Earn up to 75,000 Lufthansa Miles with Elevated Bonus Offer
If you've been looking for a way to rack up Lufthansa miles, now is your chance to take advantage of an elevated welcome bonus on the Miles & More World Elite Mastercard.
Barclays and Lufthansa are now offering up to 75,000 miles for new cardholders — 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 within the first 90 days, and an additional 25,000 miles after spending $20,000 in purchases within the first year. According to the most recent TPG valuations, those miles are worth as much as $1,050.
The card earns 2x miles on Lufthansa and integrated airline partner ticket purchases, plus it comes with benefits like two complimentary Lufthansa Business Lounge Vouchers and one Companion Ticket (subject to taxes and fees) annually.
While the Miles & More program has seen recent devaluations, you can still find valuable redemption options for Lufthansa miles — especially through Star Alliance partners — but you'll have to watch out for annoying carrier surcharges, which can get extremely high on international flights. Thankfully, Lufthansa doesn't add surcharges on United flights within North and South America, or on United-only transoceanic flights, so you can avoid Lufthansa's notoriously high fees when you book those redemption options.
For instance, with this bonus, you can book three one-way United business class flights within North America (and still have 15,000 miles left over), including nonstop transcon routes such as Newark (EWR) to San Francisco (SFO). You can also find business class tickets to Hawaii for 70,000 miles or to Central America and the Caribbean for 60,000 miles — at least until Lufthansa ditches its published award chart in favor of dynamic award pricing in November.
However, keep in mind that you could end up paying hundreds of dollars in additional fees on award flights on both domestic and international Lufthansa or non-United Star Alliance partners. For example, when I looked up a one-way business class ticket on Lufthansa from New York (JFK) to Brussels (BRU), fees included $617.50 in surcharges.
While 75,000 miles can also get you a couple of one-way flights in economy within North America, Central America and the Caribbean, economy award flights aren't the best use of your miles. But having miles with the Miles & More program is also the only way you can book Lufthansa First Class redemptions more than 15 days in advance — again, if you're willing to pay the tacked on surcharges.
Bottom Line
Lufthansa miles are harder to earn by US-based award travelers because of its lack of transfer partners, especially with the suspension of the Marriott transfer program earlier this year. This means the only way to rack up chunks of miles is by flying Lufthansa or utilizing the Miles & More World Elite Mastercard. This elevated bonus is one of the highest we've ever seen on the card, so if you don't already have it in your wallet, it's a good time to consider applying.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
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