If you read my blog regularly, you know that one of my favorite mileage redemptions is for Lufthansa First Class.
It’s not that Lufthansa offers the best first class product in the world (though I love it). Rather, Lufthansa first class represents an excellent value when using miles and space routinely opens a day or two before travel.
Prices vary widely based upon where you book it. One-way prices below:
- Aeroplan – 70,000 miles + fuel surcharges
- ANA – 82,500 miles (but can only be booked on a round-trip basis) + fuel surcharges
- Asiana Club – 50,000 miles + fuel surcharges
- Avianca LifeMiles – 87,000 miles (no fuel surcharges)
- Lufthansa Miles & More – 85,000 miles + fuel surcharges
- Singapore KrisFlyer – 95,000 + fuel surcharges
- United MileagePlus – 110,000 miles (no fuel surcharges)
Yesterday, American Express added Avianca LifeMiles as a Membership Rewards transfer partner. Transfers are on a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000.
Sweet spots on the award chart include:
- US – Europe in business class – 63,000 miles
- US – Europe in first class – 87,000 miles
- US – North Asia in first class – 90,000 miles
- US – Southeast Asia in business class – 78,000 miles
Increased Completion for Lufthansa First Class
With Avianca Lifemiles now a new option for millions of American Express cardholders, look for increased competition to secure Lufthansa First Class seats.
The Lifemiles website is not always the easiest to book. Furthermore, sometimes space is blocked. But at 87K miles one-way, no fuel surcharges, and no close-in booking fees it represents an excellent value. Look for even more competition for those Lufthansa First Class seats.
CONCLUSION
Avianca’s new relationship with American Express coupled with their lucrative purchased miles promotion will lead to increased in competition for first class. In fact, it will lead to increased competition for all Star Alliance award space.
Are you happy to see Avianca added as an American Express Membership Rewards transfer partner?
Considering AC requires 20% fewer miles (albeit with YQ), lacks the availability/blocking issues by which LM is plagued, and has been an MR xfer partner since time immemorial, I’m going to respectfully disagree with your proposition.
Flew LH F a week ago and was very disappointed. Flight attendants unattentive, not looking to make our flight as pleasant as possible (“You definitely cannot have breakfast later than 1 hour and 40 minutes before arrival!”), no menu until 1 hour into the flight (on a quick 6.5-hour EWR – FRA route), first food not until 2 hours after the start, had to constantly look for them. Then first class terminal staff was indifferent, breakfast food was bad (only redeeming quality were their fresh juices), NO HOT WATER when I was there so no bath/shower… I paid Avianca F rate but with my final destination being Vienna, next time I’d much rather pay for direct J flight with excellent catering, good service and seat.
My wife and I flew LH business a couple of days ago FRA-EWR. Decent overall, though I kept checking for first to open up, which never happened. This is anecdotal of course, but space isn’t always easy to come by without the new partnership.
I have UA miles I would like to use for a trip to JNB in LH F. What would be the recommended strategy to secure the second leg, just book the outbound LAX/SFO/SEA-FRA/MUC and hope the next leg opens in time?
Yes