Earning Austrian Airlines Miles Via United: Is It Possible?

Austrian Airlines is part of the Star Alliance, which means that you can earn miles on Austrian Airlines flights if you are part of a frequent flyer program with another airline in the alliance, such as United MileagePlus. You can also earn miles by booking a flight with Austrian Airlines and indicating your TAP Miles&Go number, or by using a Miles & More credit card.

United MileagePlus miles can be earned through Austrian Airlines

United Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, which includes Austrian Airlines, and you can earn United MileagePlus miles when flying with any of the alliance's airlines.

United MileagePlus miles can be earned when flying with Austrian Airlines. The number of miles earned depends on the booking class, with executive classes earning more miles than economy classes.

For example, booking a flight in an executive class (classes C, D, J, Z) earns 150% bonus miles, while booking in economy class (classes V, W) earns no bonus miles.

Additionally, you can earn miles through the Miles & More program, which is offered by Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS. This program allows you to earn miles on flights, as well as through other means such as shopping at certain retailers or using a co-branded credit card. These miles can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, and other rewards.

It's important to note that the availability of bonus miles may vary depending on the specific terms and conditions of the operating carrier. In some cases, certain fare classes may not be eligible for bonus miles.

To ensure you receive the correct number of miles, it is recommended to provide your frequent flyer program information during the booking process or when checking in for your flight.

Redeem Austrian Airlines miles for flights and upgrades

Austrian Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, a group of 26 airlines that collaborate to offer passengers worldwide coverage. This means that you can redeem Austrian Airlines miles for flights and upgrades across the entire Star Alliance network.

Redeeming Miles for Flights

Austrian Airlines' frequent flyer program is called Miles & More. With Miles & More, you earn miles for every flight you take with Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, and 35 other partner airlines. You can also earn miles by shopping at certain retailers, using a Miles & More credit card, and staying at partner hotels.

Once you've accumulated enough miles, you can redeem them for award flights. Award flights start at 15,000 miles for mileage bargains, but you can also use your miles to book "round-the-world" flights. You can book award flights directly on the Austrian Airlines website or through the Miles & More app.

Redeeming Miles for Upgrades

In addition to redeeming miles for flights, you can also use them to upgrade your travel class. For example, you can use your miles to upgrade from Economy Class to Business Class or Premium Economy Class on Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS, and other partner airlines. Upgrades can be booked online, at the check-in desk, or through the Miles & More customer service team.

Upgrades are subject to availability and certain conditions, especially for flights within Europe. Upgrades for domestic flights within Europe are only available on connecting flights in combination with upgrades on intercontinental flights. Additionally, upgrades are not available on all routes and may vary by date, season, and destination.

Overall, the Miles & More program offers excellent opportunities to redeem miles for flights and upgrades, providing more comfort and benefits for your travels.

Earn Austrian Airlines miles through TAP Miles&Go

TAP Miles&Go is the loyalty program of TAP Air Portugal, based at Portugal's Lisbon Airport (LIS), with a secondary hub at Porto Airport (OPO). The airline is a member of Star Alliance, so you can earn and redeem TAP Miles&Go miles on several airlines, including Austrian Airlines.

Earning Miles

To collect miles, book a flight with Austrian Airlines and make sure to indicate your TAP Miles&Go number when booking online. The name on your ticket should match the name registered in your TAP Miles&Go account, and the flight and fare should be eligible for earning miles.

If you forget to indicate your TAP Miles&Go number, you can access your TAP Miles&Go profile and claim your miles after the flight. If the name on your ticket doesn't match your TAP Miles&Go account, you may need to contact the TAP Miles&Go Service Centre with your ID to claim your miles.

The number of miles earned depends on the booking class:

• 1 flight economy (classes V, W)
• 1 flight economy (classes B, H, M, N, Q, U, Y)
• 1 flight economy (classes E, G)
• 1 flight executive (classes C, D, J, Z)

You can also earn miles through program partners, including hotels (Accor, IHG, Marriott, Melia, etc.), select restaurants in Portugal, rental car companies (Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, CarTrawler), select fashion boutiques in Portugal, and Royal Caribbean cruises.

Spending Miles

Miles can be spent on promotions and special offers with Austrian Airlines, such as:

• Upgrades on any Star Alliance network airline
• Round-the-world tickets on the Star Alliance network
• Award tickets with a Star Alliance member

Elite Status

TAP Miles&Go offers three elite status levels: Silver, Gold, and Navigator. Silver status is achieved with 30,000 status miles or 25 TAP flights annually, while Gold requires 70,000 status miles or 50 TAP flights annually. The highest tier, Navigator, requires 125,000 status miles or 70 TAP flights annually. Benefits include bonus miles, priority services, lounge access, additional baggage allowance, and more.

Earn miles through the Miles & More programme

Miles & More is Europe's largest frequent flyer and awards programme. It is the loyalty programme of the Lufthansa Group, and rewards you with miles on flights, travel and everyday purchases.

You can earn Miles & More miles in the following ways:

• For every flight with Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa or SWISS
• For flights on 35+ other airline partners
• For trips to numerous hotels and with rental car companies
• When shopping with selected brands
• Every time you use your Miles & More credit card

You can also earn miles together with Mileage Pooling, where you can earn miles with friends or family to achieve your dream award faster.

Miles & More miles can be redeemed for:

• Flights
• Hotel stays
• Car rentals
• Upgrades
• High-quality items
• Non-cash rewards, such as Spotify Premium or Napster subscriptions

Earn miles through credit cards

Earning miles through credit cards is a great way to score free flights and boost your frequent flyer miles balance. The number of miles earned on your purchases will depend on the card and the purchase type. Some cards offer a flat rate, meaning you earn the same number of miles per dollar spent, no matter what you buy. Other cards offer bonus miles for purchases that fit into specific bonus categories.

There are three types of credit card miles:

• Airline frequent flyer miles: If you have a co-branded airline credit card, it earns frequent flyer miles for that airline. These will automatically show up in your associated airline loyalty account.
• Cash-equivalent miles: Some cards earn "miles" that operate like cashback rewards. You can redeem them for statement credit to cover travel purchases made with your credit card.
• Transferable miles and points: Many top travel credit cards earn points or "miles" that can be redeemed in a variety of ways. You can use them for statement credit, or you can transfer them to a partner airline program where they turn into airline frequent flyer miles.
• Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card: Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants worldwide, and 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
• Southwest Rapid Rewards® Priority Credit Card: Earn 3X points on Southwest® purchases, 2X points on local transit and commuting, internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming, and 1X point on all other purchases.
• United℠ Explorer Card: Earn 2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays, and 1x mile on all other purchases.
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: Earn 5x points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries, 2x points on all other travel purchases, and 1x point on all other purchases.
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Earn 10x points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com, 3x points on air travel, other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets, gas, and EV charging stations, and 1x point on all other purchases.
• The Platinum Card® from American Express: Earn 5X Membership Rewards® Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel, and 1X Membership Rewards® Points on other purchases.
• Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card: Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

When choosing a credit card to earn miles, consider whether you want a co-branded airline card or a card with transferable rewards, the welcome bonus, the perks offered, and the annual fee.

Frequently asked questions