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From Bombay to Düsseldorf: This is how the mileage surprise flight works!
Find out how a frequent flyer effectively redeemed Miles & More miles for business class flights from Bombay to Zurich. Availability tips!
From Bombay to Düsseldorf: This is how the mileage surprise flight works!
Redeeming airline miles with Miles & More can be both an exciting and challenging experience. This is shown by a recent report in which an author describes his successful booking of an award flight from Bombay to Germany. He quickly realized that there were a few hurdles to overcome.
An important detail is that India requires a visa for German citizens. However, you do not need a visa for an airside transit as long as you have an onward ticket. The author considered several possible solutions, including booking a standby ticket, a regular purchase ticket or an award flight with Miles & More. Although standby tickets are inexpensive, they are risky as they are highly dependent on availability.
Challenges in determining availability
Demand for Lufthansa Group flights from Bombay to Germany and Switzerland was high. To protect himself, the author considered booking economy class tickets with Emirates or Qatar Airways, but prices had increased in the meantime. Initially, there were no award flights available, apart from a single Air India flight.
After intensive searching, the author finally discovered two business class tickets from LOT. However, these had long transit times and no direct onward flights to Germany. The availability of award flights proved to be dynamic; Places were released in batches and the author closely monitored the progress.
The booking process
However, the author also expressed his wish to fly in Lufthansa Business Class at some point, which he has not yet achieved. This comment reflects the dream of many frequent flyers to enjoy first-class service and comfort.
Tips for availability research
The search for flights with Miles & More is not always straightforward, as the author's experience makes clear. In practice, there are often difficulties finding suitable flights. An important tip is not to rely solely on the price preview from online searches. This often does not show all available flights, especially if the travel duration entered does not match the available availability.
It is advised to experiment with travel duration for better results. Transfer connections are often not displayed correctly and mixed classes can also be unreliable. In addition, frequent flyers should also use other programs to access award flight inventory connectivity options, as programs such as United MileagePlus or Air Canada Aeroplan can provide useful alternatives.
A detailed report on this booking success and additional tips for finding availability can be found at Frankfurt flyer and Optimize miles.