We are still waiting for clarity, but I fear the era of booking Lufthansa First Class with partner miles may be over. I truly hope I am wrong, but it would fit the broader Star Alliance trend: if United is tightening partner access to premium cabins, why would Lufthansa not do the same with its most exclusive product?
Is The Era Of Lufthansa First Class Awards With Partner Miles Over?
For years, Lufthansa First Class has been one of the most aspirational and practical premium cabin redemptions in the points world.
Not practical in the sense that it was easy. It usually required flexibility, last-minute booking, and a willingness to pounce within days or even hours of departure. But it was practical in the sense that Lufthansa often released first class award seats to Star Alliance partners close to departure, allowing travelers to book with programs like Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus, Avianca LifeMiles, and others.
That may now be changing.
Since June 1st, Lufthansa First Class partner award space has dried up. We are not just talking about less space than usual: we are talking about a sudden and noticeable lack of partner access, even close to departure, where Lufthansa First Class space has historically appeared, even when there remain many unsold seats. There has been no space at all for four days.
It is possible this is a glitch or a seasonal restriction during the busy summer travel months. At least for now, Lufthansa has not formally announced a permanent policy change, so I do not want to declare the door closed with certainty. But my gut tells me this may be the end of the road.
A Trend That Would Make Sense For Lufthansa
If Lufthansa is restricting First Class partner awards, it would be disappointing, but hardly shocking.
We have already seen United Airlines, a join venture partner, greatly reduce partner business class award inventory. In many markets, premium cabin partner space that used to be available to programs like Air Canada Aeroplan or Miles & More has become far more elusive. United wants to keep more premium inventory for its own MileagePlus members, dynamic pricing, paid upgrades, and cash sales.
Why would Lufthansa not respond in kind? Heck, United may have even encouraged it.
Lufthansa First Class is an even more limited product. It exists on fewer aircraft, with fewer seats, and is central to the carrier’s premium identity. With Allegris finally rolling out and Lufthansa trying to monetize a more differentiated premium experience with Product Fox, it is not hard to imagine Lufthansa deciding that First Class is simply too valuable to hand over to partner programs at old award-chart rates.
That is especially true when partner programs can sometimes offer better value than Miles & More itself. Why should Lufthansa release a First Class seat to Aeroplan or LifeMiles if it can keep that seat for cash, upgrades, Miles & More elites, or its own members paying hefty surcharges? Or maybe Lufthansa wants to take a Singapore Airlines approach and deliberately leave seats open to increase the exclusivity of the product.
Could Lufthansa Follow SWISS?
The most worrying comparison is SWISS.
SWISS First Class has long been restricted to Miles & More Senator and HON Circle members. It is not generally available to Star Alliance partner programs, and even regular Miles & More members face limits. That has made SWISS First one of the more protected first class products in the Star Alliance ecosystem.
One comment on One Mile at a Time caught my eye:
“According to the SEN hotline in Switzerland, it seems that LH F will soon be restricted in similar ways to LX F, considering the rollout of allegris etc. At first restricted to M&M members only, but in the future likely restricted to HON/SEN as with LX”
I have no way to independently verify that comment, and a hotline agent is not the same thing as a formal policy announcement.
But the logic is very plausible.
Start by restricting Lufthansa First Class to Miles & More members only. Then, over time, restrict the best or newest products further to Senator and HON Circle members. That would mirror the SWISS approach and preserve Lufthansa Group’s top premium cabin for its own highest-value customers.
Again, I hope this is wrong.
But it fits the direction of travel.
This Would Be A Major Loss For Star Alliance Redemptions
I should really not hold a funeral before we know the patient has died, but I’m finding it hard to help myself.
If Lufthansa First Class partner awards disappear forever, it would be a huge loss.
Lufthansa First Class is not the most cutting-edge first class hard product in the world, but the overall experience remains special: the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt, the First Class Lounge in Munich, the ground service, the dining, the caviar, the service, and of course the rubber ducks.
It has also been one of the few aspirational first class products that remained realistically bookable with transferable points through partner programs…it was within reach for all of us.
Emirates has tightened. Singapore has long protected Suites and First Class. Air France La Première is restricted. SWISS First is restricted. Lufthansa First Class was one of the last great windows still open.
If that window closes, the value of partner miles takes another hit.
CONCLUSION
We do not yet know whether Lufthansa has permanently ended partner award access to First Class. This could still be a glitch, a temporary restriction, or a short-term inventory issue. I’m writing this post the night before it publishes and would love nothing more than to wake up (today) and find it is out of date.
But I am increasingly pessimistic.
The trend is obvious: airlines want to protect their most premium cabins, limit partner access, and reserve the best seats for their own members, elites, cash customers, and upgrade instruments. United has already tightened partner business class space. SWISS First Class has long been restricted. Lufthansa may now be moving in the same direction.
I truly hope I am wrong. But if Lufthansa First Class is about to become Miles & More-only, or eventually restricted to Senator and HON Circle members, it would mark the end of one of the great partner award sweet spots in the Star Alliance world.
I’m certainly waiting with baited breath…
(I don’t want it to be, but I think it is dead.)
Reminds me of a scene… in Ridley Scott’s 2021 film House of Gucci, Al Pacino (playing Aldo Gucci) dramatically howls, “I’m dead! Dead!” when he discovers his son Paolo (Jared Leto) betrayed him by selling off his shares of the family company.
This will be quite an important loss, not because I think highly of the service in LH F, but because it’s been handy to know there’s a decent chance of availability opening up in the last few days before departure.
If it’s the end I will just keep the memories of a good run over the years in LH F. My only regret is that I always wanted to do a GRU-FRA-HND trip in F to experience the service on non-U.S. routes. One thing is for sure, the market for the Ducks will significantly rise!
Forgive me for being a snob. But first class should be protected away from the riff-raffs off miles-redeeming partners and be kept exclusive as much as possible. This will enable the airline to continue to invest more in the product and create a more innovative product to enlarge the gap between business and first class.
Hear hear!
How do you define exclusivity? LH F is often sold at ca. €3k return from the likes of BUD, it’s not quite private jet territory.
Omg! Listen to all you whine! First class tastes with not even anywhere near the budget. You ride up front now get over it. I hope all airlines restrict F cabin from any points. Business class is just fine. You want first, buy it.
Yet here you are at a miles and points centric blog. Hmmm….
Easy way to validate this is to look for availability with M&M and if it’s there but not on AC/LH then your theory might be right – I am thinking flights are just full or awards inventory in general is not being released