For a limited time, the Premier Miles & More® World MasterCard is offering 50,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 in the first 3 months and paying the annual fee. Miles & More is the loyalty program of Lufthansa and the other European carriers that it owns.
The card earns 2 miles per dollar on tickets purchased directly from Miles & More and 1 mile per dollar on other purchases.
That means that just meeting its spending requirement would net you 55,000 miles from the bonus and spending. Miles & More miles can be redeemed on any of the 27 Star Alliance airlines including United, Air Canada, Swiss, Austrian, Air New Zealand, and Air China. 55,000 Miles & More miles are enough for:
- One roundtrip in Lufthansa Business Class to Europe to any of the rotating Mileage Bargain locations
- One roundtrip in economy to Europe
- Two roundtrips in economy within the continental United States
- Three one ways in First Class within the continental United States
- One roundtrip to Hawaii with one way in economy and one way in First Class
- One roundtrip to Central America or the Caribbean with one way in economy and one way in Business Class
- One way in flat bed Business Class to Europe or South America
The main drawback of Miles & More miles is that awards have fuel surcharges when an identical paid ticket would have fuel surcharges. The solution is to fly partners and routes with no fuel surcharges. These include:
- United flights within the United States, Canada, Central America, South American, and the Caribbean
- Copa, TACA, and Avianca flights (Central and South American airlines)
- Some Air New Zealand flights
- LOT Polish Airlines flights have fuel surcharges as low as $60 on transatlantic flights
If you mainly travel in the western hemisphere, Miles & More miles are more valuable than United miles. Miles & More miles have access to the same award space as United miles, even on United planes, and Miles & More has a cheaper award chart:
- 20k/35k Miles & More miles one way in economy/first to Hawaii versus 22.5k/40k United miles
- 12k/17k Miles & More miles one way in economy/first within continental United States versus 12.5k/25k United miles
- 30k/52k Miles & More miles one way in economy/business to Argentina, Chile, and Brazil versus 30k/55k United miles
If you mainly travel to Asia or Europe, though, you’d be better off with United miles because there are never fuel surcharges on United awards and Miles & More awards do have hefty fuel surcharges to Europe–except of LOT Polish Airlines flights–and Asia.
The bottom line is that this is a big sign up bonus on a card with a low annual fee ($79.) Many people can get huge use out of Miles & More miles, though the program has flaws. If you’re not sure whether or not Miles & More miles would be good for a trip you have in mind, feel free to ask in the comments.
Here are the complete offer details:
- Earn 20,000 award miles after your first purchase and payment of the annual fee
- Earn an additional 30,000 award miles when you spend $5,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of account opening
- Earn 2 award miles per $1 on ticket purchases directly from Miles & More integrated airline partners and 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases
- Cardholders receive a companion ticket after first purchase and payment of the annual fee and annually thereafter
- No foreign transaction fees on purchases made outside the U.S.
- Redeem miles for flight awards and upgrades on Lufthansa, Star Alliance member airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, and other partners
- $79 Annual Fee. Please see Terms and Conditions for complete details
I’m planning on getting the Premier Miles & More® World MasterCard for myself during this limited time offer. I hope to use 35,000 miles for a one way in United First Class from Newark to Honolulu. This is a steal for 10+ hours in a flat bed and 5,000 miles less than United charges for its own flight. The card is also attractive to me to take advantage of United award seats to the Caribbean (especially since it’s getting chilly already here in NJ).
Application Link: Premier Miles & More® World MasterCard
anyway to share miles between spouses?