The Challenge: Award Travel Amidst Program Updates

Loyalty programs like [3] Miles & More offer travelers the prospect to redeem miles for flights and other rewards. Though, program changes can create complexities, especially when planning family travel. One family, preparing for a trip from Zurich to the US west Coast in April 2026, faces precisely this challenge. They aim to leverage their Miles & More points for award flights but are grappling with upcoming changes to the award chart.

Outbound Success, Return Flight Uncertainty

The family plans to book their outbound flights to Los Angeles or San Francisco using Miles & More, taking advantage of current award availability and Flex Plus bonuses. [3] This strategy secures the first leg of their journey. Though, their return flight, scheduled for late June 2026, falls under the new Miles & More award chart, introducing several potential issues.

Potential Pitfalls of the New Award Chart

The updated Miles & More award chart, effective June 2026, eliminates Flex Plus options. This change could lead to:

• Higher Co-payments: Estimates suggest co-payments could reach €1000 per ticket.
• Increased Mileage Requirements: the number of miles required may increase, potentially tied to ticket prices for one-way bookings.

These factors considerably impact the cost-effectiveness of using miles for the return flights.

Exploring Option Strategies

Faced with these challenges, the family has considered several alternative strategies:

• Economy Ticket Upgrade: purchasing inexpensive economy tickets in June 2025 for the June 2026 return and then attempting to upgrade. This option is estimated to cost approximately CHF 600 per ticket plus 70,000 miles.
• Award Booking on a Budget Airline: booking award tickets with a budget airline, potentially requiring 60,000-70,000 miles with additional payments of around €1000 per ticket.
• Flights with Turkish Airlines: Considering Turkish Airlines, which might require 70,000 miles under the new chart, plus approximately €200 in fees. However, the family prefers to minimize long layovers or complex routes with young children.

Leveraging Avios and Partner airlines

The family also possesses approximately 215,000 Avios points. However, finding award availability for four people on Iberia or British Airways is proving difficult. British Airways, in particular, is known for high co-payments on award tickets.

With Miles & More, you can earn valuable miles and Points, then enjoy great awards or special benefits when you travel.

[3] Miles & More

Expert Insights and Recommendations

Navigating award travel changes requires careful planning and flexibility. Here are some additional considerations:

• Monitor Award Availability: Continuously check for award availability on partner airlines within the Miles & More network.
• Consider Positioning Flights: Explore flying to a different departure city in the US with better award availability and then taking a separate flight to Zurich.
• Evaluate Cash Fares: Compare the cost of award tickets with cash fares, factoring in the value of the miles being redeemed.
• Utilize Miles & More Customer Service: Contact Miles & More customer service for personalized assistance and potential solutions.