Originally Posted by
DeltaNYC
S class earns only 50% mileage on Lufthansa flights, but I'm not sure what the rule is for LH flights operated on AC metal -- you may be able to get full miles. I'd check with Aeroplan.
The guiding Star Alliance principle is that mileage earning is based on the operating carrier, no matter whose flight number you book. (This is the opposite of oneWorld practice.) What makes things complicated is "fare bucket mapping:" a flight booked in one class with one carrier may be mapped into a different fare class on the operating carrier. You cannot simply take the fare class you book, look at what that fare class earns on the operating carrier, and assume you'll earn that multiple of your miles flown. That may not be the fare class the operating carrier puts you into.
Also, there's no simple way for people to find out what fare class a given fare class on the selling airline maps into on the operating airline. (You can do it if you have ITA access, but most of us don't.) The major classes - F, Y, B, a few more - are standardized across all *A carriers, but many of the deep-discount economy fare classes are not. Your best bet is to call and ask.