While this is hardly breaking news, I think it’s worth addressing just how bad long haul Lufthansa business class award availability has become.
The sad decline of Lufthansa business class awards
Historically, Lufthansa has been one of the best airlines when it comes to making long haul business class award seats available, including to members of partner airline frequent flyer programs. This was great for anyone who had miles with a Star Alliance program.
While Lufthansa business class isn’t much to get excited about (especially the old product), Lufthansa was great about releasing unsold business class seats as awards at the last minute. So if you wanted to cross the Atlantic on short notice, Lufthansa had you covered. For that matter, the airline also sometimes released space in advance.
I don’t think Lufthansa did this out of the kindness of its heart, but rather the airline has very big business class cabins on some jets, and there were often unsold seats.
Unfortunately this pattern seems to have reversed in recent times. For the past several weeks, there has been a huge decrease in the amount of Lufthansa business class awards that partner programs have access to.
This applies both far in advance and close to departure, but the change is most evident for last minute travel, where I’m now seeing wide open business class cabins with no award space.
Interestingly, Lufthansa is still releasing first class awards at the last minute. The airline isn’t releasing first class awards as often as in the past, but at this point you have better odds of scoring a Lufthansa first class seat close to departure, rather than a business class seat.
It’s anyone’s guess how this situation evolves over time, but the current state of availability isn’t good.
Partner award availability isn’t what it once was
While it remains to be seen if this change to Lufthansa business class award availability is permanent, it has to be acknowledged the extent to which airlines have started restricting partner award availability. Perhaps this is the single biggest indirect devaluation we’ve seen to many frequent flyer programs in recent years.
Lufthansa is hardly the first airline to go in this direction. For example, take a look at redeeming American AAdvantage miles. In theory, award redemption rates are great, and the airline has phenomenal partner airlines. The issue is how airlines are increasingly restricting award availability.
Cathay Pacific, Etihad Airways, and Qatar Airways, all largely restrict award space to members of their own frequent flyer programs, blocking them for members of partner frequent flyer programs. It definitely makes it harder to maximize mileage redemptions, and take advantage of sweet spots.
On the one hand, I can’t blame airlines for moving in this direction. So many airline loyalty programs have essentially become “consolidators” of premium cabin tickets on partner airlines, including by selling miles inexpensively. On the other hand, this increased trend undermines one of the main values of global alliances, which is reciprocity.
While the miles & points world is very different than in “the good old days,” it’s not necessarily all bad news. Premium cabin products are better than ever before, miles & points are easier to earn through credit cards and outright purchases, and transferable points currencies give you access to so many different airline programs.
Bottom line
Lufthansa seems to have cut a vast majority of business class award seats for those booking through partner airline frequent flyer programs. The airline used to be really consistent with award availability at the last minute, but that’s no longer the case. Quite to the contrary, I’m seeing wide open flights where the airline isn’t making any seats available.
At this point, first class is more readily available at the last minute than business class (and even that availability isn’t good). Unfortunately Lufthansa is hardly alone in moving in this direction, as more airlines continue to restrict partner award availability.
What’s your take on Lufthansa’s severely limited business class award availability?
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