How to plan a Miles & More award stopover

What award types does Miles & More issue?

Miles & More distinguishes between Award Flights and Fly Smart Award Flights when a member books a redemption on Lufthansa Group airlines. [4] Fly Smart Award Flights can be booked within 14 days of departure. [4] Because the Fly Smart window sits inside the two weeks before departure, it also sits inside the period in which the guaranteed-availability benefit described below stops applying. [4]

The distinction matters when you are assembling a trip with more than one flight: the award type you are booking decides which availability rules you are reading, and therefore which seats can be combined into a single itinerary. [4]

How does HON Circle status change an award booking?

Increased availability on Award Flights is listed as a HON Circle benefit, so it applies to HON Circle Members rather than to all Miles & More members. [4] Until 14 days before departure, the member and up to three travel companions get the best availability when booking Award Flights, even when no more Award Flight seats are available to book on a flight, provided the required number of seats is available for purchase in the chosen travel class — Economy, Premium Economy or Business Class. [4] That guarantee runs on flights operated by Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City and SWISS. [4] The three companions must travel with the member in the same travel class, and these bookings are made through the HON Circle Service. [4]

A second benefit is the Companion Award Flight, which gives 50% off Award Flights for a travel companion and applies to anyone added to the Award Flight booking. [4] HON Circle Members also receive four eVouchers to fly one class higher when they qualify or renew, and the status itself includes Star Alliance Gold, so the listed HON Circle benefits apply when flying with Lufthansa Group airlines, co-issuing Miles & More airline partners and Star Alliance airlines. [4]

How long do miles stay valid while you plan an award?

Unlimited mileage validity appears among the HON Circle benefits: as long as the member remains a status member, the miles do not expire, which allows a balance to be saved for a larger redemption. [4] HON Circle Members can also temporarily overdraw a Miles & More account by up to 100,000 miles, a flexibility that matters when an award is priced slightly above the balance on hand. [4] Reaching the status itself takes at least 6,000 HON Circle Points in a calendar year, for both a first qualification and a renewal, with progress visible in the Miles & More account. [4]

Exceptions and limits

• The availability guarantee is not open-ended. It applies until 14 days prior to departure, requires seats still available for purchase in the chosen travel class, and is limited to Economy, Premium Economy and Business Class on the carriers named above. [4] Fly Smart Award Flights are excluded from it. [4]
• Companions travel in the same cabin. A member's companions must fly in the same travel class, and bookings under this benefit are made through the HON Circle Service. [4]
• Status must be held, not merely earned once. The unlimited mileage validity and the other listed benefits apply as long as the member remains a status member. [4]
• Partner benefits have their own setting. The HON Circle benefits described here apply when flying with Lufthansa Group airlines, co-issuing Miles & More airline partners and Star Alliance airlines. [4]

Frequently asked questions

Can a HON Circle Member get award seats when a flight shows none left?

Yes, up to 14 days before departure, if the required number of seats is still available for purchase in the chosen travel class on one of the eight named Lufthansa Group carriers. [4] The booking is made through the HON Circle Service. [4]

Does the guaranteed availability apply to Fly Smart Award Flights?

No. Fly Smart Award Flights can be booked within 14 days of departure, and the guaranteed availability on Award Flights does not apply to them. [4]

How many people can travel on a HON Circle award booking?

The member plus up to three travel companions, all in the same travel class. [4]

Do miles expire while a member holds HON Circle status?

Unlimited mileage validity is listed as a HON Circle benefit: as long as the member remains a status member, the miles do not expire. [4]

Is there a discount for a companion on an award?

Yes — the Companion Award Flight gives 50% off Award Flights for a travel companion and applies to anyone added to the Award Flight booking. [4]

Related pages

Compare programme rules: award stopover rules compared. Booking: how to book Lufthansa Miles & More awards. Status: status in Miles & More. Terms: one-way award, partner award, glossary.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Awards issued through other Star Alliance partner programmes are not covered here, and their rules can differ by fare and route.

1. Miles & More — HON Circle Member benefits, checked 18 October 2026