | P | 750 |
| Economy Class | B, M, Y | 1,250 |
| Economy Class | H, Q, U, V | 750 |
| Economy Class | S, W | 500 |
| Economy Class | K, L, T | 125 |
Worldwide Flights
| Travel Class | Booking Class | Miles |
|---|---|---|
| First Class | A, F | 3x distance; at least 1,500 miles |
| Business Class | C, D, J | 2 x distance; at least 1,000 miles |
| Business Class | Z | 1.5x distance; at least 750 miles |
| Business Class | P | 1x distance; at least 500 miles |
| Premium Economy Class | E, G | 1.5x distance; at least 750 miles |
| Premium Economy Class | N | 1x distance; at least 500 miles |
| Economy Class | B, Y | 1.5 x distance; at least 750 miles |
| Economy Class | H, M, U | 1x distance; at least 500 miles |
| Economy Class | Q, S, V, W | 0.5x distance; at least 250 miles |
| Economy Class | K, L, T | 0.25x distance; at least 250 miles |
Hot Tip: Looking to figure out a cost-effective way to earn Lufthansa miles? Consider short-haul international European flights. These are usually cheap tickets that can get you closer to earning miles!
5. Elite Status Bonuses
Status Miles
Status miles determine your Elite Status level: Member, Frequent Traveller, Senator, and HON Circle Member. Each status is valid for 2 years.
Earn status miles on scheduled flights operated by Adria Airways, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, Germanwings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa Private Jet, Luxair, SWISS, and all Star Alliance partners.
Depending on your booking class, you can receive up to 3x the number of status miles on worldwide flights in business or first class. There is an exception for flights operated by Turkish Airlines for which you will receive 25% of earned award miles as status miles in all classes.
HON Circle Miles
There is only 1 way to reach HON Circle Member status — collecting 600,000 HON Circle Miles within 2 consecutive calendar years.
Miles & More members earn HON Circle Miles for first class, business class, and Germanwings “BEST” fares on Miles & More flights with fully integrated partner airlines. Simply put, you need to take a lot of paid premium cabin travel to even have a chance at qualifying for HON Circle.
Select Miles
Miles & More Selections are extra perks you earn for flying Lufthansa and the following airlines: Adria Airways, Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Luxair, and SWISS.
Earn 1 Select Mile for each Status Mile earned, calculated yearly (at which time it resets to 0). Reach specific mileage levels to choose a Select Award!
| Status | Qualify for Select Award | Example of a Select Award |
| Frequent Traveller | 50,000 Select Miles | Business Lounge voucher |
| Senator | 125,000 Select Miles | 2 Upgrade eVouchers |
| HON Circle* | 650,000 (Circle Miles) | Additional Senator Partner Card |
*HON Circle Members get Select Miles based on HON Circle Miles instead of Status Miles.
Choose Select Awards in your personal status lounge under “Miles & More Selections” or call the Service Center.
6. Travel With Partners to Earn Miles & More Miles
The airlines in the following table are Lufthansa partners. See the legend underneath the table to find out which types of miles each airline offers.
| Airline | Miles | Airline | Miles | Airline | Miles |
| Aegean Airlines + | A, S | Cathay Pacific | A, 25 | Olympic Air | A, 25 |
| Air Astana + | A | Condor* | A | SAS + | A, S |
| Air Canada + | A, S, 25 | Copa Airlines + | A, S | Shenzhen Airlines + | A, S |
| Air China + | A, S | Croatia Airlines *+ | A, S, HON, 25 | Singapore Airlines + | A, S |
| Air Dolomiti * | A, S, HON, 25 | EgyptAir + | A, S | South African Airways + | A, S |
| Air India + | A, S | Ethiopian Airlines + | A, S | Swiss International Air Lines *+ | A, S, HON, 25 |
| Air Malta | A | Eurowings * | A, S, HON, 25 | TAP Portugal + | A, S |
| Air New Zealand + | A, S | EVA Air + | A, S | THAI + | A, S |
| ANA + | A, S | LATAM | A, 25 | Thai Smile | A |
| Asiana Airlines + | A, S | LOT Polish Airlines *+ | A, S, HON, 25 | Turkish Airlines + | A, S, 25 |
| Austrian Airlines *+ | A, S, HON, 25 | Lufthansa* | A, S, HON, 25 | United + | A, S, 25 |
| Avianca + | A, S | Lufthansa Private Jet *+ | A, S, HON, 25 | ||
| Brussels Airlines *+ | A, S, HON, 25 | Luxair * | A, S, HON, 25 |
A = Award Miles
S = Status Miles
HON = HON Circle Miles
25 = 25% Executive Bonus
*Miles & More airlines
+Star Alliance
7. Miles & More Hotel Partners
Here are some of the Miles & More partner hotels; some of the hotels include more than 1 hotel brand. Click on a listing for further details.
This is just a sample of the participating hotels; you can find a complete list here.
| Hotel | Miles/Stay | Hotel | Miles/Stay |
| Althoff COLLECTION | 500 miles per stay | Leonardo Hotels | 500 miles per stay |
| Best Western | Up to 1,000 miles per stay | Marriott Bonvoy | Up to 2 miles per $1 |
| Hyatt | 500 miles per stay | Rocco Forte Hotels | 500 miles per stay |
| IHG | Up to 2 miles per $1 | WorldHotels | 500 miles per stay |
| Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts | 1 mile per $1 | Wyndham | 500 miles per stay |
8. Miles & More Hotel Portal
Book directly through the Miles & More hotel booking portal to earn at least 1,000 miles per night (and often a lot more!) with over 300,000 partner hotels.
9. Car Rental Partners
If you book a car rental with one of the following agencies, you can earn 500 to 2,000 miles. You can find a comprehensive list here.
| Car Rental Agency | Earned Miles/Rental | Car Rental Agency | Earned Miles/Rental |
| Alamo | 500 miles | Hertz Trucks | 500 miles |
| Avis | 3 miles per €1 (minimum 500 miles) | National Car Rental | 500 miles |
| Avis Prestige | 2,000 miles | SIXT | 500 miles |
| Avis Van | 500 miles | SIXT Luxury Cars | 2,000 miles |
| Budget | 500 miles | SIXT New Cars | 10,000 miles upon contract conclusion |
| Enterprise | 500 miles | SIXT Ride | 3 miles per €1 |
| Europcar | 500 miles | Thrifty | 500 miles |
| Hertz | 500 miles |
10. Miscellaneous Travel Partners
Outside of booking flights and accommodations, Miles & More also partners with several travel or lifestyle companies to offer miles on travel-related purchases like tour bookings.
| Travel Partner | Earning Structure | Travel Partner | Earning Structure |
| ASMALLWORLD | Up to 250,000 miles | HEINEMANN Duty Free | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| Enaviga | 2 miles per €1 spent | kreuzfahrten.de | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| GetYourGuide | 4 miles per €1 spent | Munich Airport | 1 mile per €1 spent |
One of the most intriguing offers is from ASMALLWORLD, a social networking service geared towards North American and European travelers who want to meet other travelers.
You can earn 250,000 Miles & More miles by subscribing to the Prestige tier, which costs €5,200! This is an interesting value proposition because you will receive elite status at many hotel brands and car rental agencies, in addition to admission to many nightlife venues and airport lounges.
Even if you set up a subscription to ASMALLWORLD and never utilize the perks, you’ll essentially be buying Miles & More miles for 2.4 cents per mile. And while we peg the value of Miles & More miles to be around 1.3 cents per mile according to our points and miles valuations, there are situations where it makes sense to buy these miles.
For example, if you want to fly Lufthansa first class using miles without having to wait until 2 weeks before departure, you’ll need to accrue Miles & More miles.
Special Offers
11. Subscribe to “The Economist”
New subscribers to “The Economist” can earn up to 4,000 award miles.
Include your Miles & More membership number when signing up. Once payment has been received, the miles will be credited to your account!
The following subscriptions are available:
| Subscription Package | Duration | Earned Award Miles |
| Print + Digital Package | 1 year | 4,000 award miles |
| Digital | 1 year | 3,000 award miles |
12. Miles & More App
Sign up for the Miles & More app and get 500 miles! Miles post after logging into the app for the first time.
13. Special Offers and Current Promotions
Check in with Lufthansa Special Offers to earn more points than ever!
14. International Shopping Opportunities
Most Miles & More shopping opportunities require members to live in Europe, such as the Lufthansa Shopping Portal.
But if you frequently travel to Europe, you can earn miles per euros spent at Heathrow Rewards, Lufthansa WorldShop, and other Miles & More partner retailers.
| Shopping Partner | Earning Structure | Shopping Partner | Earning Structure |
| Bicester Village | 1 mile per €1 spent | La Vallée Village | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| The Bicester Village Shopping Collection | 1 mile per €1 spent | Las Rozas Village | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| Fidenza Village | 1 mile per €1 spent | Lufthansa WorldShop | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| Heathrow Rewards | Transfer at a 1:1 ratio | Maasmechelen Village | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| Ingolstadt Village | 1 mile per €1 spent | Suzhou Village | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| Kildare Village | 1 mile per €1 spent | Wertheim Village | 1 mile per €1 spent |
| La Roca Village | 1 mile per €1 spent |
Bottom Line: Although it may seem difficult to earn Miles & More miles due to the lack of transfer partners, there are still lots of great ways to earn these miles very quickly!
Final Thoughts
Even though Lufthansa is a German airline, there are plenty of opportunities to earn points for U.S.-based Miles & More members. We hope you have found these tips helpful as you get ready to build up your Miles & More balance.
Once you’ve earned all those miles, you’re gonna want to use them! Be sure to check out our piece on the best ways to redeem your Miles & More Miles for maximum value!
Please note that your points 5 and 6 are no longer correct when booking via the official airline booking channels (Lufthansa, Swiss, …). Premiummiles now depend on the ticket price. And the Executive Bonus has changed as well. The rules for Status and HON-Circle Miels have not changed!
@Alex – thank for you the updated information, and for stating it much more clearly than the Lufthansa website. We have updated the post.
For the first time I have access to your site: very interesting. Congratulations!
For what concerns Miles and More, despite having for some years the status of Senator, I feel a degradation of the quality of the service.
For example: I recently saw myself rejecting credit for referring miles to an Avianca’s flight GRU-BOG.
Reason: Avianca does not offer miles for this flight! But no information in this sense was available at the time of purchasing the ticket!
And even more intriguing: the miles were credited to my partner, who was traveling with me on the same flight and fare class!!
Abstract promotion ended Dec 31, 2018.
Jose,
Thanks for providing us the feedback. We’ve updated the guide to reflect this.
You can no longer transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Miles and More. They have suspended all hotel transfer points for the time being while they are investigating German law regarding points and revenue.
Hi,
I like your site, thank you.
Would you be able to help me out with simplicity? If I use my credit card for daily normal purchases, how many points do I acquire and what is the formula? Is it as simple as $1 (USD) = 1 Lufthansa (Barclays) point?
And can I use these types of points for any fare I book via Lufthansa (lh.com)?
Thanks.
Hi Hector,
Yes, it’s usually 1 point per dollar. You can’t use these points to book any fare. You need to book a fare with “availability”, which the airline releases into their online system. So, just because there are 100 seats on a plane doesn’t mean there will be 100 seats you can use points on. There may only be 10-15 seats for example. Thanks for reading.
I just lost over 317,000 miles with Lufthansa at the end of December 2020. The company says they cannot reinstate those miles even if I get the Miles and More credit card. Most American loyalty programs give you a grace period.