Do you want to use your smartphone on your trip to Australia and not be dependent on Wi-Fi in the hotel and cafés? Then a suitable eSIM plan is the perfect solution for being back online with your smartphone as soon as you land.

Planning a trip to Japan and don’t feel like surfing the internet with your smartphone only in the hotel, restaurants, etc.? Then a suitable eSIM is the cheapest way to surf on your iPhone or Android immediately after landing, just like at home.

When planning a trip to Japan, one of the first things that comes to mind is visiting Mount Fuji. Many people are happy to see it from the plane or from the Shinkansen window, but if you have time during your trip to Japan, it is worth dedicating a day to visiting it. In this post, we will explain how you can do it with a stress-free guided tour or how you can do it on your own. Despite being relatively close to Tokyo, it is a trip that can take all day.

The Klook Tour

Klook offers several tours to Mount Fuji, but the most popular is the “Instagrammable Spots” tour at JP¥7,200 (~€41). One of its advantages is the free cancellation policy up to one day in advance, so if you’ve booked ahead and the weather isn’t cooperating, you can cancel without penalty.

The tour departs from either Tokyo Station or Shinjuku Station. For an additional fee, hotel pickup is available. The tour starts early in the morning and involves a two-hour drive to the first stop, Arakurayama Sengen Park, where you’ll have an hour to explore (which is not much, as queues for the famous selfie spot can take 30-60 minutes, depending on the season). Next, it’s on to the Hirawa Clock Tower for a twenty-minute stop, followed by some time exploring the streets of Iyashi no Sato Nenba. The third stop is Oshino Hakkai, with an hour and a half allocated for this location. The fourth stop is a somewhat controversial twenty-minute break at the Fujikawaguchiko Lawson convenience store, which has become associated with over-tourism. In this stop, you will get a free drink. The fifth and final stop varies depending on the season: most of the year, it’s Oishi Park, but during the autumn leaf season, the tour stops at the Maple Corridor.

Around 5:00 PM, you’ll head back to Tokyo, leaving you free to enjoy a delicious ramen dinner after a long day of sightseeing around Mount Fuji.

Can you do this tour on your own?

The tour has a guide present to ensure nobody gets lost at the stops and to provide some basic information. For those who don’t need a guide and don’t want anyone telling them how long to stay at each point, we decided to calculate the cost of doing this tour independently.

Recreating the Klook Tour

To get from Shinjuku to Arakurayama Sengen Park, you’d take a 1h30 express highway bus for JP¥2,150 (~€12) to Chuodo Shimo Yoshida and then walk fifteen minutes to the park.

From Arakurayama Sengen Park to the Hirawa Clock Tower is a half-hour walk.

Getting from the Hirawa Clock Tower to Oshino Hakkai is more complicated. It’s a seven-kilometre walk with a 180-meter elevation gain, or a 45-minute combination of walking and bus travel for JP¥450 (~€3), while the same trip by car takes only 15 minutes.

From Oshino Hakkai to the Lawson near Fujikawaguchiko Town Hall is an 11-kilometre journey. By public transport, it takes almost an hour and costs JP¥800 (~€5), including walking time.

From the Lawson to Kawaguchiko Oishi Park, you have a 25-minute bus ride for JP¥510 (~€3) or a 6-kilometre walk along the shore of Lake Kawaguchiko.

To return to Tokyo, you’d take a half-hour bus to Kawaguchiko Station and then another highway bus to Shinjuku. These two trips would cost JP¥2,770 (~€16).

In total, transportation would cost around JP¥6,680 (~€38), assuming all connections are on time and you don’t miss any buses.

A More Flexible Option

If you want the whole experience to be more flexible and relaxed, you could also take the train from Tokyo to Otsuki (JP¥1,003 (~€6)) and then use the 2-day Mt.Fuji & Fuji Five Lakes Passport pass, which lets you use all trains between Otsuki and Kawaguchiko, incl. stops along the way (e.g. the Arakurayama Sengen Park), as well as all Fujikyu buses in the Fuji Five Lakes Area for two full days. That pass costs JP¥4,700 (~€26).

This option gives you a lot more flexibility, even lets you make a 2-day trip out of this.

Conclusion

Here’s the overview of the costs of the proposed itineraries:

• Klook tour: JP¥7,200 (~€41)
• Recreated Klook tour: JP¥6,680 (~€38)
• Two-day flexible tour: JP¥6,706 (~€38)

We wouldn’t recommend recreating the Klook tour. If you’re interested in seeing exactly those things and having a care-free day with a guide getting you from sight to sight, then just book the Klook tour.

If, however, you’re not a fan of tours and prefer a more flexible and personalised experience, we think that organising your own trip can make a lot of sense. And spending a night in Kawaguchiko is definitely not a bad idea.

Personal Experience

I (Ditmar) did a self-organised tour with my colleague Peer earlier this year. Personally, I would recommend this to most people. Just go with the flow and explore the region at your own pace. And if you miss out on one or two things from the Klook tour, so what? That also gives you time to see other attractions, such as the Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum, which I found fascinating. You’ll see the Fuji, you’ll see the lake, you’ll see the Lawson, and all at your own pace.

If you’ve searched for hotels in Bali, you’ll probably have stumbled upon an Alila hotel during your search. However, since Hyatt took over the brand in 2017, these upscale hotels have slowly expanded to other regions of the world. Now there are 17 Alila hotels in five regions.

We decided to make a list of all Alila hotels. While we’re at it, we decided to include the cheapest Hyatt Privé rate we could find for each hotel. This means that by booking them through Classictravel, you get free breakfast and hotel credit (usually US$100 (~€86) per stay).

Here’s the list:

• North America
  • Alila Marea Beach Resort Encintas, California, United States, starting at US$462 (~€398)
  • Alila Napa Valley, California, United States, starting at US$1,001 (~€862)
  • Alila Ventana Big Sur – Adults Only, California, United States, starting at US$1,973 (~€1,699)
• Middle East
  • Alila Hinu Bay, Oman, starting at €210 (no hotel credit)
  • Alila Jabal Akhdar, Oman, starting at OMR 662 (~€1,481)
• South Asia
  • Alila Fort Bishangarh, Rajasthan, India, starting at ₹25,034 (~€246) (min. 2 nights)
  • Alila Diwa Goa, India, starting at ₹59,000 (~€579)
  • Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, Maldives, starting at US$925 (~€797) (min. 2 nights)
• East Asia
  • Alila Wuzhen, China, starting at €159 (without breakfast & credit)
  • Alila Shanghai, China, starting at €245 (without breakfast & credit)
  • Alila Dong Ao Island Zhuhai, China, starting at €330 (without breakfast & credit)
• Southeast Asia
  • Alila Solo, Surakarta, Indonesia, starting at IDR 1,573,000 (~€82) (min. 2 nights)
  • Alila Bangsar Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, starting at MYR 540 (~€110) (min. 2 nights)
  • Alila Manggis, Karangasem, Indonesia, starting at US$140 (~€121) (min. 2 nights)
  • Alila Ubud, Indonesia, starting at US$188 (~€162) (min. 2 nights)
  • Alila Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia, starting at US$275 (~€237) (min. 2 nights)
  • Alila Villas Uluwatu, Indonesia, starting at US$801 (~€690)

Here’s a map of all the Alilas in the world:

Conclusion

It’s hard to truly understand the real idea behind the Alila hotels. What started with resorts in Indonesia, is now a mix of skyscraper hotels in Southeast Asia for €100, villa hotels in Oman for €250, and adults-only resorts in California for €2,300. It’s not exactly a case of a clearly defined brand identity.

Looking at the map, we also notice that while Americans have to spend a fortune to stay at an Alila hotel in their country, Europeans are even worse off, as all Alila hotels are long-haul flights away.

If you travel frequently outside of Europe these days, it’s hard to avoid the topic of eSIMs. There are now hundreds of providers constantly undercutting each other with better prices. To help you find the right provider, we’ve created a comprehensive eSIM comparison that guarantees you’ll get the best deal.

Many providers also offer discount codes for new or existing customers to save on their plan bookings. You’ll find all current eSIM vouchers and price comparisons for the most popular travel destinations here. Some providers also offer free data or credit. We’ve rounded up the nine best offers for you:

Yesim: Get €5 Credit

Yesim, based in Switzerland, offers eSIM plans in over 180 countries. You only need to install an eSIM profile once, and you can choose from fixed-data or unlimited plans with set durations, or a pay-as-you-go plan starting from €1.50 per GB (billed per MB, offering flexibility).

Your top-up balance is converted into Ycoins (1€ = 100 Ycoins). We have an exclusive voucher for Travel-Dealz readers: new customers receive 500 Ycoins (€5) credit upon registration.

More information and redemption instructions can be found here. If you top up at least €10 within 24 hours of registering, Yesim will give you another €5 in bonus credit. So you can get up to €10 total credit for free.

How much data you get for €5/€10 depends on your destination. In cheaper countries, you could get over 6 GB. See the table for details:

Yesim Rate Overview for Selected Countries

Country / Plan	1GB for 365 days
China	€6
Argentina	€4
Australia	€4
Brazil	€4
United Kingdom	€4
Japan	€4
Canada	€6
Switzerland	€4
South Africa	€6
Thailand	€4
Turkey	€3
United States	€2
United Arab Emirates	€4

Roamless: $5 Credit

Roamless also offers eSIM plans usable in over 180 countries. The main benefit is that there are no fixed data packages—usage is billed per MB, offering flexibility without needing to preselect data volume or duration. Your credit doesn’t expire and can be used indefinitely.

New customers automatically get $1.25 for signing up. With our voucher, you get an additional $3.75, giving you $5 total credit:

Voucher and redemption instructions can be found here. How much data $5 gets you depends on your destination—over 2 GB is possible. See the table for a quick overview or our comparison table for full pricing details.

Roamless Rate Overview for Selected Countries

Country / Plan	1GB for 7 days	2GB for 7 days	3GB for 14 days	5GB for 30 days
Egypt	~€3	~€7	~€10	~€17
Argentina	~€4	~€9	~€13	~€21
Australia	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
Brazil	~€4	~€9	~€13	~€21
United Kingdom	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
Japan	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
Canada	~€4	~€8	~€11	~€19
Switzerland	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
South Africa	~€3	~€7	~€10	~€17
Thailand	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
Turkey	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
United States	~€2	~€4	~€6	~€11
United Arab Emirates	~€5	~€10	~€15	~€26

eSIMio: 2GB Data for 3 Days

eSIMio offers a very generous 2 GB welcome gift to new users. You simply select one of over 190 destinations/regions, and then you have three days from activation to use up your free 2GB.

Red Bull Mobile: 1 GB Data

Red Bull Mobile, in cooperation with Austrian provider 1A and the energy drink brand, offers an eSIM for surfing in over 100 countries. Coverage is strong, especially in North and South America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

You only need to install the eSIM profile once, and then you can top it up with any plan without needing to reinstall for each country.

Travel-Dealz readers get an exclusive voucher for 1 GB of free data. All you need is the Red Bull Mobile app and the voucher code to activate the “TRAVELDEALZ” data plan for one year:

Instructions and more details can be found here. Note: The free data is only available to new customers and is not usable in Russia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, India, and Iraq.

Plaza Premium: 1 GB of Global Data

Airport lounge operator Plaza Premium has a Smart Traveller program, and anyone who signs up (for free), can get a free eSIM with 1GB of global data.

Nomad: 1 GB for 3 Days

Nomad also offers a data-only plan with 1 GB free for three days, limited to new customers. Simply register—no credit card needed—and start using it right away.

Need more data afterwards? Our voucher gives you $3 off any plan costing $5 or more.

SimLocal: 500 MB for One Day

Sim Local offers 500 MB of data free for one day in over 100 countries. The plan automatically switches networks, making it ideal for multi-country travel. It’s a data-only plan and only for new users.

You just need to register with your email and verify your phone number—no payment info required. That means quick and easy access.

If you need more data after your free day, you can pay $3.75 per additional 500 MB per day. Use our 15% voucher, which is valid for existing users too.

Firsty: Surfing Unlimited by Watching Ads

Firsty offers a free plan called Firsty Free, which is ad-supported—similar to how YouTube or Spotify operate. You earn data by watching ads. Speeds are reduced (256 Kbps to 1 Mbps, depending on region), so it’s mainly useful for emails and messaging.

A major benefit is that Firsty Free is always available. Even if you have no data, you can open the app, watch an ad, and generate new data. The Uber app works fully with Firsty Free.

GigSky: 100-500 MB for 7 Days

GigSky has been around for years and was one of the first companies to offer low-cost eSIM roaming back in 2018. If you’re new to eSIMs, GigSky’s free plan is perfect to test the waters—no credit card needed. Just download the app, register, and get between 100 and 500 MB (depending on the destination), valid for 7 days.

Conclusion

The eSIM market is crowded and competitive, leading to ever-lower prices. If you’re flexible with providers, you can save real money with free credit offers. The deals from Yesim and Roamless alone can get you up to 5 GB of free data, depending on your travel destination.

Do you know of any other providers that offer free data or credit? Then leave a comment.

Translated by Ditmar

Hilton has teamed up with Currensea to offer two branded debit cards in the UK. While the Hilton Honors Debit Card isn’t really very attractive, the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card can quickly end up being worthwhile, especially if you spend quite a few nights per year at Hilton Hotels, but not enough to earn a status. In this article, we’ll list the pros and cons of these debit cards.

Hilton Honors Debit Card for £60/Year

The cheaper debit card costs £60 per year, but its benefits are quite unattractive:

• Earn 1 Hilton Honors point per £1 spent
• Earn 2 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent at Hilton properties
• Earn 2 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent in foreign currency
• Earn 3 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent at Hilton properties in foreign currency
• Get instant Silver status
  • Get two free bottles of water when you arrive.
  • Fifth night free on reward stays

• 0.5% fee when you spend in foreign currency. Not terrible, but not great either
• 0.5% fee on ATM withdrawals abroad. Increases to 2.5% if you withdraw over £250 in a month

As you can see, the cheaper Hilton Honors Debit Card is nothing to get excited about, and it’s debatable if it’s even worth £60.

Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card for £150/Year

Now, despite costing over twice as much, the Plus debit card is actually very attractive. Here are the benefits:

• Earn 1.5 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent
• Earn 3 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent at Hilton properties
• Earn 3 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent in foreign currency
• Earn 4.5 Hilton Honors points per £1 spent at Hilton properties in foreign currency
• Get instant Gold status
  • Get two free bottles of water when you arrive.
  • Fifth night free on reward stays
  • Free breakfast at all Hilton Hotels (except in the USA)
  • Space-available room upgrades, up to Executive Floor room types.
• No fees when you spend in foreign currency.
• No fees for ATM withdrawals abroad, up to £500 per month; 2.5% afterwards.

This is far more appealing. First of all, the debit card functions are great, as you’ll pay no fees abroad. But getting free breakfast at all Hilton Hotels outside the US is also worth quite a lot. This can quickly recoup the yearly fee of £150 per year.

Are the £150 Worth It?

We believe that the £150 are worth it if you spend between 5 and 35 nights at Hilton hotels. Obviously, the more you stay, the more it’s worth it. Here’s a table with some examples, showing you how much this debit card could save you.

As you can see, assuming that you’d pay £15 for breakfast and are travelling as a couple, you’d already have recouped the card’s fee after only 5 nights. And if you stay at Hilton hotels more often, your savings can quickly reach the hundreds. On the other hand, the card doesn’t make as much sense for people who usually stay over 40 nights at Hilton Hotels, as they would already get the Gold Status without the card, making it harder to justify and recoup the £150 fee.

Conclusion

While the cheaper card is pretty useless, the Plus card is a great deal for those staying over 5 nights at Hilton hotels. Not only will you get upgrades and free breakfast, but the card’s conditions regarding FX fees and ATM withdrawals are also very attractive.

FAQ

The InterContinental hotels stand for 5-star luxury and have been very popular, even before the significant improvement of the loyalty program IHG One Rewards three years ago. While very well represented all over Asia, the number of InterContinental hotels in Europe is far more limited. So where are the Intercontis in Europe? We did some research:

• Austria
  • InterContinental Vienna starting at €165
• Bulgaria
  • InterContinental Sofia starting at €122
• France
  • InterContinental Lyon – Hotel Dieu starting at €189
  • InterContinental Marseille – Hotel Dieu starting at €189
  • InterContinental Chantilly Château Mont Royal starting at €205
  • InterContinental Paris – Champs-Elysées Etoile starting at €321
  • InterContinental Bordeaux – Le Grand Hotel starting at €334
  • InterContinental Paris – Le Grand starting at €455
• Germany
  • InterContinental Berlin starting at €107
• Greece
  • InterContinental Athenaeum Athens starting at €122
  • InterContinental Crete starting at €133
• Hungary
  • InterContinental Budapest starting at €114
• Ireland
  • InterContinental Dublin starting at €271
• Italy
  • InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace starting at €333
• Malta
  • InterContinental Malta starting at €85
• Netherlands
  • InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam starting at €309
• Poland
  • InterContinental Warsaw starting at €104
• Portugal
  • InterContinental Porto – Palacio das Cardosas starting at €156
  • InterContinental Lisbon starting at €160
  • InterContinental Cascais-Estoril starting at €188
• Romania
  • InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest starting at €140
• Switzerland
  • InterContinental Geneve starting at €333
• Slovenia
  • InterContinental Ljubljana starting at €124
• Spain
  • InterContinental Barcelona starting at €188
  • InterContinental Madrid starting at €219
• Türkiye
  • InterContinental Istanbul starting at €147
• Ukraine
  • InterContinental Kyiv starting at €226
• UK
  • InterContinental Edinburgh The George starting at €144
  • InterContinental London – The O2 starting at €206
  • InterContinental London Park Lane starting at €321

Here you can see all InterContis on a map:

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Conclusion

France has the highest number of these hotels with its 6 InterContinentals. But you can also see that many countries only have one InterContinental, usually located in their capital. Some countries, such as Belgium, the Czech Republic or the countries in Northern Europe, do not have any of these hotels at all. Only London and Paris have two of them in one city.

If the list has inspired you to book one of these hotels, then we will be happy to forward you directly to the booking site:

For nine months now, Lufthansa’s new Allegris cabin has been in operation. The first two destinations were Vancouver and Toronto. We were on board the inaugural flight to Toronto and had the opportunity to test most of the Allegris seats, particularly the Allegris Extra Long Bed Seat and the Allegris Window Suite.

While the initial destinations like Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal are no longer served with the Allegris cabin, Lufthansa has shifted its focus from North America to Asia. This shift offers significant advantages, which we’ll discuss later.

Allegris Routes for the Summer Schedule 2025

All routes are Munich routes, with a big focus on the USA.

Departures from Munich

All four cabin classes can already be booked for these routes. For the first time, the new Allegris First Class Suites are available for booking. Solo travellers booking double suites can expect costs of up to €2,900.

Departures from Frankfurt

As of now, it is still uncertain when the first Lufthansa aircraft equipped with the Allegris cabin will be available for flights from Frankfurt.

Current Allegris Routes for the Winter Schedule 2025/26

The number of Allegris destinations increases this winter, but not all destinations will see consistent Allegris service.

Departures from Munich

Seven destinations are consistently operated with the Allegris cabin. Bangalore is the eight destination, but will also have flights with the old business class seats.

Departures from Frankfurt

Finally, the first destinations have been announced for Allegris flights departing from Frankfurt. The first flight with a Dreamliner Boeing 787-9 will take place on October 9. The Dreamliner does not have a first-class cabin.

How to Know if Your Flight Has the Allegris Cabin

A sticker in the flight selection process will indicate an Allegris flight. You can also recognise Allegris-equipped flights by their seat maps, which vary by cabin class. Currently, the Allegris cabin is installed only on select Airbus A350-900s based in Munich, as well as Boeing 787-9 planes based in Frankfurt. If your flight uses a different aircraft type, it will not feature the Allegris cabin.

First Class

Allegris-equipped planes are easily identifiable in First Class. Airbus A350 planes with First Class tickets are definitely Allegris-equipped.

The upper/right section of Suite Plus is always greyed out in the online search. Couples are advised to contact the hotline directly for booking. Additionally, the A350-900 equipped with the Allegris cabin is the only jet in the Lufthansa fleet that features just a single row of First-Class seats.

Business Class

While it is not as straightforward, there are sufficient clear indicators to determine if you are flying with an Allegris cabin. The seat map is notably different due to its alternating 1-2-1 and 1-1-1 configurations, which contrast sharply with the previously used 2-2-2 or 1-2-1 (ex-Philippine Airlines A350) layouts.

Moreover, the total number of Business Class seats differs from other configurations. The Allegris A350 features 38 Business Class seats, compared to 48 in the classic Lufthansa A350 and 30 in the former Philippine Airlines aircraft.

Premium Economy

Identifying the differences in premium economy is a bit trickier. The Allegris cabin includes 24 seats arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration, with three rows of pairs by the windows and four rows of triples in the centre.

In other Lufthansa A350 configurations, there are either 21 seats (in rows 12-15) or 26 seats (in rows 9-12). This provides a clear distinction from the Allegris Premium Economy seats, which are located in rows 14-18.

In the Dreamliner, Allegris planes have 28 premium economy seats, while non-Allegris Dreamliners only offer 21 seats.

Economy

In economy class, there are also noticeable differences between the Allegris and the other A350 configurations. Due to the premium-heavy and space-intensive design of the Allegris layout, the economy class section begins at row 19 in the Airbus A350 (as opposed to row 14 or 16 in other layouts).

Additionally, Lufthansa has omitted the sixth economy class lavatory in the cabin configuration, meaning that, unlike the other two layouts, there is only one lavatory located at the rear left. In exchange, there are two additional seats on the right side in row 41. The other two configurations end in rows 42 and 45.

The Dreamliner has fewer differences. You can best recognise the Allegis Dreamliner by the 2 lavatories in the back of the plane, compared to only 1 lavatory in non-Allegris Dreamliners.

Which Planes Currently Feature an Allegris Cabin?

For aviation enthusiasts, there is a way to identify if a specific aircraft with an Allegris cabin has already been assigned to the planned flight, regardless of travel class, by checking the aircraft registration. The following aircraft registrations are equipped with an Allegris cabin:

Can I Book Lufthansa Allegris Using Miles?

It is, in theory, possible to book most seats with miles on Lufthansa’s Allegris aircraft. However, First Class seats cannot currently be booked with miles. It is uncertain when—or if—this will change.

The bigger problem, however, is the availability. Most destinations, such as Tokyo, have almost no availability, and others, such as US cities, have ridiculously high surcharges. With the new dynamic pricing system, prices are quite variable, but the best option we could find for flying Allegris business class with miles was Budapest-Munich-Shanghai for 32,022 miles + HUF 130,800 (~€335).

Seat Reservation in Allegris Business Class

Finally, let’s briefly discuss seat reservations in the new Allegris Business Class. Only Classic Seats (aisle seats) will remain free for all business class passengers. Other seat types in Allegris Business Class can be reserved for free depending on the ticket type and passenger status.

The following seat types can be reserved without extra charges:

Seat Category	Business Saver	Business Flex	Senator	HON Circle Member
Classic Seat
Extra Privacy Seat	€100 / €140 / €170*
Extra Space Seat	€130 / €170 / €230*	€130 / €170 / €230*
Extra Long Bed Seat	€100 / €140 / €170*	€100 / €140 / €170*	€100 / €140 / €170*
Suites	€400 / €500 / €600*	€400 / €500 / €600*	€400 / €500 / €600*	€400 / €500 / €600*

Additionally, there is speculation that upgrades to the Allegris Business Suites may soon be possible using eVouchers. However, an official announcement is still pending. Seat reservations in first class are generally free, but solo travellers will need to pay up to €2,900 extra to reserve the Suite Plus in advance.

The pricing structure for seat reservations in economy class is as follows:

Conclusion

More and more routes now reliably feature the Allegris cabin, even though the rollout of new aircraft is progressing slowly. The cabin stands out across most travel classes compared to previous layouts, offering enhanced comfort, especially in business class, albeit often at a premium.

For those primarily interested in trying out the new cabin, mileage tickets for Allegris’ routes to Cape Town and Bengaluru are the most worthwhile. These destinations offer comparable flight times to North America but require roughly half the surcharges at the same mileage cost.

At Travel-Dealz, we always try to reach people wherever it’s most comfortable for them. Not only do we publish our deals on our website, but we also share them on X, Facebook, Telegram, WhatsApp, Mastodon, Instagram, and our Newsletter.

We are now taking it to the next level, as you can join us on TikTok and YouTube. While you shouldn’t expect us to present deals while dancing choreographed moves to trendy music, we will be uploading reels that summarise our most interesting content. We’ll also be uploading those reels to our Instagram account.

We started posting reels two weeks ago, so feel free to check out what you’ve missed so far. And if you have any feedback, feel free to reach out. We’re new to this, so we’d gladly hear your suggestions.

Is Wordle still a thing? Even if the hype surrounding the word game has flattened, it’s still a nice game for short breaks during the day. So today, we would like to present you with some adaptations that might be a little more exciting for frequent travellers like us, such as a wordle with country forms and IATA codes – of course, they can all be played for free.

What is Wordle?

Have you managed to avoid Wordle so far? Congratulations. Since its release in October 2021, the game has taken over social media channels around the world. And that is certainly also due to the simple game principle: users only have to enter five letters to guess a word. With a total of 6 attempts, the respective colours indicate whether the letters are correct:

• Grey box : Letter does not appear in the word
• Yellow box : Letter occurs in the word, but in a different position
• Green box: : Letter and position are correct

So you can work your way up to the right term step by step. Here’s an example:

With the original and many adaptations, only one word can be guessed each day. This makes it possible to share the day’s progress with fellow players. On other sites, you can also play multiple times in a row.

Worldle – Guess Country Shapes

A slightly more sophisticated Wordle implementation is Worldle. The other day, a person played it in front of me on the plane. And as someone who has spent a lot of time with Geoguessr, I was immediately drawn to the game. Only the outline of a country is displayed here, which you then have to guess:

Well, do you know? In this case, I figured it out, at least on the third try. Luckily, there is a compass to help you. It shows in which direction – and how many kilometres away – the desired country is located:

Worldle #130 3/6 (100%)

https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

Flagle – Guess Flags

For those who spend less time looking at maps but more time, e.g. watching the world cup, you may be more familiar with the countries’ flags than their outline. In that case, you may enjoy playing flagle:

Statele – Guess US States

This one is for our readers from the US, or those who travel there often. Can you recognize each US state by its outline?

For, instance, which state is this?

Furthermore, there are 4 bonus rounds, where you can also test your knowledge of the state’s neighbouring states, capital, flag, and some facts about the state. By the way, the state in the picture is West Virginia.

Wheretaken – Guess Where the Photo is From

In this version, you’ll be shown a picture and have to guess where it was taken. There’s the original version, now called wheretaken classic, a new version and one that is limited to places in the US.

There are also some fun bonus rounds, where e.g. you’ll have to say which of the pictures was taken in a certain place and what the place is called.

Travle – Guess the Countries Between 2 Countries

With this one, instead of recognizing shapes or flags, you need to test your geographical knowledge and enter the nations located between two given countries. And to make things even more challenging, you get extra “points” for getting them in the right order, basically creating a path form country A to B.

Capitale – Guess Capital Cities

There’s a wordle alternative called countryle. While that one could make it on this list, its sister game Capitale is more unique, so we’ll focus on that one. Basically, you need to find a capital by being told if the capital you entered is on the correct continent, if the population roughly matches, same for the city’s surface area, how far away it is located and in which direction. Countryle is basically the same, but Hemisphere, Continent, Avg. Temperature, Population, and Direction are the “helping” factors. Usually, continent and direction will be the only really helpful ones.

Geodle – Guess the Country by Political/Demographic/Geographical Factors

Geodle is a bit like Countryle, but on a more difficult level. Here, you no longer get the distance and direction as helping factors. Instead, You get to know if the country you entered matches the continent, population, religion, government system, and average temperature of the nation, as well as if it’s also landlocked or not. So you’ll need a lot of knowledge to get this one right.

Geordle – Guess the Country & Capital like Playing Hangman

Remember playing hangman as a kid? Well, here’s your chance to play it again, in search of a country and its capital. Instead of drawing a stick figure trying to escape death by hanging, there are three red dots. If you guessed wrongly 6 times, you lost – and get shown 5 skulls, so someone probably did get hung in the background.

Conclusion

Though no longer as popular and trendy as before, these games can be a nice pass-time while you’re waiting for your train/plane or simply taking a break from work. And while the normal worldle is just a pass-time, you’ll even sharpen your geography skills with these – and maybe even discover a place that you’d like to travel to. When you do, we’ll have the right deal ready.

It’s not easy to get started with the topic of earning miles. And even when you think you’ve figured it out, more and more exceptions come to light.

A particularly tricky case involves codeshare flights. We’ve briefly touched on this topic in the help section of our miles calculator, and in principle, the following rules apply for miles credit:

• Oneworld: Miles credit is based on the flight number, regardless of which airline actually operates the flight.¹
• SkyTeam: Miles credit is based on the flight number, regardless of which airline actually operates the flight.¹
• Star Alliance: Miles credit is based on the operating airline, regardless of the flight number.

1 – Exceptions are possible, e.g. you often don’t get miles if the operating airline is not a member of the alliance.

For flights with SkyTeam or Oneworld, the process is relatively simple. You might just need to decide whether it’s better to book a KLM flight through Delta or KLM if you’re trying to optimize the number of miles.

It’s different with Star Alliance, where booking class mapping comes into play. This determines how booking classes are internally assigned and, consequently, how many miles are credited. This can be straightforward (such as within the Lufthansa Group) or more complicated in other cases. Sometimes, you can’t be sure how many miles will end up in your account when you book. However, there are ways to narrow it down as much as possible, which this article will discuss.

Example: Lufthansa Premium Economy, operated by United

For instance, Lufthansa offers the following premium economy flight to New York. The flight number is LH7607, but it is operated by United:

On the Lufthansa website, this is displayed as booking class N:

It is tempting to consider the flight as booking class N for miles credit purposes. However, neither of the two possibilities that come to mind are correct:

1. It is not a Lufthansa flight in booking class N, since the operating airline is what matters in Star Alliance.
   Therefore, the input LH:N:BER-EWR in our miles calculator would not be correct.
2. It is not a United flight in booking class N, which would be a basic economy flight (and also a domestic flight).
   Therefore, the input UA:N:BER-EWR in our miles calculator would not be correct.

So, what is correct? You can figure this out in other ways:

Finding the “Correct” Booking class

If you’re lucky, someone else had the same question before you. There are relevant threads on forums like Flyertalk, e.g. it’s mentioned there that Lufthansa’s class N maps to United’s class R.

But you can also approach the question in other ways. Most frequent flyer programs provide tables for earning miles. The websites of Air Canada Aeroplan and United MileagePlus are particularly clear in this regard.

A look at the Aeroplan site shows that class N is the cheapest of all premium economy classes:

You can then check the table for United flights and look for the corresponding class. This confirms the mapping to United’s booking class R:

Therefore, the input in our miles calculator should be:

The flight price in the miles calculator is optional and only important for credit with Miles&More and United MileagePlus. If you need to be absolutely sure, you can also ask the airline. However, you can’t always count on a timely response.

Translated by Ditmar

Scheduling so-called stopovers has proven its worth, especially on the long way to Oceania. Stopovers along the route allow you to stretch your legs between flights and explore other cities and cultures (often at no extra cost). These are then possible, e.g. in Qatar, Dubai or Singapore, and are often supported by the airline and/or the state. Another well-known stopover destination is Iceland on the way to North America.

But even without such special programs, it is possible to explore several travel destinations on one trip. Due to the very dense network of airports in the USA and Canada, almost every major city can be considered for a stopover. Even if stopovers are theoretically not allowed there, it is almost always possible to spend up to 24 hours in such a city along the flight route.

Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dallas in one trip? No problem if you are specifically looking for suitable connections. How to do it – and what you need to consider – is what you can find out in this guide.

Initial Situation

The Oneworld airlines recently offered several cheap economy class tickets to the USA. For example, you could fly from Sweden to Los Angeles in California (or to over 40 other destinations) and back for around €360:

In this case, there is a connection in Helsinki of 45 minutes on the way there. Overall, it is not a bad connection if you want to get to your destination as quickly as possible. But that’s by no means enough for a trip to the city.

The aim of this guide is therefore to book flights with:

• as many stops at interesting places as possible
• and the longest possible transfer time (i.e. just under 24 hours)

This requires four basic steps:

1. Check Fare Rules

The fare rules of the underlying offer are the rules of the game for your flight booking. Here, among other things, it is determined for which travel period flights are available, with which airlines you can travel and what the costs are if you cancel. They also contain details on transfer and stopover regulations.

Johannes has already explained how exactly the fare rules can be interpreted in a separate article. The easiest way is to go to the ITA Matrix and search for a return flight there. It looks something like this in the new matrix:

After the subsequent loading process, you only have to select a flight similar to the one above. After clicking on “rules” the complete fare rules appear:

Now, the browser search function (Ctrl + F or ⌘ + F) helps to find the appropriate conditions for “stopover”.

For the purpose of planning a trip with stopovers, two points from the fare rules are of particular interest:

• Stopover restrictions
• Transfer restrictions

If stopovers are allowed, it is usually not a problem to spend several days at one destination. As a rule, a stay of at least three days is possible, sometimes it can last several weeks.

With cheap tickets, real stopovers – with exceptions such as Iceland, Lisbon, Doha, etc., aside – are usually not allowed. Instead, only a certain number of transfers, i.e. layovers, are permitted. Each of these transfers must not exceed a period of 24 hours, which is very important for our flight planning later.

The rules for Oneworld fares like this one are quite complicated:

Admittedly, I don’t fully understand every item on the list, either. But at least you can see that up to two transfers are allowed in Europe and two more in North America. That’s enough for a few stops.

Since the fare above is a rather complicated example, here is another one. The corresponding fare comes from Lufthansa / Star Alliance on Frankfurt – San Francisco:

We are talking about so-called areas here. The IATA divides the world into the following three zones, which are defined as follows:

• Area 1: North, Central and South America
• Area 2: Europe, Middle East and Africa
• Area 3: Asia and Oceania

2. Look for Stops

After the theoretical details have been clarified, you can then search for the desired stops. Maybe you already know exactly which cities you want to visit. Then, of course, this step is omitted.

Stops can be made either in Europe or North America. The following are therefore in question:

• Scenario 1: Stockholm – North America – Los Angeles, CA
• Scenario 2: Stockholm – North America – North America – Los Angeles, CA
• Scenario 3: Stockholm – Europe – North America – North America – Los Angeles, CA
• Scenario 4: Stockholm – Europe – Europe – North America – North America – Los Angeles, CA
• Scenario 5: Stockholm – Europe – Europe – North America – Los Angeles, CA
• Scenario 6: Stockholm – Europe – Europe – Los Angeles, CA
• Scenario 7: Stockholm – Europe – Los Angeles, CA

So if you want to see as much of North America as possible, you can change planes twice within the USA. In this case, however, American Airlines doesn’t fly to Stockholm, so scenarios 1 and 2 fall flat.

Let’s see what other connections are suggested on the Stockholm – Los Angeles route. Google Flights (instructions) is very suitable for this. Among others, the following are listed:

So on these dates, one of the cheapest options includes a layover in Helsinki and a layover in either London or Dallas. All of these cities are interesting options; however, for now, the layovers are far too short to see the city. We will therefore try to extend the whole thing to almost 24 hours if possible.

If you have already found an interesting connection, you can jump straight to step 3. But there are countless other routings via other cities that Google Flights does not show.

With the Matrix

The ITA Matrix is a very powerful flight search tool. However, it is not exactly beginner-friendly, so it is definitely worth taking a look at our instructions (Part 1 and Part 2) for the inexperienced.

The function of only spitting out connections with a certain number of stops is interesting. With only two transfers, it still works quite well with “X X” in the Routing Codes field.

The search then returns some results that look much more interesting.

Summarising the way there and back, we were now presented the following options:

• London + Chicago
• London + San Francisco
• London + Dallas
• London + New York
• London + Nashville
• London + Charlotte
• London + Seattle
• London + Dublin
• Helsinki + New York
• Helsinki + Dallas
• Helsinki + London

If you’re a fan of a particular city, you can also set it as a requirement by using a code such as “HEL X”. Then the first transfer takes place in Helsinki, and for a second stop, there are further suggestions, e.g. Helsinki + New York.

Anyone who has already found a suitable routing in these inspirations can jump straight to point 3. Otherwise, there is still the manual search for connections:

More Stops

Google Flights finds not only return flights, but also multi-stop connections. In order to be able to search for these in a meaningful way, however, some creativity is required when selecting the airport. In general, you can never go wrong with one of the major hubs, as there are numerous connections to other airports. A (partial) list of hubs and focus cities in North America:

With the Star Alliance, you are usually limited to the big hubs when it comes to transfers. It looks better at Delta and American. There you can also transit at many other airports, e.g. Raleigh, San Diego or Las Vegas.

If you have a specific destination in mind, it is best to use Google Flights to check whether it works or not. The multi-stop search is ideal for this:

In the multistop tool, you can now let off steam for hours and search for possible connections.

3. Optimize Flight Times

In the second step, you have usually already found bookable connections. However, these are still not very attractive (except possibly for those who collect miles). You can now change planes in London and Dallas, but a stay of a few hours does not offer enough time for sightseeing.

It is usually attractive to extend your stay to almost 24 hours and to plan an overnight stay. If you arrive early in the morning, a connecting flight in the evening can also be interesting.

Google Flights is again the tool of choice for finding such connections. At least if you don’t want to make more than three stops. All desired destinations are simply entered there individually in the multi-stop search.

Choosing the date is a bit trickier, e.g. for red-eye flights. You can usually always find a cheap connection by trial and error (after a few seconds of loading time). As soon as this is the case, all suitable segments can be selected one after the other.

Here, it is important to pay attention to the flight times. For example, if you arrive in Chicago at 17:00, connecting on the next day at 17:00 allows for the maximum permitted. Eventually, all flights are selected, and the result looks like this, for example:

If desired, further 24-hour stops could be additionally incorporated here. But then you have to search the matrix. Here’s an example of what could be possible though the matrix:

4. Book the Flights

When searching for flights via Google Flights, the actual booking couldn’t be easier. At the bottom of the search results, you will find a suitable button that will take you directly to the booking. This works very reliably, at least for big airlines, such as American and United:

In this case, our routing is only aound €30 more expensive than the original booking, with only one change in each direction. It’s common for the price to increase by around €5 per flight segment due to the higher taxes.

Things are different with SkyTeam. Multi-stop bookings with KLM, Delta and others are usually not possible from Google Flights. Then you have to resort to the matrix. Thanks to the ITA Powertools, that’s not a problem either:

Disadvantages & Risks

Those who see flights only as a means of getting from A to B will certainly prefer short flight times. Everyone else has the opportunity to explore interesting cities that you would probably never visit. Because cities like Charlotte, Minneapolis, Detroit, … are quite nice for a day, but hardly anyone has them on their radar as their final travel destination.

Nevertheless, such bookings are not completely risk-free: Even flights with several transfers are only a transport service from A to B. In the event of a delay, only the arrival time at the final destination (in this case, Los Angeles) counts for passenger rights. If your flight is delayed, you cannot expect any compensation.

In theory, a layover can also be removed by the airline at any time, e.g. when there’s a schedule change. In practice, however, your wishes are usually taken into account if the flight times change significantly.

Conclusion

I hardly ever book direct flights anymore and always try to include mini-stopovers that are as interesting as possible. It only gets tricky when you’ve already been to Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York & others at some point. But even then, interesting alternatives can often be found.

It used to be quite common for children to even visit pilots in the cockpit during flights. However, this changed radically, especially after 9/11. Since then, visiting the cockpit during a flight is out of the question.

It’s a different story when the plane is on the ground. If you ask politely during boarding or when leaving the aircraft, typically to a flight attendant (sometimes even the captain handles it), in my experience, it’s usually not a problem to take a peek into the cockpit or snap a few photos. Most of the time, you might even have a brief chat with the pilots. I’d estimate my success rate to be around 80-90% (mainly pre-COVID).

However, when asking, one should proceed with tact. If the flight is already delayed, or you’re one of the last passengers (both boarding and disembarking), it’s best to forego the request. Of course, always accept a “no” graciously and remain friendly.

The time spent in the cockpit should be kept as brief as possible. Often, the pilots continue working during these visits, but sometimes they also take a moment for the visit and may even offer to let you sit in the pilot’s seat for a photo. You can certainly ask for this afterward, but again, approach with tact and wait to be invited.

Children might find it harder to have such a request turned down compared to adults. However, even at over 30 years old, my request to take a few pictures of the cockpit is rarely denied. Asking doesn’t cost anything!

By the way, pilots are usually much more relaxed before or after a long-haul flight than in the middle of a short-haul rotation, where slot times must be adhered to and the entire crew is under extreme time pressure.

Have you ever been allowed to visit the cockpit? What are your experiences with it? Feel free to leave a comment!

Finally, here are a few pictures from my numerous visits to the cockpit (some even during flights, but those are absolute exceptions).

Translated by Ditmar

Bonus: Get Trading Cards from the Pilot on Delta Flights

If you’re going to head to the cockpit after a flight on Delta Air Lines, ask the pilot for a trading card. Since 2003, Delta pilots have carried trading cards of the different plane types on them, and will hand them to any passenger who asks for one. They’ve become a popular collector’s item since then, with over 3 million cards being given to passengers last year.

Understanding the lounge access rules for Eurowings can be a bit tricky. It depends on the fare you have booked, your frequent flyer status, and who operates the lounge. The easiest option is checking the Eurowings website, which lists the access rules for each individual lounge (with some mistakes). For those who want to understand the overall rules, we have created this guide.

Lounge Access by Fare or Travel Class

Most airlines offer complimentary lounge access to business class passengers at the departure airport. Eurowings has similar rules. If you have booked BIZclass within Europe, you can access lounges wherever Eurowings has a partner lounge:

• Basic fare: No lounge access (except for certain status holders)
• Smart fare: No lounge access (except for certain status holders)
• BIZClass: Access to all business class lounges of the Lufthansa Group and partner lounges

Lounge Access by Frequent Flyer Status

Last year, there was a significant change in lounge access rules related to frequent flyer status. Until July 2024, Miles&More Senators could only access lounges if they had booked at least the Smart fare. This restriction has been removed, but it still applies to Frequent Travellers.

Even though Eurowings is not a member of the Star Alliance, status holders from United Airlines, Air Canada, and All Nippon Airlines (ANA) can access lounges. However, this is only the case at airports with Lufthansa Group lounges, which are relatively rare outside the German-speaking countries.

If you have a frequent flyer status at Miles&More, you can access the lounge with a Eurowings ticket under certain conditions, even if you are flying in economy class. There are also ways for premium customers of other airlines to access Eurowings lounges, despite the low-cost carrier not being a member of the Star Alliance.

• Frequent Traveller: From the Smart fare onwards, you have access to all business class lounges operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, and Brussels Airlines. No access in the Basic fare and no access to partner lounges.
• Senator: Regardless of the fare, you have access to Lufthansa Group and partner lounges. In Lufthansa Group lounges, you can bring a guest (booked on the same flight). No guest access in partner lounges.
  You can also use the lounge upon arrival. The Swiss website and our personal experience confirm this, even if Lufthansa’s website does not mention it.
• HON Circle: Rules are similar to the Senator status. You have access to Lufthansa Group and partner lounges in all fares, but accessing first-class lounges is not permitted.
• Star Alliance Gold from United, Air Canada, or ANA: With at least Gold status from United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan, or ANA Mileage Club, you can access Lufthansa lounges regardless of fare, and you may bring a guest. No access to partner lounges and also no access to the lounges of Austrian, ITA, and SWISS.
• ITA Airways Executive/Premium: ITA Volare frequent flyers now also enjoy access before flying with Eurowings. Partner lounges are excluded, but all Lufthansa Group lounges are included. You can also bring one companion (booked on the same flight) to the lounge. At ITA Airways lounges, you can additionally bring up to two (of your) children, aged below 18.
• Other Star Alliance Gold: If your Star Alliance Gold status is not from a Miles&More airline, United, Air Canada, or ANA, it is unfortunately worthless on Eurowings flights. Eurowings is not a Star Alliance member.

Lounge Access Through Credit Cards (?)

Many credit cards nowadays offer their guests lounge memberships, such as Priority Pass. If you have one of those cards, you’ll have lounge access at most airports that Eurowings flies to.

Overview of Lounges for Eurowings Passengers

It’s important to note that the selection of (partner) lounges for Eurowings is not the same as for Lufthansa. Eurowings has contracts only at airports where it offers business class tickets.

For instance, you may not have access in Valencia with a Eurowings flight, but you would with a Lufthansa flight. Even with Senator or HON status, you cannot access the lounge in such cases.

An overview of all lounges available to Eurowings passengers can be found here:

Below is a map showing all airports where you may have access as of August 2024. Airports with a Lufthansa Lounge (important for United/Air Canada/ANA members) are highlighted in yellow. At any airport not listed, you will under no circumstances enjoy lounge access (unless you have PriorityPass or something along those lines).

The overview shows where access is available for which members. However, it doesn’t mention lounge access for United members.

Conclusion

Although Eurowings is a low-cost carrier and not part of any alliance, there are still several ways to access lounges. Compared to flying with Lufthansa, however, these options are significantly more limited: the selection of lounges is smaller, and outside the German-speaking region, companions usually have to stay outside.

The frequent flyer program of the Lufthansa Group, Miles&More, offers numerous options to reach your desired destination. However, one common issue during booking is that you can’t find availabilities – at least not via the Miles&More search. In this article, we’ll show you how to solve this problem.

Which (Partner-)Airlines can be Booked via Miles&More?

To book flights, you first need to be aware of which airlines can be booked with Miles&More miles. Here’s a brief overview of possible redemption partners, all of which can be combined with each other.

In addition to the limitation to 35 airlines, there are certain rules to keep in mind when booking an award ticket through Miles&More. These apply to all tickets, except for Mileage Bargains (Meilenschnäppchen) or Fly Smart award tickets:

• 3 segments per direction (4 segments for 3-zone awards)
• 1 stopover per direction when booking a round trip
• Return flight must start from the farthest point from the origin
• Backtracking is only allowed within one region

Once you’ve internalised all this information, you’re almost ready to dive into booking award flights.

Searching via the Miles&More Website

The simplest way seems to be the Miles&More website. Especially for Lufthansa Group airlines, as well as LOT, Croatia Airlines, and Luxair, there tends to be the most availability. However, there are some limitations and tricks when searching for awards, which we’ll explore below.

The Miles&More award search is quite limited in terms of combination possibilities. While mixed-cabin awards can now be booked online, many actually bookable options with additional stopovers are not shown at all.

Also, some partner availabilities cannot be found online, mainly flights with Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, and Cathay Pacific. For these, you either need to call the hotline (asking for each date/route individually) or use alternative search tools.

Star Alliance Partner Searches

Besides the Miles&More award search, there are other frequent flyer programs from Star Alliance partners that you can use to search for award availability within the alliance. Two programs stand out for being particularly user-friendly and displaying the most availability.

Important: Generally, availabilities for other Star Alliance airlines should be the same across programs. However, this does not apply to flights on the home airline of a given program. Deeper partnerships may also result in more availability for certain airlines. Additionally, the airline must cooperate with Miles&More for you to actually book the award there.

Air Canada Aeroplan

The first alternative is Air Canada Aeroplan’s search. It’s integrated into the regular Air Canada flight search – just select “Book with Aeroplan points.” You’ll need to log in, and then you can search your desired route.

While Aeroplan shows significantly more booking combinations, it’s advisable to search individual long-haul segments. Be cautious of mixed-cabin awards, especially when only the short-haul is in business class and the long-haul is in economy.

Also note that Aeroplan routings don’t always match Miles&More’s routing rules. Routes that touch three regions (e.g., with Egypt Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Air India) may be priced as 3-zone awards with Miles&More.

For booking via the Miles&More hotline, note flight numbers, dates, and times to make it easier for the agent to find the flights. Air Canada’s own availability does not correspond to what’s bookable via Miles&More!

United MileagePlus

Another option is United MileagePlus. You don’t need an account, which makes it convenient for quick searches. Use United.com, select “Book with miles,” and search your desired route/class.

After clicking “Search,” a login prompt appears but can be closed. You’ll see results, and by enabling “Flexible dates” or using the “30-day calendar,” you can view a monthly availability overview with the cheapest options highlighted.

Like Aeroplan, United sometimes displays mixed-cabin awards. You can filter these out, and also apply filters for aircraft types or connections. Start with minimal filters to avoid missing viable options.

Again, keep in mind that routings/pricing may not align with Miles&More rules. United-specific availability is not representative either, due to dynamic pricing. Only flights entirely in booking classes X, I, and O are reliably bookable via Miles&More.

External Tools for Award Availability Searches

United and Air Canada’s award flight searches are not the only options for finding available flights more quickly and clearly than with Miles&More. There are three particular websites that specialise in award availability searches in general. These platforms display availability across various airlines and alliances, each with its own strengths and weaknesses, especially regarding Star Alliance partner airlines.

Only for Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Flights: Google Flights

We’ve seen a reasonable correlation between cash prices and award prices under Miles&More’s new dynamically priced flights. While this method isn’t guaranteed to work, and is limited to flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines, it’s still among the most convenient. Just use Google Flights to find the cheapest dates, and more often than not, award flight availability will be very similar. Since the tool is very easy to use and beginner-friendly, you will have an easy time using this method.

Here’s an example:

Let’s say that you want to fly from Amsterdam to Beijing. Lufthansa offers this route via Munich. If you now set the airline filter to Lufthansa, the connecting airport filter to Munich, and – just to be sure that no codeshare flights get included – also filter for the exact departure times, you’ll have a calendar that only displays the prices for that specific connection:

And as you can see, the award flights are, indeed, available on those dates:

Overall, we’ve noticed that the green dates usually correlate with the award flight availability. It’s not a 100% guarantee, but it can give you a good orientation of when you may find a flight and when you most probably won’t.

Seats.aero

The first and by far most comprehensive tool for finding award availability bookable through Miles&More is Seats.aero—an American website originally focused on credit card transfer partners. Now, it also shows award space on Lufthansa, Swiss, and Austrian Airlines via Miles&More, including their expanded seat availability. Just like with Air Canada and United, it also lists availability from other Star Alliance carriers, bookable through Miles&More.

Seats.aero has a free and a paid version, with the Pro version ($9.99/month) offering added features.

Award Search in the Free Version

Even with its limited features, Seats.aero stands out because it pulls data from multiple programs at once, providing a near-complete overview of possible connections. Free users can search up to 2 months ahead, though filtering is somewhat limited (but sufficient for most use cases).

A key feature is the ability to group airports in searches (e.g., all major German or European airports), enabling broad multi-city searches in one go. An example shown includes a search from Europe’s largest airports to major Asian hubs over a 60-day window, with over 400 results displayed.

Note: Some airlines show extra availability for their own frequent flyer program. Still, flights priced in booking classes X, R, I, and O should also be bookable through Miles&More.

You can sort by category (e.g., Business Class) and click an info icon to see all routes available on a given date. For Miles&More flights, a direct booking link is available. You’ll also find detailed flight info, including lie-flat seats (green bed icon), angled seats (orange), or recliners (white). Flight numbers, layover durations, and times are also shown, making booking on Miles&More much easier.

Besides the standard search, Seats.aero offers specific tools like a Lufthansa First Class Finder (only showing space for the next 3–4 days) and an ANA First Class Finder (showing availability up to 1 year, depending on the version used).

Award Search in the Pro Version

With the $9.99/month Pro subscription, you get more advanced features like:

• Choosing specific airlines to include/exclude
• Setting a minimum number of seats
• Filtering by surcharges
• Searching up to 360 days in advance
• Extended date ranges

Exclusive tools include:

• Seatmap Viewer: View seating layout and availability directly without using Aerolopa, SeatGuru, or ExpertFlyer.
• Fare Class Viewer: Displays fare bucket availability.
• The ANA First Class Finder also supports searches 3 to 12 months ahead, and notifications can be customised or sent via SMS.

PointsYeah

A comparable alternative to Seats.aero is PointsYeah. Its layout and features are similar, with free and paid tiers ($11.99/month or $99.99/year). Let’s compare it directly with Seats.aero to highlight its strengths.

Award Search in the Free Version

The biggest difference is that PointsYeah only shows live results, i.e., flights that are actually bookable at that moment. Like Seats.aero, it focuses on US credit card transfer partners, but now also supports Miles&More.

Key features:

• Live seat maps with details like restricted view, proximity to restrooms, legroom, width, recline, etc.
• Slightly more filter options than Seats.aero, including aircraft type and “flight quality” (e.g., exclude red-eyes or connections requiring airport transfers)

Limitations in the free version:

• Search window only covers 4 days (vs. 14 on Seats.aero)
• Only one airport per search (no area codes)
• You can search 360 days ahead for free (vs. 60 days on Seats.aero)

Award Search in the Premium Version

The paid version of PointsYeah is more limited than Seats.aero Pro. You can:

• Search across 8 days (vs. 360 on Seats.aero)
• Add one extra airport per search (2 total)
• Create 32 alerts (vs. 4 in the free version)

SeatSpy

The second external tool for checking Miles&More award space is SeatSpy, but it’s not a real alternative to Seats.aero or even the airline websites.

Recently, it added support for award flights on Austrian, Brussels, Croatia Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, and Swiss.

Free Version

You can view routes for all of the supported airlines, but only for long-haul flights. In the free version, you only see Economy Class availability.

However, its calendar view is the cleanest and allows searches up to 360 days ahead, even for free. That said, you’re limited in how many routes or airports you can check.

Premium & First Class Versions

There are two paid versions, which unlock:

• Availability for Business, First, and Premium Economy
• More flexible alerts
• A tool to show which outbound/return flights are available on your chosen dates

Still, SeatSpy is limited in scope, even in paid versions.

Which Tool is Best for Which Airline or Route?

Comparing all tools for finding Miles&More award space, Seats.aero and PointsYeah clearly offer the most features. PointsYeah shines in its free plan (longer search window, live results), while Seats.aero wins with wider airport selection and better Pro features.

If budget allows, Seats.aero Pro is the best overall tool for finding award space. PointsYeah still offers excellent free tools, especially for everyday miles collectors.

SeatSpy can help you brainstorm where to go if you’re undecided, but its coverage is limited.

Miles&More’s own site works best when you already know your desired long-haul segment, especially for Air Dolomiti, Discover, Lufthansa City Airlines, and Edelweiss, which might get overlooked on United or Air Canada.

You can use Google Flights to take advantage of the correlation between cash and award prices for Austrian, Lufthansa and Swiss. However, the tool is not made to search award flights and can therefore be highly inaccurate.

United and Air Canada searches are solid for Asia, Oceania, or Africa, but both are also covered by Seats.aero. You might use them if you want some of the premium filters without paying for Seats.aero. For ITA flights, though, Miles&More is the only option, as none of the other tools show those awards.

Conclusion

There’s no single perfect tool for Miles&More award searches. But Seats.aero comes remarkably close, especially for those willing to pay for Pro access. The sheer number of tools and filters easily justifies the $9.99/month fee if you’re planning a big trip.

For casual users or those looking to save money, PointsYeah offers a solid alternative.

Meanwhile, Miles&More’s own tool is only really helpful for a few group airlines. SeatSpy is useful for calendar-based searches but lacks depth. For serious travellers, Seats.aero is your best bet.

You plan a trip, fly to your destination full of anticipation, have all sorts of things planned, and suddenly you remember: uh-oh, jet lag. Sleepless nights and daytime fatigue – that’s not what you want on vacation. But if you adjust your sleep behaviour during the flight and on the day of arrival in a specific way, you can at least partially counteract jet lag. You can also take certain factors into account when choosing your flight. I’ve now managed to have hardly any jet lag problems. What did I do to achieve that? That’s what I’ll share with you in this article.

When to Sleep Depending on Flight Direction & Times

Depending on whether you’re flying west or east, there are different strategies that can help you maintain a normal sleep rhythm at your destination. Whether you’ve had a day flight or a night flight also plays a role. Here are my tips for various scenarios:

Day Flight to the West

If you’re flying, e.g. from Europe to North America, the flight usually departs in the morning or early afternoon and arrives in the afternoon after about 10 hours. A common mistake is staying awake the entire flight. You’re not really tired – it’s daytime both outside and according to your internal clock. But shortly after arrival, your internal clock says “it’s bedtime soon,” even though it’s still afternoon at your destination. Staying awake until nighttime becomes torture. By around 7 p.m., you’re exhausted, fall asleep, then you’re awake again at 3 a.m., and your rhythm is immediately off track.

My tip: Try to sleep for at least 2 hours during the flight. Some people find this easy; for others, it’s easier said than done. If you’re in the latter group, I recommend sleeping very little the night before your flight. That way, you’ll eventually fall asleep during the flight from sheer exhaustion. After arriving, try to stay awake as late as possible.

Night Flight to the West

Night flights heading west often go from Southeast Asia to Europe or from Europe to South America. These flights typically leave very late and arrive in the morning. If you didn’t get enough sleep on the plane, the arrival day can feel very long.

My tip: Sleep as much as possible on the plane to arrive well-rested and make it through the day. This usually isn’t a problem, since you’re already tired due to the late departure and likely fall asleep on board. If you still had a mostly sleepless night on the plane, a short nap on arrival day can be helpful.

Flight to the East with Early Arrival

This is a common scenario when flying to Asia or from America to Europe. Departure is usually in the afternoon when you’re not tired yet. Rarely do you get enough sleep, but you arrive the next morning and have a full day ahead of you. Often, you crash at some point and—bam—your rhythm is thrown off.

My tip: Sleeping as much as possible on the plane is ideal, but often difficult. You’re not tired when boarding, and the flight often isn’t long enough to get much sleep. So, plan to take a nap on the arrival day for about 1–2 hours. Close the curtains, make it completely dark, set an alarm (but don’t sleep longer than 2 hours!). That way, you’ll still be tired enough later to fall asleep at night.

Flight to the East with Afternoon Arrival

If you have a late departure heading east and arrive the next day in the afternoon, you’re usually very tired on the plane and fall asleep quickly. But if you sleep too long, you arrive full of energy, only to have half a day left. That can lead to problems falling asleep, especially on the first night.

My tip: Of course, you’ll sleep on the flight—and should. But ideally, don’t overdo it. About 5 hours should be enough. That way, you’re not too awake upon arrival and tired enough to sleep well at night.

Other Helpful Tips

Regardless of flight direction or time, here are a few other tips that can help, especially if you’re particularly prone to jet lag:

• Adjust sleep times before the trip: You probably won’t suddenly start sleeping 7 hours earlier or later than usual. But even shifting your schedule slightly helps. If flying west, try going to bed and waking up later in the days before departure (if your work schedule allows). When flying east, go to bed and wake up earlier.
• Sleep less before the flight: I often hear people say they can’t sleep on planes. One thing that can help: board the flight already exhausted. If you only sleep 4–5 hours per night for 1–2 nights before the flight, you’ll likely fall asleep on the plane. But be careful—some people never sleep on planes. In that case, they’ll just arrive completely overtired and risk weakening their immune system. As always, what works for one person might not work for another, and everyone knows their own body best.
• Walk to stay awake: If you notice you’re struggling to stay awake after arrival, go for a walk—preferably outdoors in fresh air. Who falls asleep while walking?
• A good bed for the first night: This tip isn’t free. But if your internal clock is already sabotaging your sleep, don’t let the mattress help. A good bed, at least for the first night, can make a real difference in sleeping through the night.
• Choose the right travel class: This tip involves higher costs and is sort of obvious. But still, if sleep is key for your flight, a business-class bed helps. On routes where sleeping a lot would be counterproductive, you might skip business class. Since this means spending four-figure sums, I’ll just leave this tip under: “I’ve mentioned it, but barely anyone will pay that much just to reduce jet lag.”
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol: I don’t drink coffee anyway, but this tip from my colleague Felix makes total sense. It’s confusing enough when your internal clock is off – you don’t need caffeine making it worse. The same goes for alcohol, which is dehydrating and tires you. Try skipping caffeine before and during the flight.
• Choose modern aircraft models: Newer aircraft like the Airbus A350 or Boeing 787 (Dreamliner) are quieter and have better air quality. That’s due to their carbon fuselage, which allows for higher humidity and more oxygen in the cabin. Altogether, this makes it easier to sleep on board. If you have multiple flight options, it’s something to consider.
• Pay attention to flight times: Not just aircraft models, but also the actual departure and arrival times can make a difference. If you have trouble sleeping on planes, later flights might be better, so you don’t have to stay up too long after arrival. If you’re someone who falls asleep for the entire flight as soon as you sit down, then earlier departure times are better.
• Choose a window seat: Last but not least, it helps with sleeping if you can lean against the wall. Plus, you won’t be constantly woken up by seatmates with weak bladders.

Conclusion

Jet lag is a problem on most long-haul trips and can be really annoying. But you can counter it with smart sleep habits and by paying attention to a few booking details. I’ve barely had any jet lag issues in years. And even if the plan doesn’t always go perfectly, these tips can at least help reduce the effects. It will at least be much better than unknowingly doing the exact opposite.

Do you have any other tips to avoid suffering from jet lag? Feel free to leave a comment.

Entering the USA can be stressful, even more so in light of the stories about stricter immigration enforcement in recent months. However, there is a way to both save time on arrival and – in extreme cases – being denied entry without being detained. At certain airports around the world (and two in Europe) you can clear US immigration at your departure airport. This is both a time-saver and gives you additional peace of mind.

The Benefits Of US Border Preclearance

The border preclearence program is mainly a convenience: After arrival, you are able to leave the airport as quickly as you please (given your bags arrive in time), because your incoming flight is treated like a domestic flight. This can work out brilliant – barely 90 minutes after touchdown in Newark, you can stand in the middle of Manhattan without any hurry.

Especially on airports that see lots of incoming traffic from Asia (like Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle) or South America (e.g. Miami, Houston and Dallas), this can spare you extremely long waiting times. Also, you can be sure you will be able to enter without a kerfuffle during the entire flight to your destination, as you already passed immigration.

In the (unlikely) worst case, it does spare you detention if you are denied entry – since you can simply re-imigrate to the country where the airport is located.

US Border Preclearance Airports

You may find a total of fourteen US border preclearance facilities in six countries around the world. Both European airports are located in Ireland. While Brussels is set to get a preclearence facility in the future, there is no date when it should happen.

• Aruba
  • Oranjestad
• Bahamas
  • Nassau
• Bermuda
• Canada
  • Calgary
  • Edmonton
  • Halifax
  • Montreal
  • Ottawa
  • Toronto-Pearson
  • Vancouver
  • Victoria
  • Winnipeg
• Ireland
  • Dublin
  • Shannon
• United Arab Emirates
  • Abu Dhabi

How to Find Suiting Flights

Buying a Single Ticket

To use these ports of entry, all you need to do is book an itinerary where your last stop before entering the United States is in one of the aforementioned cities. This can work by purchasing a single ticket with a change of planes, i.e. in Dublin:

To find such flights, you can use filters on Google Flights that only show itineraries with layovers at certain airports:

Then, you can limit your search results through Dublin and major Canadian hubs like Montreal and Toronto:

Another option is filtering by airlines that use these airports as hub like Aer Lingus (Dublin), Air Canada (Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver) or WestJet (Calgary).

However, routing through a US Border Preclearence airport on a single ticket comes a with a certain risk. If you are denied entry, airlines have no legal obligation to take you back to your country of origin. Instead, you may be stuck in Canada or Ireland. If you are denied entry to the US on American soil, your carrier has to take you back to your last airport before entering the United States at their own expense. Because of that, we strongly recommend using Dublin or Shannon as a port of entry when travelling from Europe.

Buying Two Separate Tickets

You can also buy two separate tickets. For example, you can fly from Amsterdam to Aruba first – spend a couple of days on the island and pass through US immigration in Oranjestad before continuing to the United States.

In that case, even if you are denied entry, you can still enjoy Aruba until your flight back to Europe departs. Because these are separate bookings, your return flight won’t be affected by you voiding the trip to Miami and back.

Bottom Line

US Border Preclearence can save you a lot of time during immigration – and optimizing your routing to benefit from it is very easy. The major downside is that it might increase your ticket cost or prevents you from using your favourite carrier or alliance.

It can also mitigate possible, if highly unlikely, consequences if you are turned down – like being arrested. While being denied entry on a US airport will result in detention, being denied in a different country will solely leave you stranded in a different country of your choice.

You can find our own (albeit older) experience about US Border Preclearence in Dublin here:

In January, we already took you to the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in the satellite terminal in Munich on our way in the Allegris First Class Suite to New York. Back then, the First Class Lounge in the main terminal was closed for renovations, so now, five months later and shortly after its reopening, we were in Munich again.

Whether the complete renovation of the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in the main terminal was worth it, and whether it now surpasses the lounge in the satellite terminal, is what we’ll explore in this review.

Location

As a First Class traveller or HON Circle member, you have a choice of two different First Class Lounges in Munich. The Lufthansa First Class Lounge in the main terminal can be accessed from both the Schengen (G gates) and non-Schengen areas (H gates). Access is located at gates G/H21. From the Schengen area, you can take either the stairs or the elevator up to the fifth floor.

If you are already in the non-Schengen area, you can enter the lounge directly (after passport control) without changing floors. Both entrances have a “Lufthansa First Class” sign next to the door as well as overhead signs pointing to the lounge.

Access

Access to Lufthansa lounges before departure is standardised, whether in Frankfurt, Munich, or outstations. With a Lufthansa/Swiss First Class ticket on the same day and under the same booking code, you get entry to Lufthansa First Class Lounges. A First Class ticket from a Star Alliance partner generally does not grant access. The only exception is Air China, whose guests are allowed into the First Class Lounges in Munich or Frankfurt (but not the FCT).

Additionally, Lufthansa’s most loyal status holders, HON Circle members, get access to the First Class Lounge with a ticket from any Star Alliance or Lufthansa Group airline, regardless of travel class. This applies even if arriving in Munich without a connecting flight.

First Class guests of Lufthansa and Swiss who arrive the same day on a First Class flight into Frankfurt, Munich, or Zurich also get access to the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Munich. For lounge access after such an inbound flight (here arriving from Frankfurt or Zurich), it must be on the same ticket number, meaning in the same booking.

Finally, holders of an American Express Centurion credit card receive access if they have a Lufthansa, Austrian, or Swiss ticket on the same day, regardless of travel class. However, no guests are included.

Facilities

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge in the main terminal differs noticeably from its sister lounge in the satellite terminal. Besides the somewhat more modern design, it unfortunately lacks views and proper relaxation rooms. However, the design language retains a similar colour scheme to the existing lounges.

You’ll find many brown and cream tones throughout. A nod to the newest Allegris First Class product is visible only in the restaurant area wall panels, which strongly resemble the exterior of the Allegris First Suites.

In addition to the aforementioned restaurant area on the left after entering, there is, of course, also a bar, featuring a glass wine cooler as an eye-catcher. Between these, as well as on the right side of the lounge, are numerous comfortable armchairs and seating areas.

There are also armchairs with accompanying footstools in the rear part of the lounge. These seem to be among the few pieces of furniture carried over from the old lounge and are also known from the satellite terminal lounge. Since there are no dedicated relaxation rooms here (unlike the satellite terminal lounge), these are the “most comfortable” option for a short nap. For longer stays in Munich, it may thus be advisable to switch terminals and lounges to sleep.

Overall, there are plenty of seats, and the new armchairs in particular were very comfortable and well-cushioned. Thanks to the carpets in the seating areas, noise levels are low, making quiet conversation easy.

Work Rooms

Following the main corridor past the restaurant area, there are four spacious work rooms on the left. These have office chairs, appropriate lighting, and ample surface space for documents and luggage.

There are also three EU power outlets. Given the international clientele, it might have been wise to install at least one international socket as well. At least one work room has a PC for those needing a larger screen or quick internet access without their own laptop.

The internet, as in other Lufthansa lounges, is provided by Telekom and works flawlessly. Additionally, the rooms offer a LAN connection if you have your own cable. Compared to the satellite lounge, there are significantly fewer work rooms here, so they may occasionally all be occupied.

Showers & Toilets

Behind the work rooms, a hallway leads left to the toilets, showers, and bathtub. As in the FCT or satellite terminal, there is a bathtub in one of the bathrooms if you feel like a soak. Otherwise, the facilities are similar to other Lufthansa First Class Lounges.

During my visit, all the facilities I checked were spotless and fully functional. Amenities such as shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel were provided, as were ample fluffy towels and bath mats.

As is standard in Lufthansa First Class Lounges, the men’s public bathrooms have stalls with both a toilet and a urinal, offering privacy and letting you keep your luggage with you. Fabric hand towels are provided for drying, collected in a separate basket.

Extras

Like the First Class Lounge in the satellite terminal, the main terminal lounge features a cigar lounge. This is located at the end of the main corridor on the right, behind the armchairs with footstools.

In the cigar lounge, there are various alcoholic drinks and chilled water, but no cigars or cigarillos are provided. Older chairs from before the renovation can be found here. As a non-smoker, I would say the lounge is sufficient for smoking a cigar or cigarette. Naturally, you can also order food or drinks to the cigar lounge if desired.

Food & Drinks

One of the most important and, to preface, best areas of the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in the main terminal is the restaurant. There are about 15 tables where you can order à la carte or enjoy buffet dishes.

Seats along the wall each have a power outlet. The buffet is located opposite the tables. It is slightly smaller than that of the satellite terminal, but left little to be desired. There were fruits, cold and hot dishes, salads, breads/rolls, and desserts.

Lunch/Dinner

When I visited, breakfast was already over, so I moved straight on to the lunch and dinner options. As a starter, I chose a “Bread Dumpling Carpaccio” from the special menu, which changes regularly and was themed “Alpine Summer” during my stay.

I then had a beef fillet with corn cream and jalapeño jus, which was also very tasty. Unlike, for example, in the Swiss First Class Lounge in Zurich, the fillet here was a decent size at around 200 grams — enough, if you still want to have room for Wiener schnitzel afterwards.

The schnitzel was also delicious and came with potato salad, lemon, and lingonberries. If you’d like, you can order a double portion, unless you’d prefer to try another main course first. For kids, there are also some special menu items available.

Snacks

However, you don’t have to sit in the restaurant if you just want a small bite. You can order drinks, dishes, and snacks anywhere in the lounge — I had a few things brought to one of the comfy armchairs.

Besides the items on the menus, you’ll also find the usual selection of chocolates and other sweet or savoury snacks for self-service, just like in other Lufthansa First Class Lounges. One note: their placement among the seating can intrude on the privacy of guests sitting nearby if the lounge is busy.

Drinks

Of course, you can also choose from a wide variety of drinks. Alongside classic soft drinks and beverages like water, tea, and juices, there’s a good selection of alcoholic drinks. These can be ordered and enjoyed at the bar or served by staff wherever you’re sitting.

The bar turned out very nicely and offers a solid selection overall. However, it’s worth noting that the quality of drinks at other airlines’ First Class Lounges can be a notch above. Still, almost all cocktails can be ordered, and there’s a range of champagnes to choose from.

The wine selection is also good. The glass wine cooler is the highlight — not only does it display the wines beautifully, it’s also a design feature of the lounge. And last but not least, the cappuccino was excellent.

Service

Service is where I see the most room for improvement in the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in the main terminal. While the overall service level was very high, on my last visit to the satellite terminal, the service seemed more proactive. If you wanted to order something, it was always possible, and the staff were consistently friendly, but it would have been nicer if they had checked in from time to time on their own initiative.

That said, the staff were always smiling, which added to the pleasant atmosphere. Naturally, on request, I also received one of the famous Lufthansa First Class rubber ducks. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to use the limousine transfer this time either, as my departure wasn’t from a remote stand. Otherwise, you’d be driven to the plane in either a VW T6, Audi Q8, or BMW i7.

Conclusion

Translated by Ditmar

In this article, we want to take a look at which alternatives to Miles&More exist following the devaluation of the Miles&More award chart and the introduction of dynamic pricing for award flights with Austrian, City Airlines, Lufthansa, and Swiss. Whether you’re looking to book award flights, maintain status, or earn miles, we’ll show you where to look.

The best alternative often depends on more than one factor and on personal preferences. Therefore, in this article, we’ll present only a selection of alternatives, each with its own attractive aspects. The focus is mainly on alternatives within the Star Alliance; other options in the remaining two alliances will only be briefly explained at the end.

Miles&More Devaluation Explained Briefly

Although the changes/devaluation of the Miles&More award chart and the introduction of dynamic pricing initially appear only to affect the redemption of award miles, the impacts are greater than they seem.

Flights departing from some European countries are now often significantly cheaper than before, while the price has increased from others. Furthermore, there is no longer a fixed mileage value to save up for when aiming to book a specific award flight.

Alternatives for Maintaining Status

First, we want to look at alternatives for status qualification. There are not only several attractive frequent flyer programs but also various approaches within each program. You can find more alternatives in our detailed article on the four fastest ways to Star Alliance Gold status.

Aegean Miles+Bonus

The first alternative to Miles&More Senator status is Miles+Bonus Gold status. Star Alliance Gold status with Greek airline Aegean Airlines is achieved after earning a total of 36,000 status miles plus 6 Aegean flights. Alternatively, you need 105,000 status miles regardless of airline, but this is not worthwhile.

Qualification:

• 12,000 status miles + 2 Aegean flights or
• 35,000 status miles without Aegean flights within 12 months = Silver status

Afterwards, you have another 12 months to earn:

• 24,000 status miles + 4 Aegean flights or
• 70,000 status miles = Gold status

Note: Status miles and Aegean flights before reaching Silver do not count towards Gold qualification.

Requalification:

• 12,000 status miles + 4 Aegean flights (or 75,000 status miles)

The status is valid for 12 months after first qualifying and must be requalified within that period. Besides the low status requirements, note that Lufthansa’s lowest booking classes (L, K, P) are excluded from earning miles. On the other hand, the highest booking classes earn up to 300% of the flown distance.

Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

The second option is Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles Elite status. In the Turkish airline’s frequent flyer program, you need 40,000 status miles for the lowest tier with Star Alliance Gold benefits. Additionally, you can obtain a simplified qualification via a status match (see option 2).

Qualification:

• 40,000 status miles within 12 consecutive months

or

• 15,000 status miles within 12 months on Turkish Airlines flights (status match).

Requalification:

• 25,000 status miles in the twelve months after reaching status

or

• 37,500 status miles in the two years of status validity.

Especially when combined with a status match and a two-year validity, Miles&Smiles is a very attractive alternative. Thanks to a soft landing, it can even be worthwhile to aim for Elite Plus status (80,000 status miles) to benefit from four years of Star Alliance Gold. It is worth noting, however, that Lufthansa’s lowest booking classes (L, K, P) do not earn miles here either.

Alternatives for Award Miles

When looking for alternatives to credit award miles for flights, focus on programs that credit miles even for Lufthansa Group’s lowest booking classes. These include K, L, T in Economy; N in Premium Economy; and P in Business.

Air Canada Aeroplan

Lufthansa has a partnership with Air Canada beyond Star Alliance cooperation. Except for the lowest Economy booking class K, you earn at least 50% of the distance flown thanks to this partnership. Premium Economy earns at least 100%, and Business Class between 100-150%. Only First Class crediting is unappealing at 150%.

Earning rates:

You can also regularly buy Aeroplan miles at reasonable rates. Award prices are based on distance and region-based award charts. For example, one-way flights up to 4,000 miles, such as Germany–India (45,000 miles) or some US East Coast cities (60,000 miles) are attractive. Aeroplan charges a booking fee of CA$39 (~€24) for partner awards but passes on no fuel surcharges. Star Alliance Gold status is achievable with 50,000 Status Qualifying Miles.

United Airlines Mileage Plus

Like with Air Canada, Lufthansa has a close partnership with United, meaning United MileagePlus credits miles for all paid booking classes. Credit rates are similar to pre-revenue-based Miles&More rates. Economy credit ranges from 25–150%, with Premium Economy and Business Class earning at least 100%. The highest credit is in top Business Class and all First Class bookings at 200%.

Earning rates:

Buying miles at MileagePlus is rarely attractive these days, but theoretically possible for topping up. MileagePlus is particularly rewarding on shorter flights in Economy.

To reach status with United, you need 12,000 Premier Qualifying Points (PQP). For Austrian, Lufthansa, and Swiss flights, you earn 1 PQP per 5 award miles, so 60,000 miles are needed for Gold status.

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer is especially interesting for those flying often in the Lufthansa Group’s lower Business booking classes. You always earn at least 125% in Business Class. In economy class, K and L will get you nothing, and T earns only 10% of the distance. All Premium Economy cash fares earn at least 100%.

Earning rates:

Attractive redemption options include Istanbul–Singapore (56,500 miles) and the 5th freedom flight Frankfurt–New York (81,000 miles) in Business Class. Monthly “Spontaneous Escapes” and Singapore Suites can also be great value.

You reach KrisFlyer Gold (Star Alliance Gold) after 50,000 status miles. A Business Class flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles earns about 7,100 status miles one-way.

Alternatives Outside the Star Alliance

If the Star Alliance alternatives are not attractive enough, here are some options in SkyTeam and Oneworld.

Flying Blue

The first SkyTeam alternative is Flying Blue, the frequent flyer program of Air France and KLM, plus smaller airlines. Status is awarded based on travel class and distance band, not zones. Award miles are earned based on revenue for flights booked via Air France/KLM, or distance otherwise.

Entry-level award prices in Flying Blue’s dynamic system are generally solid. Monthly “Promo Awards” often offer discounted long-haul Business Class tickets.

SAS EuroBonus

The newest SkyTeam member, SAS, offers EuroBonus, an attractive alternative for both status qualification and earning/redeeming award miles. Business Class long-haul flights can often be booked for just 50,000 miles plus taxes (no surcharges), regardless of destination in Asia or North America.

The British Airways Executive Club & Qatar Airways Privilege Club

Finally, in Oneworld, several options exist for status qualification and award redemptions. Programs using Avios include The British Airways Club, Iberia Plus, Finnair Plus, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club.

Qatar Airways is arguably the most attractive for earning status with lounge access, awarding QPoints partly independently of spend, ideal for frequent long-haul flyers.

All these programs use Avios as their currency, and you can transfer Avios between them. You can also buy Avios regularly, with prices ranging from 1.1 to 1.5 euro cents per Avios. Some programs offer Avios subscriptions. Additionally, British Airways lets you boost Avios earned in the past 30 days, starting from 1.11 euro cents per Avios, including transferred Membership Rewards.

Sweet spots include:

• Qatar Airways Business Class to Oceania (90,000 Avios one-way)
• Iberia from Madrid to some US East Coast cities (40,500 Avios one-way)
• British Airways intra-Europe flights, often attractive even in Economy.

Conclusion – Which Alternative Is Best?

In the end, everyone must decide for themselves which is the best alternative to Miles&More if considering a switch. It helps to check which airlines offer the best cash and award prices on your most important routes. If status is important, it should also be realistically attainable. For this, our status calculator may help:

Ultimately, it comes down to where you feel most comfortable. For some, it’s purely about numbers and prices; for others, customer support or the range of earning and redemption partners play a role. There is no right or wrong here – even sticking with Miles&More is an acceptable choice.

Translated and edited by Ditmar

For many travellers, it is essential to stay online even when they are abroad. Whether it’s talking to friends and family or catching up with work – many of us are looking for cheap ways to connect on our trips. Luckily several providers offer international data plans at low (or at least affordable) rates.