Lufthansa

Lufthansa (LH) is a Star Alliance member based in Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), and it is the biggest airline in Europe. For award travelers the headline is its First class, complete with the famous First Class Terminal in Frankfurt where you are driven to your plane in a Porsche. The catch: Lufthansa only releases First class space to partners inside roughly 14 days of departure.

Lufthansa

Which miles can you use to book Lufthansa?

Because Lufthansa is in Star Alliance, you can book its award space with partner miles, including:

  • United MileagePlus: no fuel surcharges, and united.com is also the easiest place to search
  • Air Canada Aeroplan
  • Avianca LifeMiles: often the cheapest, no surcharges
  • Turkish Miles&Smiles

How to search for Lufthansa award space:

The easiest place to search is the United Airlines website. United displays Star Alliance partner availability, including Lufthansa, and you can search without holding any miles.

Step 1

Log in to your United Airlines account on united.com. If you don’t have an account yet, signing up is free.

Step 2

Select the Book Travel box and fill in your trip details:

  • Select either Round Trip or One Way
  • Enter your departure and arrival city. For Lufthansa, think routes touching Frankfurt (FRA) or Munich (MUC), like FRA-JFK, FRA-LAX, MUC-SFO, or connections across Europe
  • Enter your dates
  • Select the number of passengers
  • Select Award Travel

Then click Search.

Step 3

Pick the flight option that fits your schedule. Watch the connection times carefully, as some options have very long layovers.

If you would like to search a different day, use the calendar to scan nearby dates. Business class opens further out, but for First class, search inside the two week window before departure.

Make sure you select the Saver Award, as standard awards cost far more miles and usually can’t be booked with partner programs anyway.

Step 4

Choose your preferred flight and open its details. Write down the following information: flight number, dates, and cabin class.

Step 5

Now book with the program your miles live in. If it’s United miles, book right there on united.com. For other programs (Aeroplan, LifeMiles, Miles&Smiles), check their website first, since most can book Star Alliance partners online now. If the flight doesn’t show, call the program and read the agent the exact flights you found. They should be able to see and book the same space for you.

Tips before you book

  • Lufthansa First with miles is a last-minute game by design. If you have flexible dates and can book on short notice, it is one of the most attainable top-tier first class products left.
  • If united.com shows nothing, cross-check the same route on aeroplan.com. Partner sites occasionally disagree on the last seat or two.