August 2025

Officially, Lufthansa has only been awarding the Senator status for life since January 1, 2024. However, even before that, there were always rumors that certain long-standing customers had been granted the frequent flyer status permanently. I was able to see firsthand that this wasn’t just a rumor when looking at my grandfather’s account—he traveled extensively worldwide as a former executive at Deloitte. In this post, I’ll share some details about the Miles & More Lifetime Senator status and discuss whether it might be worthwhile and for whom.

Miles & More Account of a Lifetime Senator

Many frequent flyers dream of lifelong status, and the trend shows no sign of slowing down—despite Lufthansa gradually reducing the benefits for Senators and the growing environmental awareness among travelers. But what actually changes when you reach the status?

Aside from a congratulatory email, only a few details in the Miles & More account are updated. The change is actually quite modest for someone who may have “worked towards it” for decades.

Miles & More account with Lifetime Senator status

Everything else remains the same. Invitations to frequent flyer events continue, and when comparing my regular Senator status with my grandfather’s, there’s no difference in invites or promotions. The main—and not insignificant—advantage is that from that point on, you no longer need to worry about qualifying points

Is Lifetime Senator Status Achievable?

With 40,000 qualifying points, the bar is set high if you don’t travel extensively for work. One or two personal vacation flights—even in business class—won’t get you very far.

Here’s a quick calculation for someone like me, who usually just manages to earn Senator status each year:

An international business flight—including outbound, return, and any connecting segments (even by train)—earns 480 qualifying points. Four such flights per year would put you just under the Senator threshold (1,920 points). Add two domestic return flights, or convert some premium miles into points, and you’d reach the goal.

Most people don’t fly long-haul business class four times a year. If it’s only three flights, you’d need to make up the missing points with something like 28 domestic return flights—that’s flying more than every other week.

If you manage this consistently for 20 years (40,000 points at 2,000 per year), you become a Lifetime Senator. By then, you might not even want to board another plane 😊.

For a small circle of true frequent flyers, the calculation looks different. Those who manage to reach HON Circle status for several years—earning at least 6,000 qualifying points with the Lufthansa Group—could become Lifetime Senators in well under 10 years. This would typically require around 13 long-haul business flights with connections each year. At that point, a second home near the destination might even make sense…

Much Ado About Nothing?

Of course, Senator status comes with perks that make flying more comfortable, and I won’t list them all here. Personally, I enjoy spending less time waiting at crowded gates, sleeping in a bit longer for early flights, and generally benefiting from faster lounge access.

However, I see only limited advantages in the Lufthansa Lifetime Senator status itself. In my grandfather’s case, he received it as he approached retirement and had already started flying less frequently. In the last 10 years, he probably flew fewer than 10 times.

The real benefit is likely limited to the small group of HON Circle members who can earn the required 40,000 qualifying points in 10 years or less and who can enjoy the Senator status while still actively traveling.

Miles & More is running the “Friends Fly Further” contest exclusively via the Uptrip app from July 16 to August 16, 2025 – and may have inadvertently hinted at its active user numbers.

Prizes to win:

• 1st place: €1,000 flight voucher
• 2nd place: €700 flight voucher
• 3rd place: €300 flight voucher
• 4th–50th place: One Joker Card (if not already owned) valued 10€
• 51st place and below: Entry into a prize draw for Sennheiser Momentum 4 Lufthansa Edition headphones

Is Uptrip revealing active user numbers?

Since integrating Uptrip into the Miles & More ecosystem, the company has been boasting rapid growth. In a recent LinkedIn post, they claimed the app already has almost 200,000 users.

But the total number of registered users doesn’t tell us how many are actually active. Competitions like the one above can lead to more sign-ups, but may also reduce the ratio of active to total users. In fact, Uptrip may have (unintentionally) given us a clue about its active user base.

To see why, we need to look closely at the contest mechanics and understand the ranking system. Uptrip’s leaderboard is clearly based on two factors:

1. Number of friends referred
2. Time of the most recent referrals

This means:

• The more referrals you have, the higher you rank.
• If multiple users have the same number of referrals, the one whose most recent referral was earlier ranks higher. A later referral pushes you down the list.

Example:
You have 4 referred friends and rank #25. Someone with 5 referrals ranks #15. If you then refer a new friend (bringing you to 5 total), you drop behind the existing 5-referral user – maybe to #16 – because your last referral was more recent.

Since even participants with “0” referrals are listed in the leaderboard, the newest sign-up always appears at the very bottom. As the contest has been running for nearly a month, the position of the most recent participant can give us a pretty good idea of how many people have actively logged in and joined over the past four weeks.

I tested this with two friends who signed up back-to-back on August 13:

Conclusion and Estimated Active Users of Uptrip

It’s quite clear: Uptrip gives us a hint about its active user numbers. Both test accounts were placed near the bottom, just under position 15,000. In my view, this provides a fairly good indication of the number of active Uptrip users.

Of course, one could debate the definition of “active users” and rightly point out that not every user participates in a contest. Still, this particular competition was very prominently featured in the app and promoted via social media. The roughly one-month registration period also makes the data meaningful.

If we generously round up to 20,000 active users, this would imply a maximum activity rate of around 10%, which, in my opinion, is actually a pretty decent outcome.

The Lufthansa Uptrip App – Explained

Uptrip is a loyalty app from the Lufthansa Group (Miles & More) that combines gamification with Web3 technology. Flights become digital collectible cards (NFTs) that you can scan or upload. You can then collect, trade, or complete collections and redeem them for rewards such as lounge access, upgrades, miles, or onboard Wi-Fi.
(Source: Uptrip, 2023)

Origins and Context

Uptrip was launched in spring 2023 by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub in Berlin. The project was designed as a complement to the existing Miles & More program, testing new technologies and playful engagement mechanics. Initially released as an MVP (Minimal Viable Product), it is now fully integrated into Miles & More – which, according to reports, has brought not only procedural changes but also a shift from a pilot project to an established offering.

Full integration means more professional workflows, greater reach, and a move from experimental concept to a regular part of the Miles & More ecosystem.
(Sources: Lufthansa Innovation Hub, 2023; Miles & More, 2024)

Target Audience – Younger, Digital, and Curious

The app targets a younger demographic – on average around ten years younger than typical Miles & More members (Source: Miles & More, LinkedIn post, 2024). By combining gamification with NFTs, Uptrip appeals to tech-savvy users who enjoy collecting and unlocking achievements.

Growth of Uptrip’s User Base

Exact user numbers are not shared regularly, so I looked back at older LinkedIn posts to get a sense of Uptrip’s growth over time:

• Spring 2023: ~20,000 users, 200,000 cards
• Late 2023: 70,000+ users, 1 million cards, 70,000 rewards
• Mid 2024: 100,000 users
• Current (2025): ~192,000 users and over 2.5 million cards
  (Sources: Miles & More, LinkedIn posts, 2023–2025)

This clearly shows rapid growth. Current promotions – such as the Friends Fly Further referral contest – will likely accelerate this trend even more. Based on these numbers, I’ve also analyzed Uptrip’s estimated active user base.

The shift from an innovation lab project to a fully integrated Miles & More app strongly suggests Lufthansa’s intention to establish Uptrip for the long term. And with more than 36 million Miles & More members, there’s still huge synergy potential.

Structure & Rewards

Uptrip offers numerous themed collections – for example:

• Travel the World (different cities)
• Lufthansa Fan (aircraft types, events)
• Keep Connected (digital services)

A collection is considered complete when you’ve gathered all its cards. Rewards vary by set and can include free Wi-Fi, lounge passes, miles, or even elite status benefits.

Experimental with Mixed Results

Uptrip still has an experimental edge: new collections and special events are appearing more regularly, but not all are perfectly executed. Past examples include limited events with very few available spots, or announced collections (such as Senator Status) that were later canceled or scaled down – in the Senator case, into a smaller giveaway.

Despite this, the concept remains dynamic and adaptable, with frequent adjustments and new trials.

Conclusion

Uptrip is a promising – and potentially fun – addition to the Miles & More program. It brings fresh energy, opens the door to new technologies, and connects with a younger audience. Personally, I’m curious to see how the concept evolves – and what unique collections and rewards Lufthansa has in store next.

For latest information: Uptrip Website