How do I stop my Lufthansa miles from expiring?

How To Stop Your Miles & More Miles Expiring
  1. Your miles will not expire as long as you hold elite status with Miles & More (Frequent Traveller, Senator, or HON Circle Member).
  2. If you carry an eligible co-branded credit card, your miles are exempt from the 36-month expiration policy.




To stop your Lufthansa Miles & More miles from expiring in 2026, the most effective methods are achieving elite status or using a co-branded Miles & More credit card. Standard miles expire 36 months after they are earned, at the end of that specific quarter. However, if you achieve Frequent Traveller, Senator, or HON Circle status, your miles are protected from expiration for as long as you maintain that status. For non-status members, holding a Miles & More credit card (available in many countries through partners like Barclays or DKB) provides "mileage protection," provided you make at least one qualifying purchase each month and have held the card for a minimum of three months. Another 2026 strategy is to subscribe to the Miles & More newsletter, which provides an "early warning" summary of miles due to expire two months in advance. Once miles have expired, they generally cannot be reinstated, so it is vital to either use them for a flight, a hotel stay, or "WorldShop" merchandise before the 36-month deadline if you do not have status or a credit card.

People Also Ask

When do Lufthansa miles expire? Lufthansa miles expire at the end of the quarter 36 months after the miles were earned.

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The value of Lufthansa miles is 2.26 cents per mile, on average. That means 10,000 Lufthansa miles have a value of roughly $226. Lufthansa miles are more valuable than the average airline miles, which are worth 1.32 cents each, as a result.

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When canceling a flight that was purchased using miles, most airlines do not charge a cancellation fee. It is generally free to get your miles reinstated and even the taxes and fees you paid will usually be refunded.

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Here's the catch. Air Miles themselves do not expire. But, if your account “expires” by being “dormant” (or inactive) for 24 consecutive months, then the points on it will disappear. An account is considered inactive if there are no points transactions within that period.

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Miles and points earned on co-branded hotel and airline travel rewards credit cards usually expire if you aren't actively using your account. Many will expire after 12 to 24 months from the date of your most recent activity.

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With Cash & Miles you can redeem your award miles just as you wish, for example for a flight to your travel destination of choice. This is possible from as little as 3,000 miles. At lufthansa.com you have the option of redeeming your miles on all available flights.

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With most airlines, free flights generally start at 5,000 to 7,500 miles per one-way segment. So to book a round-trip flight, you typically need at least 10,000 to 15,000 miles. But prices that low tend to only be available on short hops, meaning flights of about an hour to an hour and a half.

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