Miles & More (Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, and other partners) - Gaining Status

A clarification please....

So lets say I have 75,000 status miles from March - October this year...

Clearly I qualifly for FTL, however what about moving on to SEN status... Do I have until March next year to make it, or would I need the extra 25,000 by December ?

Sorry if this has been answered already... but it's rather confusing all these rule changes

I think you will be OK for this year but being able to do any 12 month period will end in 2003.

Too bad. I like the rotating system as you can enter any time in the year and earn status over next 12 months. Now you may enter the program in July and not earn enough in your first year and then start back at zero again in January. Once you are in and have status, it won't be a problem though.

EvilDoctorK - Since you are evil I hope you are not a physician....

the 'any 12 subsequent months' qualification possibility ends feb-28-2003. Afterwards it is calendar year.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 08-21-2002).]

Okay so to clarify again (forgive me if this is totally obvious)

Feb 28, 2003 the rolling 12 month period stops.

So if I have 100k status miles between Feb '02 and Feb '03 I am ok. I will qualify

However if I only have 90k miles then once we get to Mar '03 they will no longer look back over the previous 12 months... rather I'd have to wait until 31-DEC-03 to qualify (assumign I had 100k miles in 2003). So even if I have 110k miles in the period March 02 - March 03 it will not mean qualification for SEN.

Or am I wrong ;o)

Assuming EvilDoctorK is a M&M base member so far.

You will be qualified for the first time for FTL before March 1st 2003, therefore your first FTL card expires in 02/03 + two years = 02/05.

The qualification from FTL to SEN is reached with any 12 months period earning enough miles (or calendar year flying enough segments). Assuming you qualify in 03/03 for SEN, your first SEN card is valid until 02/04 + two years = 02/06. The requalification period is in that case the calendar year 2004 and 2005.

The maximum length of your first SEN card is two years and 364/365 days. If this is your goal, then make sure that you do not earn 100.000 status miles before 03/03. If you qualify for SEN in 03/03, your first SEN card is valid until 02/04 + two years = 02/06. The requalification period is in that case 2004 and 2005.

I would like to add that the counter for the 50k voucher starts with the qualification for SEN.

Hope that helps.

Patron, are you sure'

I say: after feb-28-2003 (if not qualified Senator until then, or also for requalifying) only status miles achieved (150'000 Germany based members / 100'000 all others) in the same calendar year (starting jan-1-2002) count.

Rudi , I was sure because before I posted, I consulted this link: http://cms.lufthansa.com/us/fly/en/mam/0,5070,0-0-68141,00.html .But unfortunately, as I verified, this link is outdated und here is the updated information: http://cms.lufthansa.com/de/fly/en/mam/0,3048,0-0-34085,00.html

Beginning in 2003, the eligibility period for initial qualification for Frequent Traveller or Senator status or to extend existing status will be changed to coincide with the calendar year. Once the change has gone into effect, your eligibility will be determined on the basis of those status miles you earn between January 1 and December 31 of a given year.

So there is no difference how to qualify and how to maintain (=requalify) the status. Beginning in 2003 it is always the calendar year that counts.

Thanks Rudi, finally I hope I learned that part (until there is another program change?!) and sorry EvilDoctorK for my misleading post.

But Rudi, this brings me back to the very important original question: I qualify for FTL, however what about moving on to SEN status... Do I have until March next year to make it?

There is no doubt a bout it that the grace period for requalification end by end of 02/03. What makes me concern is, that I do not see any evidence for this grace period to qualify for FTL/SEN. An this is the (only) important point to answer this question.

EvilDoctor is moving up to FTL during this year. M&M will deliver to him a FTL Card, valid until 02/05. So maintenance period are the calendar years 2003 or 2004. Beginning in 2003 the eligibility period for initial qualification for SEN will be changed to coincide with the calendar year. If this is the case, EvilDoctor need 100.000 status miles until 12/02.

I would agree with you on that last statement. Maybe one can speak with them to manually adjust the qualification for SEN in the given example, if the needed miles are reached in Jan-Mar. But your description is the way the new rules look.

in Jan-Mar
it would (if at all) only be Jan-Feb.

Rereading the new wording 8n german <font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Bei Teilnehmern, deren Status im Februar 2003 ausläuft, wird für die Prüfung des weiteren Statuserhalts die bisherige Regelung angewandt (der Senator Status wird nach 2 Jahren automatisch verlängert, wenn Sie während dieser Zeit innerhalb von 12 zusammenhängenden Monaten erneut 150.000* Statusmeilen sammeln konnten).</font> I am tempted now, to agree with Patron, that for first time Senators you have to qualify now with 100'000/150'000 (non-Germany-/Germany based members) either in calendar year 2002 or any following calendar year. The 'in any 12 subsequent moths' qualifying possibility ends in nov-2002 (status miles dec-2001 to nov 2002).

But it might be, if you take this issue up with miles&more now, that they would grant you a (last time) first-time qualification exception for a period march-2002 to february 2003 (as granted for requalification of Senator status). I would not hesitate to try and contact them (miles&more) now.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Rudi:
Rereading the new wording 8n german Bei Teilnehmern, deren Status im Februar 2003 ausläuft, wird für die Prüfung des weiteren Statuserhalts die bisherige Regelung angewandt (der Senator Status wird nach 2 Jahren automatisch verlängert, wenn Sie während dieser Zeit innerhalb von 12 zusammenhängenden Monaten erneut 150.000* Statusmeilen sammeln konnten).</font> I am tempted now, to agree with Patron, that for first time Senators you have to qualify now with 100'000/150'000 (non-Germany-/Germany based members) either in calendar year 2002 or any following calendar year. The 'in any 12 subsequent moths' qualifying possibility ends in nov-2002 (status miles dec-2001 to nov 2002).

But it might be, if you take this issue up with miles&more now, that they would grant you a (last time) first-time qualification exception for a period march-2002 to february 2003 (as granted for requalification of Senator status). I would not hesitate to try and contact them (miles&more) now.

That is my interpretation too:
- requalifying until 28.2.2003
- new qualifying until 31.12.2002

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Rudi:
I am tempted now, to agree with Patron, that for first time Senators you have to qualify now with 100'000/150'000 (non-Germany-/Germany based members) either in calendar year 2002 or any following calendar year. The 'in any 12 subsequent moths' qualifying possibility ends in nov-2002 (status miles dec-2001 to nov 2002).

But it might be, if you take this issue up with miles&more now, that they would grant you a (last time) first-time qualification exception for a period march-2002 to february 2003 (as granted for requalification of Senator status). I would not hesitate to try and contact them (miles&more) now.</font>

I am in a similar sitution and had planned to qualify for SEN in April 2003. I wrote a letter to M&M about this when I first heard about the programme changes here on FT. Their reply basically said they can't make any statements about membership level qualification based on future flights and if I didn't like this I was free to quit using M&M entirely.

Their whole letter was written in a rather arrogant, snotty tone and I was pretty angry when I received it. My original letter was very polite, although I did point out that qualification for *G on competing programmes is easier (e.g. UA or AC). It seems one only gets a polite answer from M&M if one is SEN already...

I haven't decided what to do about this but will probably give more of my business to other airlines in the future.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Lufthansa Senators who are unable to maintain their status during maternity leave can now keep their status. The status extension is valid for one year at a time, and can be used by mothers or fathers.
</font>

So as well as requalifying on miles or segments, one child per year would also keep your status?

Must start that family planning...