Can You Transfer United Miles to Lufthansa?

You’ve done it. You’ve racked up a mountain of United miles—maybe through business trips, a credit card, or that one vacation you swore would be your last economy flight. Now you’re eyeing a Lufthansa seat, perhaps even that dreamy Business Class pod. And the question hits: can you transfer United miles to Lufthansa?

It’s a reasonable question, and one many travelers have asked right before trying to connect the dots between two big-name airlines. The short answer? Not exactly. But stick around—we’ll show you how you can still use those miles for Lufthansa flights and what to do when using them doesn’t make sense anymore (spoiler alert: you might want to sell Lufthansa miles instead).

Why You Can’t Just Hit “Transfer”

So the honest truth: Though United Airlines and Lufthansa, both members of Star Alliance, have their frequent flyer programs of MileagePlus and Miles & More, respectively, they operate on their own.

Think of them as neighbors who share a fence but not a fridge. You can wave hello and borrow some perks, but you can’t move your food (or in this case, miles) into their kitchen.

In other words, you can’t transfer United miles to Lufthansa’s Miles & More program, and vice versa.

What Star Alliance Does Let You Do

Now, before you cancel your travel dreams and toss your miles into the void, there’s good news: you can still use United miles to book Lufthansa flights.

That’s the magic of the Star Alliance. You may not be able to combine or transfer miles between programs, but you can redeem miles from one airline to book flights operated by another. In practical terms: you can log into United’s website, use your MileagePlus miles, and book a Lufthansa-operated flight.

How to Book Lufthansa Flights with United Miles (Yes, It Works!)

Here’s the simple process:

1. Go to united.com
2. Log into your MileagePlus account
3. Enter your flight search (e.g., New York to Munich)
4. Select “Book with Miles”
5. Choose a Lufthansa-operated flight from the results
6. Book your flight—no need to transfer anything

And yes, your boarding pass will say Lufthansa, and yes, the pretzels are included.

Personal Story: A Last-Minute Award Win

A couple of years ago, I had about 95,000 United miles sitting in my account, aging like forgotten loyalty points do. Then, out of nowhere, my friend invited me to her wedding in Zurich—with just 6 days’ notice.

Panic? Maybe a little.

It was a simple process, really. Upon hopping onto United’s website and searching for award flights, bam! A Business Class seat aboard Lufthansa was there to be had for 70,000 miles. The booking went through that very night, and bags were packed the next day; we had one of the smoothest international flights I have ever experienced.

Moral of the story? You don’t need to ask; you can transfer United miles to Lufthansa when you can use those miles to fly Lufthansa instead.

Can You Use Lufthansa’s “Cash & Miles” with United Miles?

Here’s where things can get tricky. Lufthansa has a Cash & Miles feature that lets Miles & More members use miles to cover part of their fare.

But—and it’s a big “but”—this only works with Lufthansa’s program. You cannot use United miles for Lufthansa’s Cash & Miles feature. Sorry, no shortcuts here. If you’re tempted to pay part in miles and the rest in cash, you’d need actual Miles & More miles, not your United stash.

What About Combining United and Lufthansa Miles?

Nope. Still a hard no.

You can’t merge your United miles with Lufthansa’s. Each airline keeps its own account ledger. But what you can do is earn Lufthansa miles on United flights and vice versa—just choose which program to credit your miles to when booking your flight.

So even if you’re a frequent United flyer, you can choose to earn miles on Lufthansa’s program if that’s where your goals are.

Other Smart Ways to Use Your United Miles for Lufthansa Flights

Even though you can’t transfer United miles to Lufthansa, here are some great alternative strategies:

• Book Lufthansa Flights from United.com directly (as illustrated earlier)
• Use the card reward programs (such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, and so forth) to transfer to partner airlines such as Air Canada Aeroplan or Avianca LifeMiles, which also book Lufthansa flights.
• Lower-mileage redemption deals, during off-peak seasons especially, are worthy of watching.

Sometimes, working around the system beats trying to change it.

Don’t Need Those Miles Anymore? You Can Sell Lufthansa Miles

Let’s be honest—not all miles get used. Maybe your travel plans changed, or the award redemptions just don’t feel worth it. In that case, it might make more sense to sell Lufthansa miles instead of watching them expire quietly.

Cash For My Miles is a marketplace that allows travellers to sell their unused miles for cash. Whether miles are Lufthansa, United, or any other, Cash for My Miles offers a fast and secure way to sell those miles and get paid for them. It truly works out well for both parties, especially if you don’t intend to redeem them anytime soon.

So, can you now transfer United miles to Lufthansa? No, you can’t move miles between the two. However, you can use your United miles to book Lufthansa-operated flights directly through United.

Need Help Using or Selling Your Lufthansa or United Miles?

At Cash for My Miles, we simplify the process, whether you want to book smarter or sell Lufthansa miles. Let us help you turn those hard-earned miles into memorable journeys—or instant money.

Get a Free Quote Now and take the next step.