Award Flights Even More Expensive: Lufthansa Group Increases Fuel Surcharges to North America – Again

When we updated our article about the Miles&More mileage bargains today, we were quite astonished: In addition to the miles, the Lufthansa Group now demands partially more than €1,000 for a round trip to North America in business class.

The exact amount of the surcharges always varies slightly depending on the departure airport and airline. But it quickly became clear: the Lufthansa Group has indeed once again increased the prices. And this comes less than three months after the surcharges increased from €250 per direction to €350.

Surcharges Now €400 per Direction

In May, we looked at the following flight example. For a nonstop round trip from Munich to New York in Lufthansa’s business class, 112,000 miles plus €870 in taxes & fees were required at that time:

Now, if you search for the same flight, you’ll find that the required mileage amount has not changed, but the surcharge has risen again. Taxes, fees, and airline surcharges now amount to €970:

The reason is quickly identified. There was only a minor movement in the actual taxes & fees. However, the international/national surcharge (aka fuel surcharge) increased from €350 per direction to €400 per direction. Of the €970 surcharge, €170 is for actual taxes & fees. The rest is an invented fee by Lufthansa:

Here is a brief overview of the price development for the above direct flight:

• Until May 2024: 112,000 miles + €670
• May to July 2024: 112,000 miles + €870
• Since August 2024: 112,000 miles + €970

The change once again affects only flights with the Lufthansa Group. If you instead fly with United, you’ll pay around €400 less, as their surcharges haven’t increased so far. Also, there have apparently been no changes for Lufthansa flights to other destinations (e.g., Asia) or for flights in economy class.

Mileage Bargains Hit Particularly Hard

For some time now, Lufthansa has offered two different ways to book an award flight: For a Flex award, the above-mentioned surcharges apply. Additionally, there is the Flex Plus award. With a higher mileage amount, the invented surcharges are waived. This is now even more worthwhile – for the above example:

• Business Flex: 112,000 miles + €970
• Business Flex Plus: 155,000 miles + €170

You spend an additional 43,000 miles and save €800 in return. If you are a Senator, you could save even more with the Companion Award, as the second person only pays 50% of the required miles.

However, this option does not exist for Miles&More mileage bargains. Each month, a selection of flights can be booked at reduced prices but with full surcharges. Now a business round trip to North America costs 55,000 miles plus €900 to €1,000. This can hardly be called a bargain anymore. Until mid-May, it was €300 less with the same mileage amount.

Flights from 2025 Are Even More Expensive

The next price increase (and thus mile devaluation) is already set in stone. Recently, Lufthansa introduced environmental surcharges for all flights starting in 2025. These also affect award tickets and range between €1 and €72 per flight, depending on the travel class and route.

Thus, for our direct business class flight to New York (and back), 112,000 miles and €997 will be due. A further increase of €27. If you start in Frankfurt, you’ll even pay more than €1,000, in addition to the miles:

More on this topic here:

Lufthansa Group Implements New “Environmental Protection” Surcharges for 2025 Departures

Conclusion

The Lufthansa Group has now completely lost any sense of proportion when it comes to redeeming award miles. The increase in May was already a slap in the face for all members. That we are now talking about surcharges partially in the four-digit range, in addition to the miles, sounds like a bad joke – but it’s not. Sometimes, paid business tickets hardly cost more than a supposedly free flight with Miles&More miles.

Fortunately, there are still some attractive ways to use Miles&More miles, e.g. those flying with EVA Air to Asia pay only the actual taxes and fees. You can find many more low-surcharge options in our Miles&More Sweet Spots Guide.

Translated by Ditmar

Cover Picture: Ditmar Lange