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Marriott partners with more than three dozen airlines, but some relationships — the ones it calls “preferred” partnerships — run deeper than others. This morning, the hotel giant announced a new preferred partnership with Miles & More, the loyalty program for Lufthansa, SWISS, and other European carriers.
The tie-up gives travelers a way to earn towards Miles & More elite status through stays and unlock complimentary Marriott Bonvoy® elite status. Here’s what you need to know about Marriott’s new partnership with the Lufthansa Group and how to participate.
Now Live: New Benefits Through the Marriott–Lufthansa Partnership
Marriott Bonvoy and Lufthansa Miles & More have announced a preferred partnership, and the benefits are already live. Effective September 15, 2025, you can link your loyalty accounts and start enjoying limited perks.
The benefits are only somewhat similar to other preferred partnerships, such as Marriott’s tie-up with United MileagePlus. But there are a few key differences, so don’t assume it works exactly the same.
In short, here are the benefits of the Marriott and Miles & More partnership:
- Marriott Bonvoy members: Earn 40 Miles & More Points per qualifying stay of at least two consecutive nights, up to a maximum of 120 Points per year. These Points count toward Miles & More elite status but can’t be redeemed as award miles.
- Miles & More members: Those with Senator status or HON Circle membership automatically receive complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and can enjoy hotel benefits without meeting traditional requirements.
To access these benefits, you’ll need to link your accounts, which you can do here.
The benefits of this partnership are limited
If there’s one takeaway from this announcement, it’s that the benefits are pretty limited. Marriott’s preferred partnership with Lufthansa Miles & More isn’t on the same level as its preferred partnership with United MileagePlus.
For example, this partnership doesn’t offer reciprocal earning opportunities; you can’t earn Lufthansa Miles & More miles when you stay at a Marriott property by selecting Miles & More as your preferred earning partner. And you can’t earn Marriott Bonvoy points on flights with Lufthansa Group carriers. That makes this “preferred” partnership not particularly rewarding — particularly for Marriott elites.
What’s more, unless you’re specifically aiming to earn Miles & More elite status this year, the elite-qualifying points you’ll pick up on stays of two nights or more won’t move the needle very much.
For reference, entry-level Frequent Traveller status requires 650 Points and 325 Qualifying Points (and yes, those are different metrics). So, whether this partnership is worth your time really depends on your elite status goals this year.
On the other hand, if you already hold Senator or HON Circle status with Miles & More and don’t have Marriott Gold Elite, this partnership gives you an easy way to unlock some hotel perks without any extra effort. Marriott Gold Elite benefits aren’t particularly impressive, but hey, what's free is free.
Bottom Line
For the right kind of traveler, Marriott’s new preferred partnership with the Lufthansa Group might come in handy. But unless you’re chasing Miles & More elite status this year or you’re a Senator or HON Circle member looking for Marriott Gold Elite benefits, there’s not much to get excited about.
Hopefully, this partnership expands in the future to include point transfers from Marriott to Miles & More, since those miles are notoriously difficult to earn. We asked Marriott if it plans to add Miles & More as a transfer partner but hadn’t heard back at the time of publishing.
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