Earlier I wrote about the significant changes being made to the Lufthansa Miles & More program as of 2021. On balance the changes aren’t that negative, and in particular I’m surprised that the program isn’t increasingly geared towards full fare passengers, which otherwise seems to be the trend.
Continue reading: Mileage Run For Lufthansa’s Uber-Exclusive HON Circle Status
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
@David No, this feedback goes straight to program managers for last-minute “fine-tuning”.
Back before LH devalued P and Z earning HON wasn't that expensive. I qualified twice and didn't spend much more than you'd need next year to be UA 1K. Just lots of heavily discounted C long haul flights, plus various discounted C and Y European flight. And the plus side is that all those were actual real business travel plus the occasional getaway, not mileage runs. Oh those were the days. At least I can easily make SEN starting 2021 when my 1K expires with a similar pattern (just a bit less) as above now.
As a European, instead of flying useless flights for some status that is barely worth 7.5K and actually only gives a somewhat good a la carte dining experience. I can fly around Europe every 2 weeks with KLM/Air France, dine at 3* Michelin restaurants which is way more exclusive than a Lufthansa/ Swiss lounge. All while acquiring FlyingBlue Gold status, which then gives me access to book an award ticket for the most exclusive First Class Experience; La Première.
I predict LH will further refine and define ‘intercontinental’ to exclude some routes in Northern Africa and the Caucasus/Middle East. Basically anywhere they would fly with European style Biz Class.
Probably By using the same criteria they use to decide that these routes are competitive with Euro Biz Class.
Are you btw aware of Finnair (AY) Platinum Lumo status? It requires ridiculous 450000 points per year out of which 300000 has to be AY metal. No requirement for biz-class, though. Finnair PR told that "few" Platinum Lumo members indeed exist, and some of them are actually flying more than typical cabin crew does.
CDG - TLV via ZRH with LX is a fantastic route for this: decent pricing and they fly ZRH - TLV with 777-300ER with long haul hardware (including F seats) on certain days
I’m always intrigued by HON Circle, but I’m just gonna have to be content with my newly acquired Senator status, simply because being DEN based, I just don’t spend enough time in LH hubs to make it worthwhile, given that there are no partner perks for HON Circle that I don’t already get as Senator.
Ben, this is why your blog is the best. This is a classic, old-school Lucky post right here. Totally unreasonable and crazy, but fantastic and inspiring.
Ben, unfortunately this won’t work. Lufthansa has published their definition of continents and they defined Algeria and Morocco to be part of Europe...
Maybe you can find something similar with Cairo?
Actually what I posted above may not be true. I was going by the “IATA traffic conference areas” that show Algeria and Marocco as part of Europe.
http://easy2learngds.blogspot.com/2014/10/map-of-iata-traffic-conference-areas.html
BUT the little tool on this website from M&M suggests that Algeria actually IS a different continent.
https://www.miles-and-more.com/de/en/program/status-benefits/update.html
One of the great perks of HON Circle Status is that you’re being picked up by a limousine directly on the tarmac. Considering the many times you have to take the bus in FRA or ZRH on intra-Europe flights, that’s probably even more of a benefit to the average busy executive and HON Circle member than the F Lounge is.
I.m HON since a decade and love this website. Helas I believe that fine tuning from M&M will arrive soon defining P Z D C A F with points. These postings will inspire them sadly. They can t do it immediatly as they sold us the simplicity ticket.... Also wonder what s the problem to stop status star. It honoured long term loyalty and was an easy calculator of it for lifetime status....
”... technically a flight between Europe and North Africa is intercontinental.”
In the far-off days when Heathrow had just three terminals: 1 was domestic, 2 was European, and 3 was intercontinental. Flights to North Africa left from 2, but it caught me out the first time I had such a flight and had assumed I should go to 3.
Airline geography often follows its own rules.
I wonder if someone was lucky/crazy enough to get 10 round-trips with that BSL-KWI/RUH promo/mistake for ~350 EUR rt ... 😉
In addition to what you wrote, I see a lot of people going with Egypt-air or Ethiopian towards Asia from Germany. So you can do DUS-MUC-CAI-CAN return in C, which will earn you 220 points return, more than half of LH metal. You will be stuck in miserable CAI for a layover and have to live without wine on your way to China, but given that some of those deals show up for less than 2000EUR (like I had in 2018), a very good way to easily get your SEN...