Expert interview: explore the world with our flight awards

Miles & More editor: What exactly is a mileage bargain?

Margit: Mileage bargains enable you to travel to many exciting European – and even some intercontinental – destinations for a greatly reduced number of flight awards. Mileage bargains are obtained by redeeming award miles, but for significantly fewer miles than you would usually need for the same flight award. Within Europe, you can get a mileage bargain with an Economy Class return ticket for just 15,000 miles instead of 35,000 miles. There are mileage bargains to the USA, e.g. Boston, Chicago or Denver, for as little as 30,000 instead of 60,000 miles. This will generally save you at least 50% of your award miles.

Miles & More editor: Which destinations can you travel to with mileage bargains?

Margit: The great thing about our mileage bargains is that there are new offers every month to really exciting destinations all over the world, giving you a wide range to choose from. Athens, Paris, Helsinki, New York, Amsterdam, Rome and Los Angeles are just some of the places that are always worth revisiting. There’s a great range of mileage bargain destinations to choose from every month, because of course not all flight destinations are offered as bargains. I find that really inspiring. I browse through the mileage bargain offers on the website until I find a destination that really appeals. One that makes me think, yes, I would absolutely love to go there. Thanks to mileage bargains, I’ve been able to see so many countries and cities that perhaps I would otherwise never have thought of visiting. So, it’s definitely worth browsing.

Miles & More editor: Is there anything in particular you have to consider when booking a mileage bargain?

Margit: You can only book mileage bargains online. But most of us are used to booking things online anyway. Naturally, you need enough award miles in your mileage account to be able to book a flight award.
Our mileage bargains also have fixed booking and travel periods. You can always book during the month in which the offer appears on our website. The travel period is generally a bit later and extends over six or more weeks. This means you don’t have to wait until the very last minute to travel with a mileage bargain.

Miles & More editor: What does the “sneak peek” in the app have to do with mileage bargains?

Margit: The “sneak peek” in our app is the monthly teaser for an extra special mileage bargain destination with a little quiz. This is where we reveal a few details about the destination. Anyone who is reasonably well informed about the world will generally be able to guess the destination quite quickly. The “sneak peek” is always available in the app at the end of the preceding month, and the solution appears at the beginning of the month. It also includes a few other details and insider tips about the destination. And it may even inspire you to fly there. You can also book for your family and friends, because travelling together is always much more fun.

Miles & More editor: Are there any other options for a greatly reduced number of flight awards?

Margit: Yes, there are. The Early Bird flight award is very popular, especially among early bookers. With the Early Bird flight award, you get up to 65% off the standard mileage amounts in Economy Class. This award offers you the option of travelling with Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines all year round for less miles. You just have to book more than 30 days in advance and stay for at least four days. You can fly non-stop in Economy Class for 20,000 miles on continental flights. You can also travel to many more non-stop destinations worldwide starting from 20,000 miles (e.g. New York), 30,000 miles (e.g. Singapore) or 40,000 miles (e.g. Buenos Aires). Perfect for all those who like to plan their trip well in advance and enjoy the anticipation as much as the trip itself.

Miles & More editor: What if you don’t have enough miles for an award flight?

Margit: For those whose mileage account isn’t quite so full, there’s Cash & Miles. Cash & Miles is our fully flexible option for redeeming the award miles you’ve earned. You can pay for your next flight to your chosen destination either fully or partially with miles from as little as 3,000 award miles. You can also earn miles on every Cash & Miles flight.

Miles & More editor: Wow, that was very informative. Thank you for talking to us.

Margit: You’re welcome.