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Miles & More status · Tier points per flight

Lufthansa Miles & More elite status explained

Miles & More status is earned with Points per flight segment, counted over the calendar year. Frequent Traveller needs 650 Points including 325 Qualifying Points, Senator needs 2,000 Points including 1,000 Qualifying Points, and HON Circle needs 6,000 HON Circle Points.

Each segment earns a fixed number of Points set only by travel class and whether the flight is continental or intercontinental: from 20 for an Economy flight within Europe to 400 for an intercontinental First Class flight. The fare paid and the distance flown do not matter. Any Star Alliance flight earns Points, but the Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points you also need come only from the Lufthansa Group and a short list of partner airlines.

Frequent Traveller is Star Alliance Silver, and Senator and HON Circle are both Star Alliance Gold. Status reached in a year lasts until the end of February of the year after next.

Written and reviewed by the Points Plug team. Last reviewed .

Redeemable miles versus Points

What you spend

Miles

The balance that books award flights, upgrades and other rewards. See how to earn them and what they are worth.

What counts toward status

Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points

A separate counter that decides your tier. You cannot spend it on flights or rewards.

Award miles and status Points are separate. Award miles are the currency you spend on Award Flights, upgrades and partner rewards. Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points cannot be spent; they only set your status and reset at the end of each calendar year.

They are calculated in completely different ways. On Lufthansa Group fares, award miles are earned per euro of fare (4 miles per euro, or 6 for status holders), so a pricier ticket earns more. Points are a fixed amount per segment by class and region, identical for every member and every fare in that class.

Worked example: a Frequent Traveller flies Frankfurt to New York and back on a Lufthansa ticket with €1,000 of mileage-earning fare. The trip earns 6,000 award miles (6 per euro), where a member without status would earn 4,000. If the ticket is in Economy, it also earns 60 Points and 60 Qualifying Points per intercontinental segment, so 120 of each for the round trip, exactly the same whether it cost €1,000 or €400. The same trip in Business would earn 400 Points, 400 Qualifying Points and 400 HON Circle Points.

Some activity earns one and not the other. Award Flights earn neither miles nor Points. Credit card spend earns miles only, although eligible cardholders can exchange up to 25,000 of those miles once a year for a small amount of Points. Points can never be bought.

Lufthansa Miles & More tiers and what each one takes

TierTo qualifyBonus milesAlliance tier
Frequent Traveller650 Points incl. 325 Qualifying Points+50% (6 miles per € instead of 4) on Lufthansa Group faresStar Alliance Silver
Senator2,000 Points incl. 1,000 Qualifying Points+50% (6 miles per € instead of 4) on Lufthansa Group faresStar Alliance Gold
HON Circle Member6,000 HON Circle Points+50% (6 miles per € instead of 4) on Lufthansa Group faresStar Alliance Gold

The qualification period is the calendar year, 1 January to 31 December. Status starts as soon as you reach the threshold and runs until the end of February of the year after next: reach Senator in April 2026 and it lasts until the end of February 2028.

Benefits of each Lufthansa Miles & More tier

Frequent Traveller

Earn 650 Points in a calendar year, of which at least 325 must be Qualifying Points from flights operated by Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Discover Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, LOT, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City, Luxair or SWISS.

  • Business Lounges of Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways.
  • One additional checked bag in Economy, so two 23 kg bags on Lufthansa, plus a ski or golf bag outside the Americas.
  • Business Class check-in.
  • Star Alliance Silver waitlist and standby priority on partner airlines.
  • One upgrade eVoucher on reaching 700 Qualifying Points in the year.
  • At 800 Qualifying Points, the option to exchange up to 20,000 miles for up to 125 Points and 125 Qualifying Points.

Senator

Earn 2,000 Points in a calendar year, of which at least 1,000 must be Qualifying Points from the same qualifying airlines as Frequent Traveller.

  • Senator Lounges and Star Alliance Gold lounges worldwide with one guest, plus your own children under 18 in Senator Lounges.
  • Two upgrade eVouchers at each qualification or renewal, with two more at 2,500 Qualifying Points.
  • One extra checked bag in every class (or 20 kg extra on weight-based airlines) and priority baggage handling.
  • Free seat reservations, including Extra Legroom seats, for you and up to eight companions on the same booking on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian and Brussels Airlines.
  • First Class check-in even in Economy, priority boarding and fast track at selected airports.
  • Booking guarantee in premium classes up to 48 hours before departure.
  • Companion Award Flights for 50% fewer miles.
  • Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status once you link accounts.
  • Extra Benefits at milestones: a €50 WorldShop gift card at 2,200 Qualifying Points, a Frequent Traveller partner card at 3,500, 15,000 miles at 4,500 and a First Class Lounge voucher at 5,500.

HON Circle Member

Earn 6,000 HON Circle Points in a calendar year. HON Circle Points come only from Business and First Class flights operated by the same airlines that earn Qualifying Points.

  • Lufthansa First Class Lounges and the Frankfurt First Class Terminal, whatever cabin you are flying.
  • Four upgrade eVouchers at each qualification or renewal, with two more at 7,000 and two more at 10,000 HON Circle Points.
  • Senator status for your spouse or partner for as long as your HON Circle status lasts.
  • Free rebooking onto an earlier flight the same day on Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian.
  • Booking guarantee in premium classes up to 24 hours before departure.
  • Free FlyNet Premium Wi-Fi on Lufthansa short- and medium-haul flights.
  • A personal HON Circle service line, available 24 hours in selected markets.
  • Extra Benefits: 30,000 miles at 8,500 HON Circle Points, a Frequent Traveller partner card and 35,000 miles at 11,500, and a Senator partner card and 50,000 miles at 13,000.

How flights earn Points

  • Every segment earns Points by travel class and by whether it is continental or intercontinental. Neither the fare paid nor the miles flown changes the amount, so a cheap Economy fare and a flexible Economy fare on the same flight earn the same Points.
  • Points per segment on qualifying airlines, earned equally as Qualifying Points: Economy 20 continental or 60 intercontinental; Premium Economy 20 or 80; Business 40 or 200; First 40 or 400. Business and First also earn the same number of HON Circle Points, so a SWISS Business Class flight from Zurich to Bangkok earns 200 Points, 200 Qualifying Points and 200 HON Circle Points.
  • Continental means both airports are on the same continent, and Miles & More also counts domestic flights and North African routes as continental. At these rates Frequent Traveller takes six intercontinental Economy round trips on qualifying airlines (720 Points), and Senator five intercontinental Business round trips (2,000 Points).
  • Qualifying Points are earned alongside Points only on flights operated by Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Discover Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, LOT, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City, Luxair and SWISS. HON Circle Points are earned on the same airlines only in Business or First Class.
  • Other Star Alliance airlines, such as United, Air Canada and ANA, earn Points but no Qualifying Points. They can take you from 325 to 650 Points for Frequent Traveller, or from 1,000 to 2,000 for Senator, but cannot on their own earn status.

How many miles each tier earns

  • On Lufthansa Group fare-based earning, members without status get 4 award miles per euro and Frequent Travellers, Senators and HON Circle Members get 6 per euro, a 50% uplift.
  • On partners that earn by booking class, status holders get an Executive Bonus of 50% on Air Canada, Air Dolomiti, ANA, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, LOT, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City, SWISS and United, and 25% on Discover Airlines, Eurowings, Luxair and other airline partners. The bonus applies to miles only, never to Points.
  • Award Flight tickets earn no miles and no Points, and industry-discounted tickets are excluded too. An upgrade won by bidding earns miles and status credit for the higher class flown.

Upgrades for Lufthansa Miles & More elites

  • Miles & More has no complimentary space-available upgrades. Senators receive two eVouchers and HON Circle Members four at each qualification or renewal, plus more at milestones; Frequent Travellers get one at 700 Qualifying Points. One eVoucher moves you one class up within an award region, and long-haul flights need one to three. eVouchers work on Star Alliance partners too, subject to destination, airline and booking class.
  • Anyone can book an Upgrade Award with miles, from 10,000 miles for Economy to Business within a region up to 60,000 miles and more on intercontinental routes, depending on the regions and original booking class. Upgrades go at most two classes (Economy to Business, never to First), and Award Flight tickets cannot be upgraded.
  • Book online under Current bookings for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Discover and Lufthansa City, through a separate request form for other Star Alliance airlines, by phone, or at check-in or the gate with your service card and PIN. Where the airline runs a waitlist it closes 72 hours before departure, and miles are only debited if the upgrade confirms.
  • Lufthansa also sells upgrades by bid. In My bookings you name the price you will pay by credit card and can change or withdraw it up to 49 hours before departure; about 48 hours out you hear whether it was accepted. Group tickets, bookings with infants under two or pets, and tickets issued by other airlines are excluded.

Credit cards that help with Lufthansa Miles & More status

  • No credit card earns Points directly from spending. Holders of eligible Miles & More credit cards can instead exchange card-earned miles for status credit once per calendar year: 5,000 miles for 20 Points and 20 Qualifying Points, up to 25,000 miles for 100 Points and 100 Qualifying Points. The exchange never yields HON Circle Points and cannot be reversed.
  • Miles & More credit cardholders also stop their miles expiring after three months of card membership, provided they make at least one qualifying purchase a month.

Fees, sign-up bonuses and every other benefit are compared in the Lufthansa Miles & More credit cards guide.

Other ways to get Lufthansa Miles & More status

Lifetime status

Qualifying Points add up across your whole membership. At 30,000 Qualifying Points you receive Frequent Traveller for life automatically, and at 40,000 you receive Senator for life. There is no lifetime HON Circle.

Partner of a HON Circle Member

A HON Circle Member's spouse or partner holds Senator status for as long as the HON Circle status lasts.

Partner cards from milestones

Senators who reach 3,500 Qualifying Points in a year receive a Frequent Traveller card for a friend or family member. HON Circle Members receive a Frequent Traveller partner card at 11,500 HON Circle Points and a Senator partner card at 13,000.

Buying Frequent Traveller (2026 offer)

From 29 July to 30 September 2026, members without status who hold a qualifying Miles & More credit card issued in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria or Belgium can buy Frequent Traveller status once, for EUR 650 or 80,000 miles. The status is valid until 28 February 2027.

Miles-to-Points exchange

Apart from the 2026 Frequent Traveller offer, status and Points cannot be bought, but two small top-ups exist: Frequent Travellers with 800 Qualifying Points can exchange up to 20,000 miles for up to 125 Points and 125 Qualifying Points, and eligible credit cardholders can exchange up to 25,000 miles a year for up to 100 Points and 100 Qualifying Points.

Hotel status in return

Senators and HON Circle Members receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status (25% bonus points, room upgrades, 2 pm late checkout) by linking accounts with matching names. It is a benefit of airline status, not a route to it.

Keeping Lufthansa Miles & More status

  • Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points reset to zero at the end of each calendar year. Status reached in one year lasts to the end of February of the year after next, so requalifying in the following calendar year extends it without a gap.
  • Senators and HON Circle Members who have already renewed can carry surplus Points forward by exchanging eVouchers: each eVoucher carries over 100 Points and Qualifying Points (plus 100 HON Circle Points for HON members), up to four eVouchers per transaction, credited in early January.
  • Your miles do not expire while you hold Frequent Traveller, Senator or HON Circle status; the 36-month expiry clock starts again when status ends.

Lufthansa Miles & More status: FAQ

How many Points do I need for Lufthansa Senator?
Senator needs 2,000 Points in a calendar year, of which at least 1,000 must be Qualifying Points from Lufthansa Group or other qualifying airlines. Frequent Traveller needs 650 Points including 325 Qualifying Points.
Do United flights count toward Miles & More status?
Partly. United and other Star Alliance flights earn Points but not Qualifying Points, so they can fill the gap between the Qualifying Points minimum and the total Points needed. The 325 or 1,000 Qualifying Points must come from flights operated by Lufthansa Group airlines, ITA Airways, LOT, Croatia Airlines or Luxair.
How long does Miles & More status last?
Until the end of February of the year after next. Reach Frequent Traveller or Senator during 2026 and it runs until the end of February 2028, starting from the day you qualify.
How do I get Senator for life?
Collect 40,000 Qualifying Points over your membership. Frequent Traveller for life comes at 30,000 Qualifying Points, and there is no lifetime HON Circle.
Does Frequent Traveller get lounge access?
Yes, to the Business Lounges of Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and ITA Airways, but not to Star Alliance partner lounges. Senator adds Senator Lounges and Star Alliance Gold lounges with a guest.
Do Miles & More award flights earn status?
No. Award Flight tickets earn no miles, Points, Qualifying Points or HON Circle Points, so only paid tickets move you toward status.
How do I qualify for HON Circle?
Earn 6,000 HON Circle Points in one calendar year. They come only from Business and First Class flights operated by the Lufthansa Group and the other qualifying airlines, so HON Circle is out of reach in Economy.

Sources

More on Lufthansa Miles & More

Status in other Star Alliance programs