Miles & Points Glossary

The rewards points program from American Express. Points are earned through card spending and can be transferred to airline partners or redeemed for travel. AMEX MR are NOT transferable to Miles & More.

The frequent flyer program of the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines). Miles are earned through flights and credit card spending and can be redeemed for award flights.

Separate points at Miles & More that determine your frequent flyer status (Frequent Traveller, Senator, HON Circle). Earned primarily through flights; some premium credit cards also grant status points.

Airlines and hotels to which AMEX Membership Rewards points can be transferred. In Germany, these include: British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Air France/KLM, Hilton.

Germany's largest rewards program with over 34 million users and around 700 partners. The most important: EDEKA, Netto, dm, Aral, Amazon, Fressnapf, C&A, Apollo, Thalia, GALERIA. Standard rate: 1 point per €2 spent. REWE and Penny are NOT PAYBACK partners (a common misconception).

One of the three major airline alliances. Members: British Airways, Iberia, Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, American Airlines and more. Miles from one airline can be redeemed for flights on all alliance partners.

The largest airline alliance in the world. Members: Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Singapore Airlines, United Airlines, ANA and more. Miles & More miles can be redeemed on all Star Alliance partners.

One of the three major airline alliances. Members: Air France, KLM, Delta, Korean Air and more. AMEX MR can be used for SkyTeam flights via Flying Blue or Delta SkyMiles.

The currency of the British Airways Executive Club. AMEX MR points can be transferred to Avios at a 5:4 ratio. Avios are especially valuable for short-haul flights within Europe.

A recurring promotion where PAYBACK points can be transferred to Miles & More miles with a 20–25% bonus. Instead of the normal 1:1 ratio, with a 25% bonus you get e.g. 1,250 miles for 1,000 PAYBACK points. Transfer promotions take place several times a year.

Automatic transfer of PAYBACK points to Miles & More. NOT recommended, because you miss out on transfer bonus promotions (20–25% extra). Better: collect points and transfer manually during bonus promotions.

The frequent flyer program of Air France and KLM (SkyTeam alliance). AMEX MR points can be transferred to Flying Blue miles at a 5:4 ratio. Especially attractive thanks to regular Promo Awards with reduced mile prices.

A strategy where you use three different bonus systems simultaneously on a single purchase: credit card points + partner program points (e.g. PAYBACK) + cashback or coupons.

A universal gift card redeemable at over 500 partners (Amazon, IKEA, Zalando, etc.). It enables a triple-dip: earn PAYBACK + AMEX/M&M points on the online purchase, then use partner benefits again when redeeming.

Digital coupons in the PAYBACK app that must be activated before shopping. They offer extra points (e.g. 10x points) or discounts at certain partners. Important: always activate them in the app before you shop!

Bonus points or miles you receive when applying for a new credit card. Usually a minimum spend within the first 6 months is required. The highest available welcome bonus in Germany is 200,000 AMEX MR points.

The yearly fee for a credit card. With premium cards like the AMEX Platinum (€720/year), it is often more than offset by credits, lounge access, and the point value of the welcome bonus.

Access to airline lounges at the airport. With AMEX Platinum, included for over 1,800 lounges worldwide (Priority Pass) plus all Lufthansa lounges (a separate benefit). Lounges offer free food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and quiet work areas.

The world's largest independent airport lounge program with over 1,800 lounges in 146 countries. Access independent of airline or ticket class. Three tiers: Standard (€99), Standard Plus (€289), Prestige (€459). The AMEX Platinum includes Prestige with 50 free visits plus separate access to all Lufthansa lounges (no guests allowed at LH).

A strategy to prevent points from expiring after 36 months of inactivity. With Miles & More: every M&M credit card (even the cheapest Blue from €5.50/month) protects through card spending. With PAYBACK: the free PAYBACK AMEX protects automatically. AMEX MR only expire when the card is cancelled.

A flight paid for with miles instead of money. You only pay the taxes and fees (depending on the route €50–800). Also called a Prämienflug.

An award flight route where the ratio of miles required to ticket value is especially good. Example: certain business class routes cost fewer miles than the cash price would justify.

The cheapest award category at Miles & More. Requires fewer miles than Advantage Awards but has limited availability. Should always be your first choice.

The more expensive award category at Miles & More. Costs 50–100% more miles than Saver Awards but is available more often. Only use it when no Saver Award is available.

The monetary equivalent of a point or mile on redemption. Calculation: (ticket price − taxes/fees) / points required. A value above 1 cent is good, above 1.5 cents is very good.

Since June 2025, Miles & More uses dynamic pricing for award flights on Lufthansa Group airlines. The miles required vary by demand and booking class. For Star Alliance partners, fixed award charts still apply.