Lufthansa will change its Miles & More loyalty program from giving frequent fliers points-per-mile to points-per-Euro spent on fares and fees, following American carriers who made the switch in recent years.
Instead of counting on one point per mile (or kilometer), passengers will now get points based on how much they’ve paid and what their status in the program is. Starting March 12, basic members will get 4 points per Euro spent.
Elite program members will get 5 or 6 points per Euro, but that will depend on which of Lufthansa’s airlines the ticket is on. That’s a less-generous elite bonus than U.S. carriers use; they allow elites as much as double the rate for regular.
Lufthansa operates Lufthansa itself, as well as Swiss Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings.
The revenue-based schemes have generally been more popular with elites than with the general membership, for obvious reasons. Most flights for non-elites now earn far fewer points than before. For example, a 3,000-mile flight that costs $220 will generally earn about 1,000 points, where previously it would have earned 3,000. But for an elite flier paying $600 in business class and with the bonus multiplier, it could well come out to around 5,000.
