Last edit by: pgary
50,000-mile offer
Earn 20,000 miles after your first purchase and payment of the annual fee,
then an additional 30,000 award miles after you make $5,000 in purchases w/in first 90 days.
60,000-mile offer:
Same as the above 50K offer, except an additional 40,000 award miles after you make $5,000 in purchases w/in first 90 days. To see this obscure obscure offers details, scroll down to Welcome Bonus in the T&C.
Earn 20,000 miles after your first purchase and payment of the annual fee,
then an additional 30,000 award miles after you make $5,000 in purchases w/in first 90 days.
- $89 annual fee, not waived
- no foreign transaction fees
- annual companion ticket
- 2 Lufthansa Business Lounge vouchers annually
60,000-mile offer:
Same as the above 50K offer, except an additional 40,000 award miles after you make $5,000 in purchases w/in first 90 days. To see this obscure obscure offers details, scroll down to Welcome Bonus in the T&C.
Barclays (USA) Lufthansa MasterCard - Revived - 50K after $5K spend
#511
Join Date: May 2014
Location: SoCal
Posts: 2,164
6 months should do it, I always found that it depends on the credit history( strong vs avg) my wife has strong/long credit history, so 2 cards a year is doable, i even applied for an aviator in between all this on 1/15/2017, all instant approvals, all get the credit limit reduced to the minimum as soon as possible to free up the credit for the next app.
#512
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
Miles & More expiration
I've tried to clarify with Miles & More and never gotten a straight, or consistent, answer, as far as how their miles expire. I believe I was once told via email they don't expire at all if earned via US-based credit card, then over the phone was given the standard must use card every month thing which is obviously not true from my data points, then was told 3 years after without firm clarification of whether 3 years after earned, after last activity, and further whether or not activity renews if you open another card.
Does anyone have any data points about getting a 2nd card, whether that resets the clock for the miles earned from the 1st card?
Does anyone have any data points about getting a 2nd card, whether that resets the clock for the miles earned from the 1st card?
#513
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
I've tried to clarify with Miles & More and never gotten a straight, or consistent, answer, as far as how their miles expire. I believe I was once told via email they don't expire at all if earned via US-based credit card, then over the phone was given the standard must use card every month thing which is obviously not true from my data points, then was told 3 years after without firm clarification of whether 3 years after earned, after last activity, and further whether or not activity renews if you open another card.
Does anyone have any data points about getting a 2nd card, whether that resets the clock for the miles earned from the 1st card?
Does anyone have any data points about getting a 2nd card, whether that resets the clock for the miles earned from the 1st card?
#514
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
Lufthansa miles expire at the end of the quarter 36 months after earn date. Each mile has its own expiration. There is no resetting the clock like US-based airlines do. However, there are 2 exceptions - (1) if you have status your miles don't expire, and if/when you lose status your miles are valid for 36 months from the time you lose status; and (2) if you have the Barclays LH card and make at least one purchase per month for 3 consecutive months, your miles don't expire. I have seen data points of people getting the card close to when some LH miles are set to expire, and regular spend keeps them alive.
Regarding (2), isnt it the case where you have to make at least one purchase per statement cycle, as long as you hold the card? And the moment you stop, the 36 months expiration clock kicks in?
The way you describe it seems more 'lenient' than I thought. Under this approach, you can have M&M miles, cancel your CC, didnt do anything with the miles for 32 months, then sign up for another CC to stop the 36 months expiration clock. Correct?
https://www.miles-and-more.com/onlin...l=en&cid=18002
#515
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,257
I owned a LH card since Oct '16, and applied for a non-LH Barclay card last month. At that time, I didnt realized that the LH 50K offer has returned.
Is there a good chance of getting another Barclay card (in this case, a second LH card) that soon?
I know the LH card doesnt have as stringent a requirement as Arrival+, but based on my reading of DP, it seems like approval for Barclay CCs generally only happened with 5-6 months interval, and not anytime shorter than that. And I am not sure how many people out there actually have 4-5 Barclay CCs at a time. It seems like they are a more conservative bank. Any contrary DP?
Is there a good chance of getting another Barclay card (in this case, a second LH card) that soon?
I know the LH card doesnt have as stringent a requirement as Arrival+, but based on my reading of DP, it seems like approval for Barclay CCs generally only happened with 5-6 months interval, and not anytime shorter than that. And I am not sure how many people out there actually have 4-5 Barclay CCs at a time. It seems like they are a more conservative bank. Any contrary DP?
#516
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
Interesting
Regarding (2), isnt it the case where you have to make at least one purchase per statement cycle, as long as you hold the card? And the moment you stop, the 36 months expiration clock kicks in?
The way you describe it seems more 'lenient' than I thought. Under this approach, you can have M&M miles, cancel your CC, didnt do anything with the miles for 32 months, then sign up for another CC to stop the 36 months expiration clock. Correct?
https://www.miles-and-more.com/onlin...l=en&cid=18002
Regarding (2), isnt it the case where you have to make at least one purchase per statement cycle, as long as you hold the card? And the moment you stop, the 36 months expiration clock kicks in?
The way you describe it seems more 'lenient' than I thought. Under this approach, you can have M&M miles, cancel your CC, didnt do anything with the miles for 32 months, then sign up for another CC to stop the 36 months expiration clock. Correct?
https://www.miles-and-more.com/onlin...l=en&cid=18002
#517
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
LH's T&C are strikingly vague on expiration. The hypothetical you describe is how I understand it works, based on data points I've seen. This aligns with one possible interpretation of LH's T&C: My best guess is that each month, LH runs an expiration exemption process that looks for accounts that have a M&M credit card for >= 3 months and have had a purchase in the last month. Data points on LH expiration are all over the place, but this is the best I've come up with. Best strategy is to use within 36 months of earning and avoid all this song and dance.
#518
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
No, and I'll reiterate this is just my theory: Lufthsansa runs a process every month/quarter to expire miles. If you have earned a mile from a LH card for the past month (maybe 3 months), you are exempted from expiration. So, once you have miles that are > 36 months in age, you would need to spend on an LH card every month/quarter to keep them alive. Conversely, if the theory is true, if you have miles that are, say, 30 months old, you could get a new LH card and spend on it regularly and keep all the miles alive.
#519
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
No, and I'll reiterate this is just my theory: Lufthsansa runs a process every month/quarter to expire miles. If you have earned a mile from a LH card for the past month (maybe 3 months), you are exempted from expiration. So, once you have miles that are > 36 months in age, you would need to spend on an LH card every month/quarter to keep them alive. Conversely, if the theory is true, if you have miles that are, say, 30 months old, you could get a new LH card and spend on it regularly and keep all the miles alive.
I really don't think we have any where near enough data points on this to even speculate.
Why not call Miles and More and find out what they say the policy is. Which might still not be correct, but is more likely to be correct than our various theories here.
Or, you know, use those miles within 36 months of when you got the bonus. Otherwise you risk LH doing a devaluation, and from what I've seen award availability is steadily decreasing.
Earn em and burn em is the best policy.
#520
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 910
So there's not a consistency, their customer service either doesn't know or is told to not actually reveal what expires them but instead to encourage usage of the card.
#521
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
Generally all M&M credit cards preserve your miles, but in some countries (MBNA in UK, Barclays in US, etc) the issuing banks add a clause to encourage usage. Hence the confusion at customer service.
#522
Join Date: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,784
Are you saying that the "added clause" is not enforced? They are just trying to frighten us into monthly usage, but in fact we don't need to worry about it?
#524
Moderator: Lufthansa Miles & More, India based airlines, India, External Miles & Points Resources
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: MUC
Programs: LH SEN
Posts: 48,187
Check your spam folder I just got a Q3 spend offer for 3x bonus award miles (capped at a miserly 2500 miles).
#525
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: From and of Boston.
Posts: 4,973
Does Barclays give any notice when they end the current bonus?
I'm looking to re-apply for this card (have had it at least twice in the past, most recent closure was 12 months ago). I'd like to wait a few weeks before applying, but not at the risk lo the 50k bonus shrinking back to 30 or 35.
I'm looking to re-apply for this card (have had it at least twice in the past, most recent closure was 12 months ago). I'd like to wait a few weeks before applying, but not at the risk lo the 50k bonus shrinking back to 30 or 35.