The Barclays Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® is a travel rewards card offering 2x miles on flights with Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, two lounge passes each year for any Lufthansa Business Lounge, and a companion certificate.
This credit card review will cover everything you need to know about this card to determine if you should add this card or a different card to your wallet. Let’s dive right in.
Welcome Bonus
The Miles & More Mastercard currently offers the following welcome bonus:
Earn 60,000 award miles if you spend $3,000 in purchases and pay the annual fee, both within the first 90 days.
Earning Miles
The Miles & More Mastercard earns miles at the following rates:
- 2 miles per dollar on Miles & More integrated airline partners (AirDolomiti, Austrian Airlines Group, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Eurowings, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Luxair and SWISS); and
- 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases.
Annual Fee
The Miles & More Mastercard has an annual fee of $89, which you can try to offset with the two annual lounge passes.
Card Benefits and Perks
The Miles and More card offers the following benefits and perks:
Two Annual Lounge Passes: Every year, including the first year, cardholders get two one-time-use lounge vouchers at any Lufthansa Business Lounge worldwide.
Companion Ticket: Cardholders are eligible for a companion ticket every year, including the first year. However, you are responsible for the taxes and fees for the companion ticket, which are quite high.
Convert Miles to Status Miles: Cardmembers can convert their miles to elite status miles at a ratio of 5 to 1, with a minimum of 5,000 award miles and a maximum of 25,000 miles.
Travel Discount: Receive up to 15% off your eligible hotel stay or car rental when booking through the Miles & More® program.
0% Intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers made within 45 days of account opening. After that, a variable APR of 20.99%, 24.99% or 29.99%, based on your creditworthiness. There is a balance transfer fee of the greater of either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer.
No Foreign Transaction Fees: You’ll save money on every purchase while traveling internationally since this card doesn’t add the typical 3% surcharge that many other cards impose.
World Elite Benefits: This card is a World Elite Mastercard, which gets you access to these special benefits and discounts: DoorDash ($5 off your first DoorDash order each month), Lyft (Take 3 rides in one month and earn a $5 Lyft credit), Shoprunner (free two-day shipping), and Fandango (spend $20 and get $5 back).
Pros and Cons of the Miles & More Mastercard
Here’s a quick overview of this card’s advantages and disadvantages:
Pros:
- Nice welcome bonus.
- Two airport lounge passes.
Cons:
- $89 Annual Fee.
- Companion ticket has high fees and taxes.
- Limited travel and purchase protections.
- Only 2x miles on Miles & More partners.
- No other category earns more than 1x miles.
Alternatives to the Lufthansa Card
Now that you know about this credit card’s various benefits and pros and cons, it’s time to see its alternatives.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review) is one of the most popular travel rewards cards because it offers nice welcome bonus and extra points on travel and dining, which can be transferred to airline and hotel partners or redeemed directly for travel at a rate of 1.25 cents per point through Chase Travel℠. The Sapphire Preferred also offers great travel and purchase protections for a card with a $95 annual fee. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases. Card Benefits: Ability to transfer to airline and hotel partners, 25% bonus when redeeming points through Chase Travel, $50 annual hotel stay credit via Chase Travel, 10% anniversary points bonus, no foreign transaction fees, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection, and extended warranty. Transfer Partners: Aer Lingus, Air Canada Aeroplan, British Airways, Emirates, Air France KLM Flying Blue, Hyatt, IHG, Iberia, JetBlue, Marriott, Singapore KrisFlyer, Southwest, United, and Virgin Atlantic.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) delivers both everyday value with unlimited 2x miles on purchases and premium comfort through comprehensive airport lounge access for you upon enrollment. You’ll also receive $300 in annual travel credits plus 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, creating substantial ongoing value. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Rewards: 10x miles on hotels and rental cars and 5x miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel; 2x miles on all other purchases. Card Benefits: $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, airport lounge access (Capital One and Priority Pass) upon enrollment, Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, trip cancellation insurance, and cell phone protection. Transfer Partners: Accor (2 to 1), Aeromexico, Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Avianca LifeMiles, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Choice Privileges, Emirates, Etihad, Finnair, I Prefer Hotels (1 to 2), Japan Airlines(2 to 1.5), JetBlue (5 to 3), Qantas, Qatar, Singapore KrisFlyer, TAP Air Portugal, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Red, and Wyndham Rewards.
Chase Freedom Unlimited®
The Chase Freedom Unlimited® (review) sets itself apart with 1.5% back on non-bonus purchases, plus higher rewards in select categories including dining and travel. This flexible rewards card becomes even more valuable when paired with a premium Chase card, allowing you to transfer your rewards to travel partners. Welcome Bonus: bonus_miles_full Earning Cash Back: 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3% back on dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery services; 3% back on drugstore purchases; 1.5% back on all other purchases CaBenefits: Purchase protection, extended warranty, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, secondary rental car insurance, and 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, after that reg_apr,reg_apr_type APR applies; 
Is the Miles & More Mastercard Worth It?
For most people, the Miles & More Mastercard is not a good choice, and people should instead consider a general travel card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (review).
The Miles & More card lacks enough benefits to justify its $89 annual fee and compete with other travel credit cards that offer more benefits for a similar fee.
