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The Miles & More Companion Award can cut the mileage cost of a second award ticket by 50% when an eligible Miles & More elite member travels with a companion. The benefit is available to Senator and HON Circle Members and can be used with selected Miles & More airline partners, including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Discover Airlines, and several others.
The basic idea is simple: the status member books a standard eligible Award Flight, and the companion traveling with them needs only half the normal miles. Both passengers still pay the applicable taxes, fees, and airline surcharges.
For couples, friends, or family members traveling together, particularly in Business Class, the mileage savings can be substantial.
What Is the Miles & More Companion Award?
The Miles & More Companion Award is an elite-status benefit that lets an eligible Senator or HON Circle Member take one companion on the same Award Flight for 50% fewer miles. The primary traveler pays the normal mileage requirement. The companion pays half.
For example:
| Standard Award Price Per Person | Primary Traveler | Companion | Total for Two |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40,000 miles | 40,000 | 20,000 | 60,000 |
| 60,000 miles | 60,000 | 30,000 | 90,000 |
| 100,000 miles | 100,000 | 50,000 | 150,000 |
| 150,000 miles | 150,000 | 75,000 | 225,000 |
Without the benefit, two 100,000-mile awards would require 200,000 miles. With the Miles & More Companion Award, the same eligible trip would require 150,000 miles, a saving of 50,000 miles. The discount applies to the companion’s mileage requirement, not to the entire two-person booking.
Who Can Use the Miles & More Companion Award?
The benefit is limited to members holding:
- Miles & More Senator status.
- Miles & More HON Circle Member status.
Frequent Traveller status alone does not provide the Companion Award benefit. Miles & More lists the Companion Award as a continuing status benefit for both Senators and HON Circle Members. Unlike a one-time companion certificate from a credit card, you do not receive a single voucher that disappears after one booking.
Miles & More describes the benefit as having unlimited use, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements and have enough miles for the bookings. That makes the benefit particularly useful for elite members who regularly travel with the same partner or family member.
Does the Companion Have to Be Your Spouse?
No. Your companion does not need to be your spouse or immediate family member. Miles & More presents the benefit as suitable for travel with family or friends. The important requirement is that the eligible Senator or HON Circle Member and the companion travel together.
That gives you considerably more flexibility than companion-ticket benefits that restrict the second traveler to a spouse, household member, or nominated person.
You Must Travel Together
This is one of the most important rules.
The companion must:
- Book the trip with the qualifying status member.
- Begin the journey with the qualifying member.
- Complete the journey with the qualifying member.
- Travel in the same travel class.
Miles & More explicitly requires the companion and eligible member to travel together throughout the qualifying trip. So you cannot use the benefit to book a discounted award for someone else who is traveling independently. That is different from a normal Miles & More award, which can generally be booked for a relative or acquaintance even when the account holder is not traveling.
Which Airlines Allow the Miles & More Companion Award?
The Miles & More Companion Award is not available on every Star Alliance carrier. Current Miles & More terms list the following eligible airlines:
- Air Dolomiti.
- Austrian Airlines.
- Brussels Airlines.
- Croatia Airlines.
- Eurowings.
- Discover Airlines.
- Lufthansa.
- Lufthansa City Airlines.
- LOT Polish Airlines.
- Luxair.
- SWISS.
This is an important limitation. You cannot simply use the benefit because an airline belongs to Star Alliance. For example, a Miles & More award on United Airlines, Air Canada, Singapore Airlines, ANA, or Turkish Airlines does not automatically qualify for the Companion Award.
Always check the operating airline rather than just the airline marketing the itinerary. For more detail on using Miles & More for Lufthansa flights, read Book Lufthansa With Miles: Award Flight Guide.
Can You Use the Companion Award in Business Class?
Yes. The Miles & More Companion Award is not restricted to Economy. As long as the award meets the program’s eligibility rules and award space is available, the companion travels in the same cabin as the qualifying status member while paying 50% fewer miles.
This can make premium cabins particularly interesting because the absolute mileage saving becomes much larger. For example:
Normal Business Class award: 100,000 miles per person
Two standard awards: 200,000 miles
With Companion Award:
- Primary traveler: 100,000 miles.
- Companion: 50,000 miles.
Total: 150,000 miles
You save 50,000 miles on one trip. If taxes and surcharges are reasonable, this can create much more value than using the benefit for a short Economy journey.
Can You Use It for First Class?
The Companion Award itself is not described by Miles & More as an Economy-only or Business-only benefit. Eligibility depends on having a qualifying standard Award Flight, suitable award availability, and an eligible operating carrier.
For Lufthansa First Class in particular, availability can be scarce, so finding two eligible award seats can be the real challenge. Use Flightpoints to check availability before planning around the 50% discount. The discount is valuable only if two eligible seats can actually be booked.
Does the Companion Pay 50% of Taxes and Fees Too?
No. The 50% saving applies to the mileage requirement, not the cash component of the award. Miles & More Award Flights can still include:
- Government taxes.
- Airport charges.
- Airline partner surcharges.
- Other applicable service charges.
Those cash costs must still be paid separately. This matters particularly on Lufthansa Group long-haul premium-cabin awards, where surcharges can materially affect the total cost.
For example:
Primary traveler: 100,000 miles + €500
Companion: 50,000 miles + €500
The companion saves 50,000 miles but does not necessarily save 50% of the €500 cash amount. That is why you should compare the complete redemption, not just the headline mileage discount. Use the Flightpoints Points Value Calculator to subtract taxes and fees from the comparable cash fare and see what value you are actually receiving.
How Is the 50% Saving Calculated?
For Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City Airlines, and SWISS, Miles & More says the Companion Award saving is based on the current online Award Flight offer shown on miles-and-more.com. This detail matters because Miles & More award pricing is not always best understood through an old static mileage example.
If the current eligible standard award is priced at: 120,000 miles
the companion portion would require: 60,000 miles.
The safe approach is to search the current award first, determine the standard mileage requirement, and then evaluate the 50% companion saving. Do not rely on an outdated mileage figure from an older article before transferring or spending miles.
Can You Use the Miles & More Companion Award One Way?
No. This is a key restriction. Miles & More specifically states that Companion Award Flights cannot be combined with one-way Award Flights. That means this benefit is primarily designed for qualifying return-style award travel rather than booking one direction at half mileage for a companion.
Miles & More separately allows normal one-way Award Flights at 50% fewer miles than a standard outbound-and-return Award Flight, but that one-way structure cannot be combined with the Companion Award discount. So you cannot stack the two 50% reductions.
Which Awards Are Excluded?
The Miles & More Companion Award cannot be combined with several discounted award types.
Current exclusions include:
- One-way Award Flights.
- Fly Smart Award Flights.
- Award Flight Specials.
- Mileage bargains.
- Child’s Award Flights.
- Other reduced Award Flight offers covered by the program’s terms.
This prevents stacking one discounted redemption with another discount. For example, if Miles & More publishes a heavily reduced mileage bargain, you cannot then take another 50% off that already discounted price for your companion. You generally need an eligible standard Award Flight.
Companion Award vs Child’s Award Flight
Miles & More has a separate benefit for children. Children aged 2 through 11 can receive 25% fewer miles on eligible Child’s Award Flights. That is different from the Companion Award. You cannot stack the Child’s Award Flight discount with the Miles & More Companion Award on the same ticket.
So if you are a Senator traveling with a child, you need to compare which eligible award structure applies rather than assuming the child receives both discounts. Miles & More also provides separate award rules for infants under two.
How Do You Book a Miles & More Companion Award?
Miles & More now provides a fairly straightforward booking process for eligible awards.
Step 1: Sign Into Your Miles & More Account
You need to use the account holding Senator or HON Circle status.
Step 2: Search for the Award
Enter your:
- Origin.
- Destination.
- Travel dates.
- Cabin.
- Passenger count.
Make sure you add your companion as a second traveler.
Step 3: Choose an Eligible Flight
Confirm that the operating airline is one of the airlines permitted for Companion Awards.
Step 4: Book Both Travelers Together
The normal Award Flight and the Companion Award need to be booked together.
Step 5: Pay Miles and Cash Charges
Miles are deducted from the eligible Miles & More account, while taxes, fees, and surcharges are charged separately. Miles & More specifically notes that Eurowings Companion Award Flights must be booked by telephone.
Do You Need Two Award Seats?
Yes. The 50% mileage benefit does not create extra award inventory. You still need qualifying award availability for both travelers. This is especially important for Business and First Class.
If Miles & More has only one award seat available, having Senator or HON Circle status does not automatically create a second seat simply because you want to use the Companion Award.
HON Circle Members do separately receive enhanced award availability on certain airlines close to departure, but that is a distinct status benefit rather than the Companion Award itself. Search for two passengers from the beginning rather than finding one seat and assuming the companion can simply be added later.
Is the Companion Award Better for Long-Haul Flights?
Often, but not automatically. The mileage saving usually becomes larger as the underlying award becomes more expensive.
For example:
Short-haul Economy award: 20,000 miles + 10,000 companion = 30,000 miles
Mileage saved: 10,000
Long-haul Business award: 100,000 miles + 50,000 companion = 150,000 miles
Mileage saved: 50,000
From a mileage perspective, the Business Class use is much more powerful. But long-haul premium awards may also carry higher surcharges.
So always compare: Miles saved + cash charges + equivalent cash fare.
The Flightpoints Points or Cash Calculator can help determine whether spending Miles & More miles is better than simply purchasing the ticket.
Should You Use the Benefit Every Time?
Not necessarily. The Miles & More Companion Award sounds automatically attractive because “50% off” is a large discount. But another program may still require fewer miles. Imagine two Business Class options for two travelers:
- Miles & More
- Primary award: 100,000 miles
- Companion: 50,000 miles
- Total: 150,000 miles + substantial surcharges
- Another Loyalty Program
- 75,000 miles per person
- Total: 150,000 miles + much lower fees
Both require the same number of miles, but the second program may be cheaper overall. Or another program could offer the same Lufthansa flight for fewer miles, depending on available partner inventory. That is why you should search across programs before redeeming simply because you qualify for the Companion Award.
When Is the Miles & More Companion Award Most Valuable?
The benefit is strongest when:
- You hold Senator or HON Circle status.
- You are traveling with one other person.
- Both travelers want the same cabin.
- Two award seats are available.
- The standard award has a high mileage requirement.
- Cash fares are expensive.
- Taxes and surcharges are reasonable.
- You are booking an eligible return award rather than a one-way.
- No cheaper discounted Miles & More award or partner redemption is available.
Couples who regularly redeem Miles & More miles for long-haul Business Class may get particularly strong value from the benefit. The ability to use it repeatedly also makes it more useful than a once-per-year companion certificate.
Is the Miles & More Companion Award Worth It?
For eligible Senators and HON Circle Members traveling as a pair, the Miles & More Companion Award can be one of the most useful status benefits in the program.
The concept is straightforward:
One standard award + one companion award at 50% fewer miles.
But the restrictions matter. You must travel together, in the same class, on eligible airlines. The benefit does not work with one-way awards, mileage bargains, Child’s Award Flights, or several other reduced award products. And the companion still pays the normal taxes, fees, and airline surcharges.
The smartest approach is therefore to find two eligible award seats first, compare the total mileage and cash requirement against other programs, and then use the Companion Award when the 50% saving produces genuine value.
For Lufthansa-specific booking strategies, start with Flightpoints’ Lufthansa Award Flight Guide before committing a large Miles & More balance.
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Get Flightpoints ProFAQs
Q: What is the Miles & More Companion Award?
A: The Miles & More Companion Award is a benefit for Senator and HON Circle Members that allows one travel companion to book an eligible Award Flight for 50% fewer miles when traveling together with the status member.
Q: Who qualifies for the Companion Award?
A: Miles & More Senators and HON Circle Members qualify. The benefit is not a standard perk for members without those status levels.
Q: Does my companion have to be my spouse?
A: No. The companion can be a family member or friend. The key requirement is that the companion travels with the qualifying member on the eligible itinerary.
Q: Can I use the Miles & More Companion Award in Business Class?
A: Yes, provided eligible award availability exists and the itinerary meets the program’s Companion Award rules.
Q: Can I use a Companion Award for a one-way flight?
A: No. Miles & More specifically excludes one-way Award Flights from the Companion Award benefit.
Q: Does the companion pay half the taxes and fees?
A: No. The 50% discount applies to the mileage requirement. Taxes, fees, airline partner surcharges, and other applicable charges remain payable.
Q: Can I use the benefit on United Airlines or Air Canada?
A: No. The Companion Award is limited to a specific list of Miles & More airline partners and does not apply to every Star Alliance member.
Q: Can I combine the Companion Award with a mileage bargain?
A: No. Mileage bargains and other reduced Award Flights are excluded from the Companion Award benefit.
Q: How often can I use the Miles & More Companion Award?
A: Miles & More describes the benefit as having unlimited use, provided you remain eligible and have sufficient miles for the qualifying bookings.
Q: How do I find a good Companion Award?
A: Search for two available seats on an eligible airline, calculate the total miles and surcharges, and compare the redemption with other loyalty programs. Use Flightpoints Search and the Points Value Calculator before booking.
