Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®

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Getting to Know the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®

With the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®, travelers can quickly earn miles with purchases from Lufthansa or other Miles & More® partner airlines. Cardholders can earn up to 75,000 bonus miles in the first year from account opening. This is 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in purchases in 90 days and paying the annual fee. They earn an extra 25,000 miles after making $20,000 in purchases win the first year.

Miles earned with the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® can help travelers quickly achieve higher Miles & More® status. Each calendar year, members can convert 5,000 to 25,000 miles to status miles at a 5:1 ratio. That means 25,000 flight miles can become 5,000 status miles! Miles also convert to reward fares and upgrades partner airlines. These include Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Air, and more.

How It Works

Cardholders can expect the following from Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®

How to Earn Rewards:

  • Fly with Miles & More® Partners: Travelers earn 2 miles for every dollar spent directly with Miles & More® partner airlines.
  • Everyday purchases: Cardholders earn 1 mile for every other dollar they spend on all other purchases made with their Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®.
  • Hotels: Miles & More® members can also earn miles when they use their Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® when booking hotels with Miles & More® hotel partners worldwide.
  • Rental Cars: Cardholders can also earn miles when they use their Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® when booking rental vehicles with Miles & More® car rental partners.
  • Other Ways to Earn: Miles & More® members can also earn miles when they use their Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® with select retail and finance partners across the globe.
  • Miles Expiration: Miles & More® miles expire after 36 months, regardless of activity on the account.

How to Redeem Miles:

  • Travel: Redeeming bonus miles with Miles & More® is easy. Members can use their miles to purchase reward airfares with any Miles & More® partner – flights start from as few as 9,000 miles.
  • Hotels: Miles & More® members can also use their reward miles to book hotel stays with Miles & More® partner hotels worldwide, including Radisson and Best Western – hotel stays start from as few as 8,250 miles.
  • Rental Cars: Miles & More® members can use miles to book rental cars with select Miles & More® partners, including Avis, Hertz, and Europcar – with rentals starting from as few as 3,000 miles.
  • Shopping: Miles apply to shop rewards, from a wide variety of leading retailers.
  • Convert Miles to Status Miles: Members can convert 5,000 to 25,000 miles to status miles at a 5:1 ratio. When 5,000 flight miles are converted to status miles, this equates to an instant 1,000 status miles Frequent Traveler status. Benefits include Star Alliance Silver status and more miles on flights. Priority stand-by starts at 35,000 status miles.

Today’s Bonus Offer:

Cardholders can earn up to 75,000 bonus miles in the first year from account opening. This is 50,000 miles after making $3,000 in purchases within 90 days and paying the annual fee. They earn an additional 25,000 miles after spending $20,000 in purchases the first year.

The Plane Facts

Can you expect a smooth flight from the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®, or will there be turbulence?

  • Annual Fee: The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® card features an annual fee of $89, which, while higher than some other airline rewards cards with no annual fee, isn’t a huge burden given the decent perks and reward miles available.

Airline and Airport Perks:

  • Lounge Access: Cardholders receive 2 complimentary passes to Lufthansa’s Business Lounge each year of card membership.

Additional Benefits:

  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Companion Airfare: Cardholders receive a companion airfare each year, good for one free companion flight with a Miles & More® partner airline (subject to additional taxes and fees).
  • 15% Off Hotels and Rental Cars: Miles & More® Card cardholders receive an extra 15% off discount when booking hotels and rental cars with Points. Simply log-in and the discount are automatically applied provided the user has a valid Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®.

The Perks That Make the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® Worthwhile

What are some of the Pros that set this card ahead of the rest?

  • Booking Flights: Miles earned can be used on ticket purchases for both Miles & More® members and Star Alliance partner airlines – with access to over 1,000 destinations worldwide.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees: Cardholders can expect no foreign transaction fees, making this card a powerful tool for world travelers.
  • Lounge Access: The addition of 2 complimentary passes to Lufthansa’s Business Lounge each year is a great perk.

Potential Turbulence with Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®

What are some cons that take the wind from beneath this card’s wings?

  • Lack of Additional Benefits: Unlike other airline rewards cards from major carriers, the Miles & More® Card does not offer that many airlines or airport-centric perks for cardholders. Lounge access twice a year is great. Besides that, there really isn’t much else to get excited about.
  • Miles Expiration: The fact that Miles & More® miles expire after 36 months is a bit of a letdown – especially if you aren’t a frequent flyer and were hoping to save up miles to get some great rewards later.

Thought Before Takeoff

Miles & More® is a great rewards program, as it offers the chance to earn miles with many of Europe’s biggest carriers, including Lufthansa – the program’s creator. As such, the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® can really help world travelers reach higher Miles & More® and Star Alliance frequent flyer tiers through its solid introductory offers and ability to earn miles through a vast array of methods,

Cardholders earn double miles when booking flights with Miles & More® carriers and single miles for all other purchases. Additionally, new accounts up to 75,000 miles paying the annual fee and meeting spend requirements.

The solid earnings potential of this card, however, needs to be carefully weighed against the expiration policy for Miles & More®. If you are a frequent flyer, you likely won’t be too concerned about miles that expire after 36 months. If, however, you aren’t a world explorer, you may not get the most bang for your buck. Fortunately, there are plenty of other great airline rewards cards that have miles that don’t expire. If this nitpick doesn’t bother you than the Miles & More® World Elite Card is a card you should very seriously consider – especially if you frequently travel to Europe.

 

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