Starting Jan. 1, the Miles&More revolution, here's how Lufthansa Group's frequent flyer will change
In this article I want to summarize how the rules for obtaining status in Lufthansa's frequent flyer program are changing
Swiss
Lufthansa
Eurowings
Brussels Airlines
Austrian Airlines
Air Dolomiti
Star Alliance
In recent months, the questions I have received about the revolution that awaits the next Jan. 1, FF members of Lufthansa and group companies. A revolution that had been prepared in 2019 and then the pandemic put on ice. And that will now be implemented.
In this article:
The slogan found by Lufthansa is "Simple, transparent and straight to the point". A play on words with which LH aims to appease users by promising a system that is easier to understand, transparent, and with few twists and turns. Judging by the tenor of messages I have received, however, it does not seem to have been perceived that way by the vast majority of TFC readers, but this is a constant with all the revolutions we have seen over the years. When change comes there are always those who complain and those who smile.
How Miles & More changes
Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss queues.
That's what will change in 2024 with Miles & More, the loyalty program of several Lufthansa Group airlines:
- The status will last 12 months and no longer 24
- The qualifying period will be the same for all from 1/1 to 31/12 of each year
- Lifetime statuses are introduced
- Goodbye to status miles and Hon Circle miles which will be replaced by points, qualifying points and HON Circle points
- Accumulation will be based on expenditure and no longer on distance, with a premium over route: continental and intercontinental
Points, qualifying points and HON cirlce points
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
This is the big difference with today's situation and is aimed at rewarding those who fly with group airlines more, rather than Star Alliance carriers.
From January 1, in fact, only flights on Lufthansa Group airlines will accumulate qualifying points; flights on other Star Alliance partners will earn points but not qualifying points. While HON Circle points, the most valuable, will only accrue if you fly business class or first class aboard LH and related aircraft.
The only multiplier provided is the route-related multiplier:
- Continental flight is a domestic, or international route within continental Europe with the addition of routes to Mediterranean air destinations such as Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.
- Intercontinental flight is a route to any other destination outside Europe, including Israel.
How many points are needed to achieve the status
- To become a frequent traveler 650 Points and 325 Qualifying Points must be accumulated in a calendar year.
- To obtain the status of Senator. 2,000 Points and 1,000 Qualifying Points are needed.
- HON Circle status is achieved by reaching 6,000 HON Circle Points in a calendar year.
So the way it works is very similar to Air France's XP points and Executive Club's Tier Points, the major difference being that while Gold status with British requires only 4 flights of any kind in addition to 1500 Tier Points, to get the LH Senator card you need at least 5 intercontinental business class routes flown with LH and as many with any Star Alliance airline.
Here are three examples:
- Zurich (ZRH) - Bangkok (BKK) flight in business class with SWISS. You accumulate 200 Points, 200 Qualifying Points and 200 HON Circle Points.
- Frankfurt (FRA) - Bangkok (BKK) flight in Economy Class with Thai Airways. You accumulate 60 Points (and no Qualifying Points or HON Circle Points).
- a/r Zurich (ZRH) - Munich (MUC) flight in Business Class with SWISS and onward leg Munich (MUC) - Bangkok (BKK) flight in Business Class with Lufthansa. He receives 480 Points, 480 Qualifying Points and 480 HON Circle Points.
To get to the highest level, i.e. HON Circle, you will need to make at least 10 intercontinental round-trip flights in first class or 15 in business class.
LH has also prepared a video to summarize these changes
Retroactive "lifetime" status
If over the years you accumulate 30,000 Qualifying Points, you automatically become a Frequent Traveller for life. If you then continue to collect points until you reach 40,000 Qualifying Points, Senator-for-life status is obtained.
The assignment of lifetime status depends on the sum of all Qualifying Points accumulated over the years for flights taken with Lufthansa Group airlines and partner airlines that co-manage Miles & More. The calculation will be retroactive, so by Dec. 31, 2023, the Status Star points will be converted into Qualifying Points, so that you can earn Frequent Traveller and Senator status for life.
One Status Star point corresponds to two Qualifying Points. Each status client with four or five Status Stars will thus automatically gain lifetime Senator status in early 2024, while those with three Status Stars will be awarded lifetime Frequent Traveller status. The number of Qualifying Points accumulated for lifetime status, including converted Status Star points, will be visible from mid-January 2024 In the status area of his Miles & More account..
In conclusion
Qualifying points are a very democratic medium to enable travelers to know how to calculate exactly what they will need to obtain status, even the continental/intercontinental division is very simple compared to the distances used by other programs.
I really like this system because it does not penalize those who book at affordable rates, compared instead to those who pay for last-minute tickets at crazy prices.
Certainly it is evident that Having Miles&More status becomes a true test of loyalty, also with a view to marriage between Lufthansa and ITA Whether the Italian airline, like Air Dolomiti, will be included in the list of group carriers and thus all flights will be equalized with those of other airlines with "only" 13 round-trip business class tickets from Genoa to Tel Aviv, via FCO, one will be able to obtain HON Circle level for one year.
