How Many Miles Do You Need for a Free Flight on Lufthansa?

Well, almost everyone can identify: you open your Lufthansa Miles & More account, find a decent number of miles waiting, and ask, “How many miles do you need for a free flight on Lufthansa?” You earn miles, take flights, sit in the dreaded middle seat for 10 hours on an overnight flight, perhaps, and now you’re ready to enjoy the rewards.

So, before you start planning that next-mile-based vacation on your miles, let’s discuss what “free” entails (Spoiler alert! Taxes and fees remain due!). But more importantly, we shall discuss how many miles you need, ways to stretch them farther, and what to do if you find that the trip might just be a few thousand miles out of range.

Lufthansa’s Miles & More Program – The Basics

Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program, Miles & More, is the key to unlocking award flights. Whether you’re aiming for a short European getaway or a long-haul business class experience, this is the platform where all your mile math happens.

Unlike the more chaotic procedures usually a feature of low-cost settings, Lufthansa likes to abide by structure, albeit a dynamic one. No fixed number of miles allows you to take a free flight; it depends upon such intervening factors as destination, cabin class, one-way or round-trip tickets, and award availability.

So, let’s break it down clearly—because no one wants to play “guess that redemption rate” when planning their holiday.

How Many Miles Do You Need?

Short-Haul Flights: The European Express

For instance, an economy seat for a round trip within Europe will cost about 25,000 miles. That is about 12,500 miles, retailing for the one-way ticket, which is less than most Uber fares across big cities.

Flying from Paris to Berlin? That’s within short-haul range. But be prepared to pay taxes and fees, which, depending on the route, can add a “budget airline” price tag to your “free” flight.

Long-Haul Flights: Crossing Continents with Miles

If you’re planning a trip from the U.S. to Europe, Asia, or the Middle East, buckle up—you’ll need more.

• Economy Class: Starts from 30,000 to 70,000 miles one-way, depending on destination.
• Business Class: Often 71,000+ miles for a one-way ticket.
• First Class: You’ll need a serious stash—typically over 100,000 miles for one-way.

I got lucky one evening and used 71,000 miles to fly from New York to Dubai on Business Class. Worth it: lounge access, lie-flat seat, champagne that I can’t even pronounce but certainly enjoyed, made me feel like Lufthansa royalty.

Mileage Bargains: Your Secret Weapon

If you haven’t checked out Lufthansa’s Mileage Bargains, now’s the time. These are limited-time, discounted award flights that can slash the miles required by nearly 50%.

For example, a long-haul economy trip that normally costs 60,000 miles might be offered for 30,000 miles round-trip. Think of it as the outlet mall of flight redemptions—only way more comfortable than standing in a long queue.

Cash & Miles: Flexibility Without Commitment

The airline Lufthansa also provides the Cash & Miles option, in which one can pay partially in miles for the ticket and the rest in cash. This is the silver lining if you find yourself a few miles short-and until the next quarterly trip to Tokyo, you don’t want to wait to redeem them.

While this is convenient, it’s not always the best value per mile. Sometimes, holding out for a full-mile redemption (or even choosing to sell Lufthansa miles) is the smarter play.

How to Find the Exact Number of Miles Needed

Here’s your mile-hunting roadmap:

1. Log in to your Miles & More account on Lufthansa’s website.
2. Use the award flight search tool—input your origin, destination, class of service, and dates.
3. Compare results—you’ll see how many miles are needed for each flight option.
4. Check the “Mileage Bargains” section before locking anything in.

Keep your travel dates flexible and be willing to adjust your departure airport—you’d be surprised how much you can save with a little creative routing.

What If You Don’t Have Enough Miles? (Or Just Don’t Want to Fly)

Here’s where many smart travellers pivot rather than hoarding miles they may not use; they choose to sell Lufthansa miles for cash. This can be especially valuable if:

• You don’t fly frequently enough to redeem large amounts.
• Award availability isn’t cooperating.
• You’d rather take a road trip and pocket the money.

Why should your miles go stale while sitting idle in your account? Convert them into cash, and that, indeed, makes all the difference because you have in your hands liquid cash with which you can buy that next big adventure.

So, How Many Miles Do You Need for a Free Flight on Lufthansa?

For the big question of how many miles it takes to get you a free flight on Lufthansa, it depends on where you want to go, how you want to fly, and how smart you are when booking.

• Short-haul economy: 12,500–25,000 miles
• Long-haul economy: 30,000–70,000+ miles
• Business or first class: 71,000–100,000+ miles

But don’t forget—between Mileage Bargains, Cash & Miles, and the option to sell Lufthansa miles when plans change, you’re never stuck with points you don’t use.

At Cash for My Miles, we understand that sometimes your travel plans change, or those hard-earned Lufthansa miles just don’t stretch as far as you hoped. Maybe you don’t have enough for a long-haul business class flight. Maybe award availability never lines up with your calendar. Or maybe you’ve simply decided a first-class seat on the couch sounds better than one in the sky.

That’s where we come in. We make it simple, fast, and secure to sell Lufthansa miles (and miles from many other airlines) for real cash. Whether you:

• Don’t have enough miles for the award flight you want
• Prefer cash over navigating blackout dates and surcharges
• Or are sitting on miles you may never use

We help you turn them into something useful, without the stress.

No complex forms. No long waits. Just a straightforward process that puts value back in your hands. Your miles earned you something. Let us help you claim it. Ready to turn your Lufthansa miles into money? Visit CashForMyMiles.com and get a quote in minutes.