In the first article, we looked at the different types of rare cards and why they are so interesting for collectors. In this second part, we now dive into concrete examples of rare Uptrip cards: city cards, aircraft cards, special editions, and quirky errors that make Uptrip so appealing. Some of these cards were shared with us by the community through the current Uptrip survey. More about the survey results will be available soon on scantofly.de.
City Cards for rare destinations
Some cities are rarely found on the marketplace because they are served only seasonally or from very few airports. Here are some examples:
- Mostar – currently only served from Stuttgart by Eurowings. The card still has no dedicated image and may have even slipped under the radar of the Uptrip team itself.
- Luanda – although there are three weekly flights from Frankfurt, this card rarely circulates. The same applies to other African destinations, many of which are mostly served by Brussels Airlines.
- Muscat & Salalah – Oman Air operates the route to Germany regularly. Conversely, there are significantly fewer seasonal flights operated by Edelweiss.
Edelweiss special destinations – other Edelweiss routes also bring rare cards: Akureyri, Newquay, Varadero, or Zakynthos, to name just a few,
City cards from destinations that are no longer served
Some cards are particularly exciting because the destinations were once served but are no longer part of the network:
- Odessa
- St. Petersburg
- Friedrichshafen
- Laage (Rostock)
These cards are true rarities, as it is uncertain whether these destinations will return to the program. Likely, several other destinations also fall into this category. We’re happy to add them upon further notice.
City cards for destinations without Lufthansa Group service
Some city cards seem puzzling because they were never part of the regular Lufthansa, Austrian, or SWISS network, but still appeared as part of special campaigns. Examples of rare Uptrip cards include Jakarta, Hanoi, Montevideo, or Florence (USA). Why Miles & More issued these cards at all remains unclear – perhaps simply to expand the card offering.
Aircraft Cards of rare or retired carrier types
Aircraft cards can also have high rarity value if the aircraft types are no longer in regular service:
- Airbus A330-300 – available in small numbers.
- Lufthansa Embraer 170 and 175 – retired by 2023 at the latest.
- A300-600 – has been out of service for many years. Since Uptrip is only 3 years old, this card was never earned through regular flights.
Outlook: With the introduction of new aircraft such as the Dreamliner, the Airbus A340-300 as well as the A340-600 will gradually disappear (the latter already in November 2025). Their card values are likely to rise over time. Other Lufthansa Group airlines such as SWISS, Eurowings, or Edelweiss are also in the process of restructuring and modernizing their fleets. Beyond that, there are further rarities tied to special configurations like the 747-400F or 747-400M.modernisieren. Darüber hinaus gibt es weitere Raritäten, die mit speziellen Konfigurationen wie der 747-400F 747-400M.
Aircraft Cards from wet-lease operations
With wet-lease agreements, other airlines operate aircraft for the Lufthansa Group. This leads to cards that otherwise wouldn’t exist in the portfolio. Often, however, these come without their own aircraft design:
- Boeing 737-800
- Airbus A318
- Boeing 767-31K
Aircraft Cards from faulty allocations
Sometimes fascinating cards appear simply due to system errors. Examples include:
- Cessna Citation CJ1 – who doesn’t know this Lufthansa classic?
- Cessna 510
- Boeing 747-200F – a type that hasn’t been in active Lufthansa service for decades.
These cards are especially sought after, as they weren’t planned and therefore exist only in very small numbers.
Special one-time or limited edition cards
From time to time, Uptrip issues cards that are only available once or in very limited quantities:
- Special campaign “Find me if you can”: Numerous bronze cards were distributed, plus 10 silver and 3 gold cards.
- Seasonal cards: e.g., New Year’s Eve (Dec 31), Merry Christmas (Dec 24), or Halloween.
- Campaign cards: Community Flight Cards (Mallorca for example), First Class, LH Longest Flight, Oktoberfest 2024.
Conclusion
Rare Uptrip cards have a wide variety of backgrounds: from discontinued destinations to seasonal specials, to errors or limited-edition campaigns. For collectors, this very diversity is what makes them so appealing. For tips and strategies on how to actually get rare Uptrip cards, check out the first part of our article.
