LonLH

I got this email today.
I have two in my family whose SEN status ends in 2/21, the other two has SEN status ending in 2/22. We are 60K so far this year and it is very possible all will not will get another 40K we need.
If I understand this correctly-
1. the ones whose status expire will get an extension of status to 2/22 whether we fly remaining 40K or not
2. The status of other two will expire in 2/22
3. If we fly 100k miles next year all of us will have status extended as per the old rules, by another two years.
Am I getting this right or am I missing some small print?

FriendlyConfines

Another question about the new program: will M&M have a grandfather clause for those who on paper (i.e., according to the current requirements) will have qualified for lifetime SEN by December 31, 2021 but whose accumulated Status Star point total, halved under the new program, will put them under the new 10,000-point threshold?

Under the current M&M program, an LH Group frequent flyer is eligible for lifetime SEN status when (1) he has 10 straight years as SEN; (2) he has accumulated 1,000,000 status miles as a SEN; and (3) he is at least 60 years old.

Let's say a flyer makes SEN during 2011 (for argument's sake, he makes FTL at the end of March and SEN at the end of September, earning approximately 360 Status Star points by Dec. 31). He retains his SEN status through December 31, 2021 while accumulating at least 1,000,000 status miles and reaches his 60th birthday during this period. On paper he will have qualified for lifetime SEN (with approximately 7,660 points).

Or he has maintained SEN status and passed the age threshold and mileage requirement for more than 10 years -- indeed, if he has maintained SEN status from 1994, the second year of M&M, he will have accumulated more than 19,700 current-program points by December 31, 2021.

Under the new program even someone with more than 19,700 current-system points would undershoot the 10,000 new-point threshold.

Will M&M grandfather in those flyers who have already met the lifetime-SEN requirements or will have met them by the end of 2021?

mywaterbroke

What a load of crap. I'm one of those whose status expires in 2/22. I was planning to requalify for SEN this year and already had 40,000 miles up to March before coronavirus happened. Now, my status won't be extended by Lufthansa and instead of the usual two years to requalify I'm only left with 2021 as my only option (as requalifying in 2020 is very unlikely for obvious reasons). I basically got nothing out of this. And all the flights I took in Q1 became worthless in terms of status points. How did they come up with this? I should have had my status extended too to 2/23, at the very least to ensure my loyalty which they now need more than ever

BristolTraveller

Adding my disgruntled voice to the crowd who have expiry in 2022, and were making substantial progress this year for an extension to 2024.

Now my status miles earning for 2020 is worthless. Won't be carried forward, won't help me with a renewal, and I doubt I'll be able to reach the 100k by years end.

I cannot understand why simply reducing the qualifying threshold this year isn't the easiest and most equitable solution. Failing that, shifting the qualifying window to cover two years.

I suspect I'll be writing to M&M at the end of this year and saying that if they don't requalify me based on this year's status miles, they can consider my 23 year loyalty to LH over, and I'll move over to KL/DL (who at least have regular flights from my local airport).

sophialite

Seems like HONs expiring in 2022 are left to the wolves?

mywaterbroke

SENs and HONs. LH’s most loyal..
No point supporting LH Group throughout 2020 tbh. Might just start exploring other airlines this year and then deciding early next year if we want to keep pursuing M&M status or not because this stinks. I’m angry as hell. LH stopped flying for basically quarter of the year (for whatever reason) and suddenly all my flying in H1 2020 to retain status became worthless. Once they take off again in June they won’t be offering their full schedule or number of destinations (or very likely their usual service levels either), further limiting my chances of requalifying in 2020 even if I tried. But suddenly I’m the one who has to pay and be penalised at the same time for the time lost? Extend my status to 2/23 or defer the status miles I had up to mid March this year to H1 2021. Simple as that. LH should want us back to fill their cabins ASAP and can no longer afford to get away with this whole ‘we don’t care’ approach.

Also... I’m still waiting for the refund for all my cancelled flights from March and April! I didn’t say much before so I could support LH Group in this difficult time in any and every way I can but NOW I want all my money back please. All of it! They’ll be hearing from my bank

MichielR

Seems like it. As HON with status until Feb 21, I am now given 2021 instead of 2020 to finish qualification and add to my 2019 count.

I would guess therefore that at some point they will do similar with the Feb 22 qualification and replace 2020 with 2022, but they can take that decision when they see if the recovery is on track in 2021. Of course, until then the Feb 22 HONs are in the same position we were all in until Friday afternoon, but I cant imagine LH expecting them to make up in 1 1/2 year, for example, that lost first half. That lost half year is the same for all, except that I only would have had the rest of this year to catch up...

BristolTraveller

Have LH said they'll extend the qualifying window back 3 years? I assume if your status ends in Feb 22 now, you'll have to requalify based on this year and next? That would be in line with telling SENs with Feb 21 extensions that they have to qualify in 2020 or 2021.

NewbieRunner

Has anyone received the email which was supposed to be sent out yesterday afternoon (LonLH seems to have done) or seen the official announcement?

MichielR

This is the relevant part:

Status extension for our frequent flyers
We have developed a goodwill policy for our frequent flyers. We will extend your current status by one year should it expire in February 2021. The validity of eVouchers with an expiry date of 2020 will be extended until the end of 2021. I would also like to inform you that we have decided to maintain the current program rules until December 31, 2021, and our new system will not be launched until January 1, 2022.

Maybe I am reading too much into this with regard to (re)qualification, but I think they are just pretending 2020 doesn’t exist and will do so with regard to qualification as well.

daumueller

My expectation (with status expiring in 02/21) would be:

if I hit the threshold this year: status until 02/23
if I don’t: status until 02/22

or am I missing something?

Raul_R

Hmm...
As HON with qualification period 2020/2021 I already have 112000 HON miles this year and active bookings for second half of year for another 300 000 miles. And I am quite optimistic that it will be possible also to fly for those as most of my routes are opening again or was not closed during last months at all. And I personally do not affraid to fly. Only waiting for disapperaing some stypid quarantine requirements and of course FRA ground services for F/HON resume. Some told it will be from June another that from 15.June

But I do not think that LH will not count my miles for this year.

Actually postponing new system for 1 year is clever for LH — by new system expensive statuses are much cheaper to get. As we know, new system do not differ booking classes and even Y counts.
By current system, fares start for me from bk D only.

sophialite

I'm at approx 80k HON miles right now, could see myself bumping that up to maybe 200k-240k by EOY. 2021 will be a stretch, but it's doable. But my enthusiasm to extend is definitely tempered by LH's response. In fact, the response is so tone deaf that I think there might be a solution in the offing for HONs in our position. But who knows?

vantage03

This basically describes LH and M&M in dealing with SEN and HON even before Covid-19 🙄

chris63

That’s my interpretation of M& L usual lack of clarity