Europe's biggest loyalty program is awkward to earn in and surcharge-heavy to burn — and still holds the only early key to Lufthansa First.
By Biirdee Travel. Updated 2026-06-10.
Miles & More is the shared program of the Lufthansa Group — Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, and partners like LOT — making it the largest loyalty scheme in Europe. Award miles are earned on Group and Star Alliance flights, through European co-brand cards, and via a US Barclays co-brand card; what you will not find is a pipeline from the major US transferable currencies, since none of the big five bank programs transfer in (Marriott Bonvoy points do, at the usual modest hotel-to-air rate).
Status is earned exclusively from flying on Lufthansa Group carriers, via a points-based qualification system introduced in 2021: Frequent Traveller (Silver), Senator (Gold), and the invitation-grade HON Circle sit atop the ladder, mapping to Star Alliance Silver and Gold from Senator up. Unlike US programs, credit card spend does not move you up this ladder — Miles & More status is bought with time on Group metal.
One rule shapes every balance: award miles expire 36 months after earning unless you hold status or an active co-brand card. Combined with the thin US earning routes, Miles & More is a program you earn into deliberately, with a redemption already in mind.
| Tier | Earned via | Headline benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Member | Enrollment | Earn and redeem miles, monthly Mileage Bargains |
| Frequent Traveller | Qualification points from Group flights | Star Alliance Silver, Lufthansa Business lounge access, extra baggage |
| Senator | Higher points threshold | Star Alliance Gold, Senator lounges, waitlist priority, miles expiry protection |
| HON Circle | Top-tier points over two years | First class lounges and First Terminal access, personal assistance, the program's full red-carpet |
Here is the reason serious flyers bother with this program at all. Lufthansa holds back its first class award inventory from Star Alliance partners until roughly two weeks before departure — which is why searching United MileagePlus or Aeroplan for Lufthansa First months out returns nothing. Miles & More members face no such embargo: the program's own award calendar opens Lufthansa First far earlier, and SWISS First class awards are essentially reserved for Miles & More elites altogether.
So the practical playbook splits in two. If you can plan inside a two-week window, partner miles work — United and Aeroplan book the same seat surcharge-free once it appears. If you want Lufthansa First confirmed months ahead — the First Terminal in Frankfurt, the chauffeured tarmac transfer — a Miles & More balance is the instrument, surcharges and all. The monthly Mileage Bargains list (discounted awards on rotating routes) is the program's other genuine bright spot, often cutting business class to Europe meaningfully below standard levels.
Because the balance is hard to rebuild from the US, spend it only where it does something no other currency can. Burning Miles & More on economy or on awards a partner program books cheaper without surcharges is the canonical mistake — the broader decision framework is in our miles maximization playbook.
For Lufthansa Group trips we run a three-way comparison: Miles & More awards (with their early first class access but real surcharges), partner-program awards through United or Aeroplan (surcharge-free but inventory-limited), and the discounted business and first class cash fares we source at up to 70% off retail — a channel that is particularly strong on transatlantic Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian routes. We also watch the 14-day partner window for close-in first class space and manage the 36-month expiry clock for clients holding balances.
If Lufthansa First or SWISS First is the goal, tell us in a flight quote — between the three booking channels, there is almost always a realistic route to the nose of the plane.
No — none of the five major US transferable programs partner with Miles & More. US-based earning runs through the Barclays Miles & More card, Marriott Bonvoy transfers, and flying on Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance carriers.
Yes — 36 months after earning, in quarterly batches, unless you hold Frequent Traveller status or above, or an active co-brand credit card, which suspends expiry. Plan redemptions inside that window if you qualify for neither.
Two routes: Miles & More awards, bookable months in advance with surcharges; or Star Alliance partner miles (United, Aeroplan, Avianca), which only see Lufthansa First space roughly 14 days before departure but avoid the surcharges. Flexible close-in travelers use partners; planners use Miles & More.
Miles & More's monthly list of discounted award routes — often 30–50% below standard pricing, including business class transatlantic options. Like Flying Blue's Promo Rewards, they reward holding a balance and checking the list when it refreshes.
Only for two profiles: travelers who fly Lufthansa Group often enough to build status, and premium-cabin planners who specifically want Lufthansa or SWISS First confirmed early. Everyone else flying the Group is usually better served by Star Alliance partner currencies or a sourced cash fare.
Miles & More awards, partner windows, or discounted cash fares: Biirdee prices all three routes to Lufthansa Group premium cabins and books the one that wins.