Lufthansa's Miles & More Members Can Now Earn Points Toward Frequent Flyer Status When Staying Within Marriott Bonvoy’s Portfolio Of Hotels

Miles & More, the Lufthansa Group's loyalty program, and Marriott Bonvoy, Marriott International's award-winning travel platform, are entering into a strategic partnership with immediate effect. This partnership will enable Miles & More members to earn up to 120 Miles & More Points per year for their frequent flyer status when staying at over 30 hotel brands at over 10,000 destinations within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio – in addition to the Points they already earn on flights. The new partnership will allow more than 36 million Miles & More members to achieve or maintain their status more quickly. At the same time, they will benefit from the exclusive advantages of one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programs without any additional qualifications – for example, Senators and HON Circle Members will automatically receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status.

Tapping growth potential and taking a holistic view of loyalty

"Our groundbreaking partnership with Marriott Bonvoy opens up a whole new world of experiences for our customers," said Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group. "This milestone is an important step in our comprehensive loyalty strategy, which focuses on exclusive travel and lifestyle benefits. By offering our members privileged access to one of the world's leading hotel loyalty programs, we are delivering a truly unique value proposition and strengthening customer loyalty for both partners."

“Marriott Bonvoy and Miles & More each represent excellence in their respective spheres — hospitality and aviation. This partnership is a fantastic alignment of two trusted names, united by a shared commitment to enriching the travel experience. Together, we are unlocking distinctive benefits for our members, offering them greater flexibility, recognition, and reward," said Satya Anand, President, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International.

Earn Miles & More points on hotel stays

For the first time, once members have linked their Miles & More and Marriott Bonvoy accounts online, they can earn Miles & More Points when staying at participating Marriott Bonvoy accommodations with access to over 30 hotel brands – just as they do when flying with Lufthansa Group Airlines, Miles & More airline partners or Star Alliance airlines. Forty Miles & More Points will be credited per stay. Up to 120 points can be earned per year. To achieve Frequent Traveler or Senator status, members still need at least 50 percent of Qualifying Points, which can only be earned on Lufthansa Group flights. HON Circle Members qualify exclusively through Business and First Class flights with Lufthansa Group Airlines and co-issuing Miles & More airline partners.

Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status for Senators and HON Circle Members

Another benefit of the strategic partnership is automatic status match for Senators and HON Circle Members, who will receive Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status. With this Marriott Bonvoy status, members receive 25 percent more Marriott Bonvoy points for eligible hotel bookings, as well as room upgrades and late check-out (subject to availability).

Strategic importance for both partners

With over 30 hotel brands in more than 10,000 destinations worldwide, Marriott Bonvoy offers Miles & More members attractive additional benefits in the air travel and loyalty segment with this expansion and opens up new growth potential for the Lufthansa Group.

The expanded cooperation also promotes customer loyalty, as Miles & More members are now even more motivated to travel within the joint ecosystem in order to earn Miles & More Points for their status with Marriott Bonvoy and benefit from additional advantages during hotel stays.

For more information, visit https://onlineshopping.miles-and-more.com/marriott_bonvoy?l=en and marriottbonvoy.com/milesandmore

U.S. News & World Report Reveals 2017-18 Best Travel Rewards Programs

Marriott Rewards takes top spot in Best Hotel Rewards Programs; Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan continues reign as No. 1 in Best Airline Rewards Programs

U.S. News & World Report, publisher of Best Hotels, Best Cruise Lines and Best Vacations, today announced the 2017-18 Best Travel Rewards Programs. The annual rankings identify 26 hotel and airline loyalty programs with the most rewarding perks for everyday travelers. Marriott Rewards ranks No. 1 in Best Hotel Rewards Programs, while Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan holds on to the top spot in Best Airline Rewards Programs.

Marriott Rewards is No. 1 among the Best Hotel Rewards Programs due in part to the ease of earning points and its large network of hotels in popular destinations. The program offers complimentary Wi-Fi access and the ability to use points toward booking experiences such as sporting events and concerts. At No. 2, Wyndham Rewards continues to earn high marks for ease of earning a free night, member access to reduced room rates and the availability to earn points through two affiliated credit cards.

Soon to merge with the Virgin America Elevate program, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is the Best Airline Rewards Program for the third consecutive year. Its mileage-based earning structure makes it easier for travelers to earn miles at a faster pace than with revenue-based earning programs. Delta SkyMiles moves up to the No. 2 spot because of its competitive redemption rates for award flights and diversity of benefits, such as using miles for hotels stays, cabin upgrades, experiences and free flights.

"Today's travelers have so many rewards programs to choose from, comparing and contrasting them based on your specific needs can be a challenge," said Christine Smith, associate travel editor at U.S. News. "Our Best Travel Rewards Programs rankings emphasize the ease of earning points and miles, and redeeming them for free nights and flights, which everyday travelers identify as a top reason to join a loyalty program."

U.S. News ranks the Best Travel Rewards Programs in two categories: hotel loyalty programs and airline frequent flyer programs. The methodologies take into account membership benefits – such as free amenities, program-affiliated credit cards and redeemable experiences – network coverage and a strong emphasis on the ease of earning and redeeming free flights or nights. Additionally, U.S. News factors in property diversity for the Best Hotel Rewards Programs and Airline Quality Rating scores for the Best Airline Rewards Programs.

2017-18 U.S. News Best Travel Rewards Programs
Hotel Rewards Programs	Airline Rewards Programs
1. Marriott Rewards	1. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
2. Wyndham Rewards	2. Delta SkyMiles
3. Choice Privileges	3. JetBlue TrueBlue
4. World of Hyatt	4. Southwest Rapid Rewards
5. Best Western Rewards	5. United MileagePlus

For more information on the Best Travel Rewards Programs, visit Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using #BestRewards.

About U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is a digital news and information company that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives. Focusing on Education, Health, Personal Finance, Travel, Cars and News & Opinion, USNews.com provides consumer advice, rankings, news and analysis to serve people making complex decisions throughout all stages of life. More than 30 million people visit USNews.com each month for research and guidance. Founded in 1933, U.S. News is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

SOURCE U.S. News & World Report

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Travelore News: United Airlines Expands MileagePlus Awards With New Cruise-Redemption Program

United Airlines today unveiled new cruise-travel benefits for members of the carrier’s MileagePlus loyalty program, enabling members who live in the 50 United States to set sail using miles or a combination of miles and money.

With MileagePlus Cruise Awards, more than two dozen cruise lines are available for mileage redemption for exciting journeys to destinations around the world, including the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Mexico, Alaska and Hawaii.

“Our cruise-travel redemption program provides MileagePlus members a unique new way to use their miles for exceptional travel experiences,” said Praveen Sharma, United’s vice president of loyalty. “The program is an excellent addition to the other diverse options we offer to redeem miles, including hotel stays, car rentals, merchandise and auctions for once-in-a-lifetime adventures.”

MileagePlus members also may earn miles for cruise travel by booking through United Cruises, which launched in 2011.

United offers its MileagePlus cruise-travel programs through a partnership with World Travel Holdings, the world’s largest cruise agency.

Best Airline Rewards Programs For 2014-2015

What makes a frequent flier program stand out? No loyalty program is ideal for everybody, but choosing one that best suits your lifestyle can help you maximize your chances of earning and redeeming meaningful rewards. When choosing a program, you'll want to consider a few key criteria, such as flight options, flight prices and how easy it is to earn a free flight. If you prefer to fly first class, you should consider a program that awards benefits based on dollars spent rather than miles flown. Or if you're an infrequent traveler, you should consider programs that allow you to earn points on purchases other than flights. To help you weigh your options, U.S. News evaluated 10 leading frequent flier programs using an unbiased methodology that takes into account each program's average flight prices, earning ratios and daily flight volume (among other features). Our ranking and detailed program profiles are intended to help you choose the program that's best for you.

• #1

  
  JetBlue TrueBlue
  Overall Score: (4.34)
  Why: The JetBlue TrueBlue program best serves travelers based in East Coast and Florida cities (like Boston, New York City, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando) who primarily fly domestically and ... Read More»
• #2

  
  Southwest Rapid Rewards
  Overall Score: (3.92)
  Why: The Southwest Rapid Rewards program is most beneficial for travelers based in the southwest United States who frequently fly to major cities around the U.S., Mexico and ... Read More»
• #3

  
  Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
  Overall Score: (3.81)
  Why: The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan caters to frequent fliers based in or who often travel to and from various destinations in Alaska or West Coast cities like Seattle ... Read More»
• #4

  
  United MileagePlus
  Overall Score: (3.74)
  Why: The United MileagePlus program is best for travelers based in major American cities like Cleveland, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Houston, New York City, Los Angeles and Washington, D ... Read More»
• #5

  
  American Airlines AAdvantage
  Overall Score: (3.71)
  Why: The American Airlines AAdvantage program benefits travelers based in eastern, central and southern American cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and Dallas, who fly to ... Read More»
• #6

  
  Virgin America Elevate
  Overall Score: (3.57)
  Why: The Virgin America Elevate program benefits domestic fliers traveling in and out of San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities on the West Coast. Become an Elevate member ... Read More»
• #7

  
  Delta SkyMiles
  Overall Score: (3.46)
  Why: The Delta SkyMiles program is convenient for frequent fliers based in central and southern U.S. cities like Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis and Salt Lake City, as ... Read More»
• #8

  
  HawaiianMiles
  Overall Score: (2.81)
  Why: The HawaiianMiles rewards program is ideal for those traveling from the Unites States, Asia and the South Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiian Airlines serves more than 25 ... Read More»
• #9

  
  Frontier EarlyReturns
  Overall Score: (2.23)
  Why: The Frontier EarlyReturns program caters to travelers based in Denver and the Midwest who frequently fly within the United States. Frontier Airlines services major domestic airports — like those ... Read More»
• #10

  
  FREE SPIRIT
  Overall Score: (1.44)
  Why: Spirit Airlines' FREE SPIRIT frequent flier program caters to people who travel domestically from central, eastern and southern American cities like Chicago, New York City, Fort Lauderdale, Florida ... Read More»