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Update: current offer expires 6/30/2014.
The 50k offer for the Barclays Lufthansa Premier Miles & More World MasterCard® is back. This is an affiliate-channel offer that pays me commission. Offer ends December 15, 2013.
The sign-up bonus is 20,000 miles after first purchase, and 30,000 for $5,000 eligible spend in first 90 days of account opening. The $79 annual fee is not waived, except for an annual waiver for Senator and HON Circle Members.
There is an annual economy class companion ticket with loads of restrictions that may not be good value for many.
Will I apply? No. I tried for this card this past summer when the 50k offer last appeared. Barclays has significantly tightened approvals this year so I am standing pat on my existing cards and trying to put more spend on them since that was a key factor in denial.
In hindsight I realized I had jumped on yet another program that I know nothing about and may be a hassle to extract good value. I already have significant balances with Alaskan, Hawaiian, Virgin America, and Virgin Atlantic that I need to find ways within my travel patterns to use effectively. And they are not going to be Hilton transfers.
Readers, is this offer worth it? How easy are redemptions? I would probably use on United or Air Canada.
Disclaimer: This is the best public offer for this card for which I am aware. If you apply through my offer and are approved, I will receive a referral commission, thank you for your support.
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[…] though I previously said I would not apply for Lufthansa card 50k bonus, in light of this I decided to do so as a test. My […]
Stefan, this is a good card since flights on United carry no fuel surcharge.
I listed some good award values here:
http://www.mightytravels.com/13232755/wheres_the_value_in_the_miles_more_award_chart.php
@Mr.Cool
yes – LH can see all UA/US award space as far as it shows on united.com
– US–>EU YQ is reasonable, but EU-US is too high, consider United miles for the return
– travel on US/LOT only to pay NO YQ at all
– UA trans-atlantic has a YQ yes 🙁
@Torsten Jacobi – thanks for answering Mr. Cool’s questions, this is not a program I know anything about!
[…] first). I could perhaps offer some praise for Rapid Travel Chai for being honest enough to say that he won’t apply for the card. But no, not […]
“I already have significant balances with Alaskan, Hawaiian, Virgin America, and Virgin Atlantic that I need to find ways within my travel patterns to use effectively. And they are not going to be Hilton transfers” hit close to home. Well said.
I also have cardholders remorse from some leaping before looking cc deals.
Would be very valuable to read how you get your balances to fit your travel patterns — without giving up and transferring points to Hilton. Likewise, if I have any brilliant solutions, I’ll post them.
@Enjoy Fine Food – I had a potential opportunity to go for a Virgin America redemption to get from Honolulu to Pago Pago, American Samoa but it was last minute and no availability. Looks like that is possible with a few months’ advance planning. Hawaiian I once flagged for intra-Asia on Korean, I need to go into more detail. Virgin Atlantic has wonky partners, if I were heading to Australia I would investigate more on Virgin Australia.
-does LH have access to only saver awards for UA.. kinda like avios only shows the sAAver awards for AA?
-what about USair awards..does LH let you book any of them? or only the ones that require a low amount of miles on USair?
-the YQ on LH/LX/OS is bruuutal. does anyone know of any US to euro (or anywhere else) routes using MM miles where the YQ is <$300 please?
-does UA charges YQ when using LH miles USA-euro??
I won’t be applying for this offer either. When Swiss announced only HON/SEN circle members can redeem for Swiss First class seats, that move really turned me off. To be SEN, one has to fly 100,000 status miles in one calendar year and to be HON,one has to fly 600,000 status miles in 2 consecutive years! That’s crazy!