Review: Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® – August 2018

You’ll find great annual benefits and flexible miles with this travel card.

• Get this card if… you can take advantage of the card’s annual benefits or often fly with Miles & More carriers.

• Pick something else if…you rarely fly or want general travel rewards.

• Recommended good to excellent credit score of 680 to 850.

What Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® has to offer

The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® is great for travelers who fly with Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Star Alliance carriers and more.

It’s $89 annual fee is easily offset with its generous and flexible rewards structure. As a signup bonus you’ll earn 50,000 award miles as soon as you pay the card’s annual fee and make your first purchase. And when you spend $5,000 in the first 90 days, you’ll earn another 30,000 award miles. In total, that’s a healthy 50,000 award miles that can get you on a plane right away.

Spending leads to flexible miles

The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® has a conventional tiered rewards structure. You’ll earn x award miles on all purchases and x award miles on ticket purchases from partner airlines including Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Star Alliance carriers and more.

If you’re shooting for higher status in the Miles & More loyalty program, you’re in luck. Once a year, you can convert between 5,000 and 25,000 award miles into status miles at a five to one ratio.

So 25,000 award miles can be converted into 5,000 status miles. Once you reach 35,000 status miles, you’re into the Frequent Traveler tier, which comes with accelerated mile earnings, complimentary Business Lounge entry and access to an exclusive service hotline.

How to make the annual fee worth it

Earning award miles isn’t the only way to make the $89 annual fee worth paying. There are three additional perks that deliver immense value.

• Annual Miles & More discount.
  Every year, you’ll receive a 15% discount code for bookings on hotels, rental cars and more through the Miles & More program.
• Annual complimentary lounge access.
  Every year, you’ll receive two vouchers for free entry into the Lufthansa Business Lounge. Admission per person is worth $35.
• Annual companion flight ticket.
  This alone could make your annual fee worth paying. Every year, you’ll receive a ticket that lets you take a companion on an Economy Class flight.

Offsetting the annual fee with award miles

Award miles are worth around 1.4 cents each. Not counting additional perks, this means the annual fee is worth paying if you earn 6,358 award miles.

The perks

• Signup Bonus: Up to 50,000 award miles.
  After you make one purchase and pay the annual fee, you’ll earn 50,000 award miles.
  After you spend $5,000 within the first 90 days, you’ll earn an additional 30,000 award miles.
• Rewards: Earn miles on all purchases, and more on tickets from Miles & More airline partners.
  On all purchases, you’ll earn 1 mile per dollar you spend. When you buy tickets from Miles & More airline partners, you’ll earn 2 miles per dollar you spend.

  Redeem your miles for flights and upgrades on Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Star Alliance carriers and more.

• Use award miles for status miles.
  Once each year, you can convert award miles you’ve earned into status miles for better traveler perks.
• 15% discount at Miles & More Hotel and Car Awards.
  Every year, you’ll receive a 15% discount code for hotel and car bookings through Miles & More.
• Annual Business Lounge vouchers.
  Every year, you’ll earn two vouchers for complimentary access to the Lufthansa Business Lounge.
• Annual companion ticket.
  Every year, you’ll receive a companion ticket for an Economy Class flight.

The Lufthansa Business Lounge at London Heathrow Airport.

You’ll also like …

• Intro balance transfer APR.
  You’ll get 0% APR for thefifteen billing cycles on balance transfers that post within the first 45 days.
• No foreign transaction fees.
  Use your card internationally without incurring fees.
• Travel insurance.
  Enjoy baggage delay, trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance.
• Mastercard travel assistance.
  Contact Mastercard for trip planning assistance, physician referrals, lost or stolen travel documents and more.

What to watch out for

• Annual fee.
  The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® comes with an $89 annual fee.
• Potentially high APR.
  Depending on your credit, you could have a purchase and balance transfer variable APR as high as 17.74% or 26.74%.
• Higher APR for cash advances.
  Cash advances come with a 26.99% variable APR.
• Other fees.
  The card has balance transfer fees and cash advance fees.
• Penalty fees.
  Late and returned payments can hurt: You’ll pay up to $37.

What should I know before I apply?

To apply for the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®, you must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. Residents of Puerto Rico, US territories and Iowa are not eligible.

Information you’ll need

• Full name and contact information
• Residential status
• Annual income and employment information
• Social Security number, date of birth and mother’s maiden name

What credit score do I need?

You’ll have a better chance of approval for the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® if you apply with a good to excellent credit score of 680 or higher.

How to apply for the Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard®

1. Go to the Barclaycard’s Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® website and click Apply Now.

2. Complete the application with details like your name, contact information, employment information and Social Security number. Then click Apply to submit your application.

How long will it take to be approved?

Typically, you’ll receive an immediate decision on your application. In rare cases, you may need to wait a few days to a few weeks until Barclaycard manually approves your application.

I got the card. Now what?

• Make timely payments. Pay your bill online at the Barclaycard website, where you can also enroll in autopay.
• Avoid interest. After the close of each billing cycle, you have a grace period of 23 days to pay your balance. If you do, you won’t pay interest on your purchases.
• Avoid fees. Late and returned payments come with hefty fees of up to $37. Balance transfers and cash advances also come with fees.
• Customer service. If you have questions, contact Barclaycard customer service at 866-928-8598.

Bottom line

The Miles & More® World Elite Mastercard® costs $89 a year, but it’s worth the cost if you can take advantage of its annual perks. On top of that, you’ll earn flexible miles you can redeem with multiple carriers.

But if you don’t think you can get the most out of this card, look for a credit card associated with an airline that you fly more often with.

Credit cards for frequent fliers

Frequently asked questions

• Do Lufthansa miles expire?

  Your Lufthansa miles may expire unless you make a miles-related purchase at least once a month and your account is open for at least three months. If you don’t meet at least one of these requirements, your miles may be subject to expiration. Typically, miles expire in 36 months.

• If I qualify for the signup bonus, when will I receive my miles?

  After you’ve paid the annual fee and made your first purchase, you’ll receive your 50,000 miles at the close of your first billing statement.

  If you qualify for the 30,000 miles, you’ll receive the bonus at the close of the first billing statement after you’ve reached $5,000 in spending.

• If I convert my award miles to status miles, can I reverse my decision?

  No. Point conversions are final.

• How long does it take for a conversion between award miles and status miles to complete?

  Conversion takes up to two weeks.