Lufthansa typically blocks its partners from accessing their first class award space between North America and Germany until 15 days before the flight.
However they just started a new route, Toronto-Munich, and someone forgot to flip on the blocking switch. The route starts 06/05/14 and there is incredible business and first class award availability.
-Under United’s current award chart a one-way business class award to Europe is 50,000 miles and a one-way first class award to Europe is 67,500 miles.
-Under United’s current award chart if you would want to go to Israel a one-way business class award would be 60,000 miles and a one-way first class award is 75,000 miles.
United.com isn’t smart enough to piece together the whole itinerary so you’ll have to do it yourself and have United call you to actually book it. Be sure to ask to waive the phone fee as it can’t be done online.
Ideally when searching for an award you’ll want to search for every segment separately. After searching United.com for award flights from Munich to Tel Aviv I then searched for Toronto-Tel Aviv and found this (click to enlarge):
And then searching separately to get from NYC to Toronto:
All you’d have to do is give the United agent your desired flights (with the first class flight from NYC-Toronto) and it will price out at the same rate from NYC as it is from Toronto to Tel Aviv. The first blue box is the 40K coach saver award, the second blue box is the 60K business saver, and the third the 75K first saver. Note that the shorter Munich-Tel Aviv flight is coach.
If you find dates without NYC-Toronto availability consider using 4,500 BA Avios+$2.50 to book a flight on American from Chicago or NYC to Toronto.
Dates with Munich-Tel Aviv availability: June 15, 22, 23, 29, 30. July 1, 6, 7, 13, 20, 27. August 5, 26, 28. September 9, 14, 21, 22, 23, 28. There is better availability for Tel Aviv-Munich but that return routing would require an overnight in Munich so you may want to find another routing back home. Or use different miles-you can book a one-way award home on El Al with American or El Al miles. You can book a one-way award home on Delta with Flying Blue miles. Etc, etc.
You can do the same thing for any other city in the world that you want to get to via Toronto and Munich to fly Lufthansa First Class.
Of course if you want to experience the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt you can always add on a flight from Munich-Frankfurt. It’s quite an incredible experience and come 02/01 it will get way more expensive with United miles.
Or book what DDF member AJK just did. Bali-Bangkok-Frankfurt in Thai First Class (free massage in Bangkok when flying Thai First) and then Frankfurt-Munich (which grants him First Class Terminal access)-Toronto in Lufthansa First Class before connecting onto NYC.
All that goodness for just 70,000 United miles.
Bear in mind that you can also get a free stopover and 2 free open-jaws with a round-trip United award, so if you’re going to Israel you can checkout some European cities as well for the same rate.
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27 Comments On "Excellent Lufthansa First Class Availability Next Year"
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trying to get YYZ-MUC-TLV on Oct 5 or 6 for Succos but no luck.
Everything I see except the date (July 6) you highlighted is on UA or AC
@runnergirl:
I’ve added the dates where there is MUC-TLV availability.
For example 09/22 has Lufthansa as an option from YYZ-TLV because MUC-TLV is available on 09/23.
Pretty funny that the MUC-TLV flight is the constraining factor and not the Lufthansa First Class flight which is wide open 😀
can i book this if i have aeroplan points but not united? Kindly advise how i would book that ticket. Many thanks
@rochelle:
Sure, but Aeroplan charge hefty fuel surcharges for flights on Lufthansa.
Just look on Aeroplan.com.
no doubt! what’s my best direct way (using miles of course) MUC-TLV?
Dan, how do you find those direct flights/dates from MUC-TLV so fast? What;s your secret? hee hee!
@runnergirl:
Easy trick.
Find any date with nonstop availability.
Select “Nonstop flights only” and search again for the date that had availability.
The award calandar will then show every date with nonstop availability.
There we go! Thanks!
@runnergirl:
No problem.
Take it you’ve never been to one of my seminars?
In Boca! You gotta come down (again). I’ll even treat you to some Euro Fusion sushi! Yum!
@runnergirl:
Lol, hopefully will make it Miami and LA for a seminar before winter is over.
Just snagged 4 FC seats YYZ-MUC for Oct 6th Succos. How am I getting to MUC-TLV direct on miles? PLEASE HELP!
@runnergirl:
Book a connecting one so at least you have something?
Could do but then that MIA-YYZ-MUC-VIE-TLV – oy vey! Actually holding MIA-IAH-TLV on TK Business Class so I might just have to stick to that but I really wanted to experience LH 1st class. Is TK Business any good on the 777-300 V1?
Thanks Dan.
So how do I book this ticket if I only have Aeroplan and not United points without incurring hefty fuel surcharges? Thanks!
@runnergirl:
I’ve done crazier things.
@Rochelle:
See the Air Canada section here for the list of surcharged airlines when redeeming Aeroplan miles:
http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/23168
Dan, when are you coming back to NY? You were sold out last time!
Hi dan isn’t direct from nyc coach better then this long route?
I need a ticket to Israel December 18 (or even a day or earlier) and returning dec0 or 21 or jan 1.
How can I get availability for that? does united usually make availability closer to the date?
how is it the same amount of miles when u add NYC-YYZ? link to article previosly written?
BTW I think there should be a thread where ppl on the forum can suggest topics you write about….if theres enough of a want maybe you might? just a thought 🙂
Does Lufthansa have a FC from YUL as well? Or only YYZ?
Can I book this thru ANA for cheaper?
Does anyone know if tlv-zrh on the a340 is a three class or two class? If its two is it configured for three and can you get assigned a first seat?
Please explain something to me, is it only worth going through Munich if you want to go first class and how many miles do you end up using if you go from NY to tel Aviv?
I have united miles and was thinking of booking a one way from NY to Tel Aviv and it goes through Toronto and is 40,000 miles, is that a good deal?
Also, how much extra miles or dollars is a baby who will just turn two in May and I plan to go in July? Any ideas?
thanks for all! I appreciate it!
Hi Dan
It’s amazing how you find these. I read all of the comments and no one said whether they were able to book it. Do you know if the deal is still available or if Lufthansa found it and closed it off?
Thanks
marty
Nice post! I wonder how many people are waiting for January 15th to book the last possible Lufthansa First Class award. I’m certainly hoping I can make one last trip happen with United Miles before the February 1st deadline!