Lufthansa's uber-top tier status is HON Circle, which can be earned by accruing 600,000 elite qualifying miles over the course of two years. The status comes with quite a few benefits, probably the most significant of which is access to the Lufthansa First Class Lounges and Lufthansa First Class Terminal regardless of which class of…
Continue reading: Lufthansa Adds United Lounge Access For HON Circle Members
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Good luck to HON members on getting UA club agents to actually know this ... I foresee lots of angry emails to Lufthansa after they're denied access.
So do you have to fly 1,200,000 miles in two years or 600,000 in two? The latter, which is what you are saying, seems more plausible, because i can't even begin to imagine the latter, but the definition under how to qualify is a little ambiguous. Also, does the HON Circle member have to keep the balance for the current and previous years above 600,000 at the end of every calendar year in order to retain the status?
-Parker
@ Parker -- You have to earn a total of 600K EQMs over two years. Paid first class earns 3x miles, so it's like doing 100K miles in paid first class per year. You just have to qualify over two years, it doesn't matter how it's spread out.
And that is why, when there is a choice Oneworld carriers will have my business.
Not sure I really understand this "benefit." If I'm not mistaken Lufthansa also has its own lounge(s) in every one of these airports. Even if those are "just" business class or Senator lounges they're still generally better than United's lounges, even the Global First lounges. Perhaps in some cases if you're flying UA then it's easier to access UA's Global First lounge than LH's lounges, but in any case this seems to be a benefit of limited value.
@ 02nz -- They don't. For example, they don't have a lounge in Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Chicago. And this also applies when flying purely United. In other words, if you're flying United from Tokyo to Washington you'd get Global First Lounge access.
"By calling them HON Circle Lounges rather than first class lounges they don’t have to admit first class passengers on other airlines into the lounge."
I think they don't have to admit first class passengers of other airlines into those lounges no matter what they call them. My point being that the FCT isn't called the HON Terminal, and they still don't allow access to partner carriers' first class travelers, nor does TG in BKK, etc.
If you like carrots and cheese then you'll appreciate the benefit....the showers when and where available can be useful though.
My experiences with Us Global First lounges is as limited as it is disappointing.
I've only been to the IAD lounge for the late bunch of flights (typically 10:00 pm or so, to LHR, FRA., Middle East and South America). The neglect of the lounges by that hour is not appalling, at least not until one recalls this is supposedly a high premium product.
The "sushi" in the fridge is always gummy. the bowl of hummus is no more than a bunch of caked over streaks of hummus crust, etc., etc. If is as if I have been relegated to leftovers when I am flying international F.
The furnishings are threadbare, and the decor dated and dreary. I cannot see an HON circle member being impressed.
@Kevin - you mean actually Lufthansa Group (LH, LX and OS?) or Star Alliance? They don't have to be LH Group, but mileage accrual for SA partners are a little lower.
@Abdel If you want to renew/reach the HON-status, you must collect 600k Hon-Circle miles and not status miles in two years and Hon-circle miles can only be obtained on members of the LH-Group(LH,OS,LX etc) and not on other *A carriers
@Lucky: Chicago does have an LX First class lounge, you even wrote about it yourself: https://onemileatatime.com/chasing-the-a380-swiss-first-class-lounge-chicago/.