New Lufthansa First Class Ticketing Strategy to Europe from $1,722 Each Way

If nothing else, this is THE hot ticket for your overnight flight between the U.S. and Europe for $2,235

There are several problems with flying First Class right now. First of all, there aren’t many First Class cabins in the sky, and they’re only getting rarer. Of the big three U.S. carriers, only American Airlines has a First Class cabin, and that’s going away soon.

Second, First Class fares to Europe are pie-in-the-sky high. They can easily hit $8,000 to $16,000.

And First Class deals? They’re extremely rare. Aside from British Airways (whose First Class product is often not that great), there are almost never any special deals to Europe. The other go-to First Class carriers to Europe now are Air France (but you have to be a top-tier elite to use miles) and SWISS (which has low availability), so forget those.

What About Lufthansa?

While it offers an above average First Class seat and experience, Lufthansa:

• Has no major credit card transfer partners to its Miles & More loyalty program
• Hasn’t historically sold miles directly to travelers
• Limits partner bookings (with Air Canada and United miles, for example) to only within 14 days of departure for First Class, which we love for bags-packed and upgrade-till-the-end travelers, and have covered many times here, here, and here.

Now, in these circumstances, most folks will turn their weary eyes to Business Class, but when you’re called “First Class Flyer,” you don’t just stand there and take it! You work twice as hard to find some First Class joy. And we have, in the blue and yellow livery of Germany’s Lufthansa. And speaking of Business Class — that’s the kind of price we’re finding for a First Class seat. Keep reading to learn more.

Lufthansa’s NEW Miles & More Bundle&Go Offer

Lufthansa’s Miles & More loyalty program has introduced the opportunity to purchase miles, and through January 31, with a 30% bonus, on max purchases of 100,000 miles per transaction, up to 250,000 miles can be purchased through Bundle&GO in a calendar year. (Although you know you can always use FCF’s unlimited buy-miles strategy.)

Lufthansa’s Bundle&Go deal lets you purchase award miles in three increments of 10,000, 50,000, and 100,000, with the 30% bonus coming on top of that. Members can purchase one bundle per transaction and bonus miles do not count towards the annual limit. If you max out one account, you can get 325,000 miles for $4,680, or about 1.44 cents a mile.

FYI: Their fine print indicates it could take up to five days for the miles to post, however when we bought miles through this promo, they were credited almost instantly. Maybe we got lucky, maybe we didn’t, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Save Up to $5,828+ / 60%+
~ And a Secret Way to Save an Extra $636 In Taxes ~

The round-trip cost of First Class between the U.S. and Europe on Lufthansa is 182,000 miles (91,000 each way), so the cost of buying those miles with this deal is $2,621 round-trip. Taxes on tickets between the U.S. and Europe are about $1,973, if you book round-trips.

One-way taxes are about $925 on the outbound and $412 on the return. That means you want to book two one-ways and you’ll save an additional $636. Love that!

Considering that published First Class fares to Europe are generally between $8,000 and $16,000, your savings can range anywhere from 52% to 60%+.

Sample Savings Breakdown

What Routes Does Lufthansa Fly First Class U.S.-Europe?

To Frankfurt from:
Chicago
Houston
Los Angeles
Miami
New York
Newark
San Francisco
Washington, DC

To Munich from:
Boston
Chicago
Miami
New York
Washington, DC

*See FCF Sweet Redeem chart below for the six routes with availability right now.

Fly Anywhere in Europe for the Same Price

Lufthansa’s mileage award pricing chart is the same no matter what route you choose between the U.S. and Europe, so feel free to tack on the following destinations provided they are available. Worst case: buy a positioning flight.

Sample Frankfurt Connections: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Bordeaux, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Florence, Lisbon, London, Madrid, Malta, Milan, Munich, Mykonos, Naples, Nice, Paris, Rome, Santorini, Stockholm, Venice, Vienna, and Zürich.

Sample Munich Connections: Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Edinburgh, Florence, Lisbon, London, Milan, Mykonos, Naples, Paris, Rome, Santorini, Venice, Vienna, and Zürich.

Best long-haul routes to find First Class award availability

These are the best at the time of writing, but they will certainly change with time:

• Best availability: Is generally to/from Munich.
• Take the Family: Boston, Chicago, and New York are the best for booking four or more seats, both directions, in April, May, and June.
• Slimmer Pickings: Chicago and Washington, DC, to Frankfurt have less availability with only one seat in both directions. These are best for close-in departures.

Reimagine upgrading your travel life, and I’ll see you up front.