AIRLINES & ALLIANCES

Enjoy flexible mileage amounts with Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti too, from March 2026

From 3 March 2026, Miles & More will expand its dynamic pricing model to include flights operated by Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti, enabling Award Flight bookings where the required mileage is calculated individually per flight — rather than using fixed region-based charts. 

This update brings Discover and Air Dolomiti in line with the core Lufthansa-Group airlines — Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City Airlines and SWISS — which already transitioned to flexible-mileage pricing in June 2025. 

What changes for members

• Mileage needed per flight becomes dynamic — When booking with Discover Airlines or Air Dolomiti (from March 2026), the number of miles required will depend on a set of variables: booking date, route, travel class, fare type, and time/date of travel. 

• Fare-based redemption flexibility — Members will be able to select between different fare types (e.g., Light, Classic, Flex for continental flights; Basic, Basic Plus, Flex for intercontinental) — each with different seat-reservation, baggage, refund/rebooking conditions. 

• Status benefits preserved — with fare sensitivity: Status privileges (e.g., lounge access, priority booking or companion awards for Senators/HON Circle) will remain — but some benefits will now depend on the fare chosen, not only on travel class. 

• What does not change (yet): Until 3 March 2026 the existing fixed Award-Flight chart remains valid for Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti. Also, redemption via fixed-chart still applies for non-Lufthansa-group and other partner airlines. 

Why it matters — Implications for loyalty travelers and airline programmes

The shift reflects a broader trend among frequent-flyer programmes towards “revenue-fare-style” dynamic pricing — a transition already underway for the major carriers of the Lufthansa Group. 

For loyalty-driven travellers and award-redeemers this has potential upsides and caveats:

• Potential for lower mileage redemption in off-peak periods or less popular routes: When demand is low, dynamic pricing may reward flexibility and timing. 

• Less predictability and more volatility: Fixed-chart redemption offered certainty; under dynamic pricing mileage-costs may fluctuate depending on demand, travel seasonality, and fare class. 

• Strategic redemption becomes more important: Members may need to be more opportunistic — monitoring award-seat availability, booking early or choosing off-peak flights to optimise value.

For loyalty-programme managers and analysts — such as GLO readers — this move underscores the continuing evolution of frequent-flyer programmes from fixed-chart legacy models to dynamic, revenue-driven redemption engines. It raises questions around transparency, member communication, perceived value, and — ultimately — member behaviour and loyalty economics.

What to watch next

• The change becomes effective 3 March 2026 — until then, fixed Award-Flight mileage charts remain in force for Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti. 

• For flights under the new dynamic pricing, the booking platform will display required mileage — not the old chart. 

• Members of elite tiers (e.g. HON Circle, Senator) retain companion-award privileges and premium access — but actual benefits will vary depending on fare class. 

• For redemption across other Miles & More partners or Star Alliance airlines (outside Discover & Air Dolomiti), the fixed-chart method remains unchanged (for now). 

GLO’s Take — What this means for Loyalty Strategy & Customer Communication

From a loyalty-economics and customer engagement standpoint, this update offers both opportunities and risks — and underlines why robust communication and segmentation are critical.

• Opportunity to segment members by travel behaviour and flexibility: Members who travel off-peak or are flexible in timing may find strong value — presenting a chance to communicate “timing-based reward tips” or “mileage-value hacks.”

• Need to safeguard perceived fairness and transparency: Dynamic pricing can erode trust if not communicated transparently — e.g., members may feel devalued if previously reliable routes suddenly demand more miles. Proactive education and transparent examples will be essential.

• Enhanced incentive for flexibility and yield maximisation: Travel-programme managers might view this shift as aligning more closely with revenue-based fare structures, allowing better yield control and more dynamic reward inventory — but must balance this against potential backlash from loyal, price-sensitive members.