Earning miles Standard Miles & More members retain validity for 36 months, after which they expire. Status miles can only be earned when flying on fully integrated partner airlines or Star Alliance members. There is no other way to earn these miles. In addition, status miles expire at the end of each calendar year.

In the Miles & More program (used by Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian Airlines), Status Miles do expire at the end of every calendar year. Unlike "Award Miles," which can be saved up over several years to redeem for flights or upgrades, Status Miles are used exclusively to determine your elite tier (Frequent Traveller, Senator, or HON Circle) for the following year. On January 1st of each year, your Status Mile counter resets to zero, and you must begin earning them again to maintain or upgrade your status level. However, once you achieve a specific status, it is typically valid for at least one full year (and often through February of the following year). It is important to distinguish these from Award Miles, which usually expire after 36 months unless you hold a specific Miles & More credit card or have reached a certain elite status level, which can grant you "mileage protection." Therefore, if you are chasing a higher tier, you must ensure you fly enough within the fixed window of January 1 to December 31 to meet the threshold.