Skip to content

Earn and redeem your United MileagePlus points for Eurowings Discover, a new European low cost carrier

Aug. 25, 2021
4 min read
Eurowings Discover A330 from above
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

Eurowings Discover is a new German low-cost carrier that is part of Lufthansa Group. The airline launched its inaugural flight at the end of July and is not wasting any time adding loyalty partners to its program.

Following Air Canada's lead in July, United Airlines has officially added Eurowings Discover as a loyalty partner, too. Let's take a closer look at the earning and redeeming rates.

Earn MileagePlus miles on Eurowings Discover flights

When purchasing Eurowings Discover flights, you can input your United MileagePlus frequent-flyer number at checkout to earn award miles and Premier-qualifying credits with United. This page appears on the "Travellers" page of checkout on Eurowings' website. You'll also want to make sure your MileagePlus number appears on your boarding pass to ensure you're earning miles.

(Screenshot courtesy of Eurowings)

If you purchased your ticket directly through United — either in-person, on the website or through United customer service — or your ticket number starts with "016," you'll earn MileagePlus miles based on your elite status level:

MileagePlus statusAward miles earned (based on fare) 
Member
5 MileagePlus points per dollar spent
Premier Silver
7 MileagePlus points per dollar spent
Premier Gold
8 MileagePlus points per dollar spent
Premier Platinum
9 MileagePlus points per dollar spent
Premier 1K
11 MileagePlus points per dollar spent

If you booked via an airline other than United, or your ticket number does not start with "016," you'll earn MileagePlus miles following this award chart:

Class of serviceFare classAward mile earnings (including fare class bonus)
Business
J, C, D
200%
Discount business
Z
150%
Deep discount business
P
100%
Premium economy
G, E
150%
Discount premium economy
N
100%
Full-fare economy
Y, B
150%
Economy
M, H, U
100%
Discount economy
Q, V, W
75%
Deep discount economy
S, T, L
50%
Deepest discount economy
K
25%
Ineligible for mileage credit
A, F, I, O, R, X
0%

You can find your ticket number and fare class on your confirmation email or flight receipt.

To take a quick example, the airline plans to operate seasonal flights from its hub at Frankfurt (FRA) to Salt Lake City, Utah (SLC). That flight clocks in at 5,218 miles each way. A ticket purchased through United would earn MileagePlus miles at a rate of 5 to 11 miles per dollar spent on airfare, depending on your elite status. If you purchased your ticket directly through Eurowings Discover and credited it to United MileagePlus, you'd earn between 0 to 20,872 award miles, depending on your fare code.

Interestingly enough, Eurowings Discover is a MileagePlus "Preferred" partner, meaning you earn Premier-Qualifying Points (PQPs) at a rate of the award miles earned divided by five (non-preferred partners earn PQPs as the mileage divided by six), so there could be some great value propositions to purchasing through Eurowings Discover and then crediting your flights to United for a run toward elite status.

Redeem MileagePlus miles for Eurowings Discover flights

You can now redeem your MileagePlus miles for Eurowings Discover flights, too. Just like you'd conduct any other United partner award search, you'll visit United's website, enter the desired flight dates and cities and search price by award travel. You should be able to find the flights and the number of points required to book the ticket.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts
(Screenshot courtesy of United)

For now, tickets appear to start at 6,500 miles each way on the airline's short hauls within Europe. Eurowings Discover's flights between the U.S. and Europe do not appear to be loaded onto the schedule yet, but should price out at 33,000 MileagePlus miles each way in economy and 66,000 miles in business class.

Bottom line

It's always a win when airlines add new loyalty partners to the mix, expanding award flight options for customers. Ultimately, it's no surprise that Eurowings Discover has partnered with United to earn and redeem miles since it's part of the Lufthansa Group, which is one of United's Star Alliance partners.

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

TPG featured card

4 / 5
Go to review
Rewards rate
1XChoose to earn up to 1X points on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee
2XEarn 2X points + the option to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday purchases
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status + $300 of Bilt Cash
Annual fee
$495
Regular APR
26.74 - 34.74% variable
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
Good Credit, Excellent Credit

Pros

  • Choice to earn up to 1 Bilt Point per dollar spent on rent and mortgage payments
  • Elevated everyday earnings with both Bilt Points and the option to earn Bilt Cash
  • $400 Bilt Travel Portal hotel credit per year (up to $200 biannually)
  • $200 Bilt Cash annually
  • Priority Pass membership
  • No foreign transaction fees

Cons

  • Moderate annual fee
  • Designed primarily for members seeking a premium, all-in-one card
  • Earn points on housing with no transaction fee
  • Choose to earn 4% back in Bilt Cash on everyday spend. Use Bilt Cash to unlock point earnings on rent and mortgage payments with no transaction fee, up to 1X.
  • 2X points on everyday spend
  • $400 Bilt Travel Hotel credit. Applied twice a year, as $200 statement credits, for qualifying Bilt Travel Portal hotel bookings.
  • $200 Bilt Cash (awarded annually). At the end of each calendar year, any Bilt Cash balance over $100 will expire.
  • Welcome bonus (subject to approval): 50,000 Bilt Points + Gold Status after spending $4,000 on everyday purchases in the first 90 days + $300 of Bilt Cash.
  • Priority Pass ($469/year value). See Guide to Benefits.
  • Bilt Point redemptions include airlines, hotels, future rent and mortgage payments, Lyft rides, statement credits, student loan balances, a down payment on a home, and more.