3.5/5
Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard
- Best for: Travelers who fly Lufthansa from the U.S. at least once a year and can use a companion ticket
- What Sets It Apart: Yearly economy companion ticket on Lufthansa flights; two Lufthansa business lounge passes a year
- Cost: $89 annual fee, $0 for Miles & More Senator and HON Circle members; $0 foreign transaction fee; 19.74% to 29.74% variable interest rate
- Features: 70,000 bonus miles after $4,000 in purchases and paying the annual fee within 90 days; 2 miles per $1 on tickets bought directly from Miles & More airlines; 1 mile per $1 elsewhere; up to 25,000 purchase miles a year convertible to status points
- Pros: Fee waived for Senator and HON Circle members; companion ticket covers a second traveler’s airfare; lounge passes cover you or a companion
- Cons: Companion ticket only on Lufthansa-operated flights in fare classes H, M, Y, or B; companion pays taxes and fees; steep fuel surcharges on award tickets; no free checked bags or priority boarding
Barclays issues this card for Miles & More, the Lufthansa Group’s loyalty program, so every mile you earn goes into your Miles & More account. It’s built for U.S. travelers who already fly Lufthansa, SWISS, or Austrian to Europe.
Key Features
- $89 annual fee and no foreign transaction fee
- 70,000-mile bonus once you spend $4,000 and pay the annual fee within 90 days of opening
- 2 miles per $1 on tickets bought directly from Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, and six other Miles & More airlines, and 1 mile per $1 on everything else
- An economy companion ticket and two Lufthansa business lounge passes each year, starting with your first purchase
- Variable interest rate of 19.74% to 29.74% on purchases
Pros
- The $89 fee is waived for Miles & More Senator and HON Circle members while they keep that status
- Companion ticket covers a second traveler’s airfare from the U.S. to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, or the Far East
- Each lounge pass covers one visit by you or a companion on a day you fly a Lufthansa group airline
Cons
- Companion ticket works only on flights Lufthansa itself operates, with both tickets booked in one of four economy fare classes (H, M, Y, or B)
- Your companion still pays all taxes and fees, and Lufthansa notes that fares on its website can cost less than this offer in some seasons
- Steep fuel surcharges on award tickets, which put a one-way business award from Frankfurt to St. Louis at $1,035 in taxes and fees in October
- No free checked bags or priority boarding
- The yearly maximum of 25,000 purchase miles converts to just 100 Qualifying Points toward elite status, under a third of the 325 needed for Frequent Traveller, the first tier
Apply if you fly Lufthansa itself from the U.S. at least once a year, because SWISS and Austrian flyers get double miles and the lounge passes but not the companion ticket. If you fly the group only now and then, choose a card whose points transfer to several airline programs instead.
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