How often should I fly on StarAlliance airlines to be eligible for a Europe-to-USA business class upgrade?
As I expect to regularly go across the Atlantic and it often happens to be through Swiss or Lufthansa, I subscribed to the Miles & More frequent flyer program.
Since I'm travelling on my own funds (these are not business trips paid for by any company), I always arrange to get reasonably priced tickets; most often in the €500-600 range for the round trip from CDG to a US airport.
As many travelers hope I believe, I would like to be able to save my legs and my sleep without breaking the bank on those 10-hour flights. With an average 3 round trips a year, how soon should I expect to be eligible to sit in the business class?
Best Answer
Upgrading with points is a horrible plan when you're using your own money. You can only do it from the most expensive fares, and it costs about half the points of just getting a business reward ticket.
I recommend you replace some of your purchased tickets with business reward tickets, which will run around 100,000 or perhaps 120 depending on where you're going. I get 8000 miles or so for each transatlantic round trip (but watch out for only getting 50% miles in the cheapest fare classes) so 15 of those will get you one free one. Since at your pace that will take 5 years, make sure your miles will last that long: IIRC Miles & More is only about 3 years. Other programs expire your miles after as much as 7 years. You may want to get a credit card that gives miles for spend to boost this pace. $2000/month on your credit card will accumulate 100K miles in 4 years just on its own. (Some people put all their recurring bills, even the phone, on the credit card, even pay their property tax, insurance etc this way to get the most miles they possibly can.)
Consider also changing FF programs to one that will offer you upgrades as a status member. 24,000 miles a year with a little work could become 25,000 which would get you Prestige on Air Canada. Investigate other programs to see if they have a status level you can reach, and if that status level includes the chance of free upgrades (from a more expensive fare, typically.) You would need to choose a program from an airline that actually flies the route you want to upgrade on though. Air Canada doesn't fly CDG to JFK, for example, so their program won't work for you.
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Now that United's expanded the eligible fare classes, upgrading your Turkish Airlines flights with United miles has definitely become something worth considering.Can I use Lufthansa miles to upgrade on United?
Yes you can upgrade a Lufthansa ticket using your United miles, but be aware that you must be booked in the most expensive fare classes.Does Star Alliance Gold get you upgrades on United?
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