Axis Miles & More Transfers: Skip Lufthansa After Surcharge Hike
Updated as of 6 Oct 2026. Transfer ratios from Axis Travel EDGE. Rupee values use our FX sheet (5 Oct 2026, €1 = ₹108.11).
On 23 Sep 2026 Axis quietly reshuffled its transfer partners overnight. There was no press release and no email. Lufthansa’s Miles & More arrived in Group B, and Air India, Flying Blue and Qantas moved to Group A. The same night Axis added Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and Hilton Honors, brought Accor back at a worse ratio, and dropped Club ITC. If you’ve moved EDGE Miles to Miles & More since then, or you’re about to, read this first. On 5 Oct Lufthansa raised its award surcharges for the third time this year, and that changes where those miles are worth spending.
Axis to Miles & More: the ratios
| Card | Axis points → M&M miles |
|---|---|
| Olympus (Citi-Axis) | 1 : 4 |
| Atlas, Horizon | 1 : 1 |
| Burgundy Private, Magnus for Burgundy | 5 : 4 |
| Magnus, Reserve | 5 : 2 |
| IOCL | 2 : 1 |
| Select, Privilege, Rewards | 10 : 1 |
| Other Axis cards | 20 : 1 |
Why Group B matters now
Axis caps Group A partners much more tightly than Group B. On Atlas, you can send only 30,000 EDGE Miles a year to Group A, against 1,20,000 to Group B. With Air India and Flying Blue now in Group A, Miles & More is one of the few large airline programmes you can still feed in volume.
- Olympus: 50,000 points fill the full 2,00,000-mile M&M cap.
- Atlas: the 1,20,000 Group B cap runs out before the M&M cap does.
- Magnus and Reserve: 5:2 is weak. Transfer only for a specific booking.
The catch: Lufthansa surcharges went up again
Miles & More adds carrier surcharges to Lufthansa Group awards, and on 5 Oct 2026 those surcharges rose for the third time in 2026. Lufthansa made no announcement; the new amounts simply appeared at booking. The award terms only say awards are “subject to taxes, fees, Miles & More airline partner surcharges”.
| Business award from Frankfurt | Before 5 Oct | After 5 Oct | ≈ ₹ now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt–Shanghai | €620 | €815 | ₹88,100 |
| Frankfurt–Tokyo, return | €629 | €799 | ₹86,400 |
| Frankfurt–New York | €1,330 | €1,495 | ₹1,61,600 |
| Frankfurt–Cape Town | €530 | €645 | ₹69,700 |
Since February, surcharges are up about 61% in business and 86% in first, while jet fuel prices actually fell. We couldn’t find a published India–Frankfurt figure after the hike. Going by the Asia routes above, budget roughly €350–450 (₹38,000–49,000) one-way in business from Delhi or Mumbai on Lufthansa, and check the real number on miles-and-more.com before you transfer.
Two more things changed this year. Since June 2025, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian awards are priced dynamically, so the miles follow the cash fare. Since late May 2026, standard awards come as “Light” fares with less baggage and no free seat selection.
Where M&M miles still work from India
| Use | Miles (one-way) | Cash on top | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air India to Europe, business | About 62,500 (partner chart) | Low Air India surcharge | Best Group B use, if award seats show |
| Singapore Airlines, United (not transatlantic) | Partner chart | No carrier surcharge | Good |
| Within the subcontinent | 17,500 / 30,000 / 40,000 (Y / J / F) | Taxes only on most partners | Fine for short hops |
| Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian | Dynamic | €350–450+ (est.) | Avoid after 5 Oct |
Want Lufthansa business anyway? Use Air Canada Aeroplan, which doesn’t pass on Lufthansa’s surcharges. Delhi to Frankfurt, Zurich or Vienna is 40,000 points in business on its current chart (check Mumbai and Bengaluru, which may fall in the next distance band). Aeroplan is a Group A partner at Axis, so it eats into your smaller Group A cap. Spend that cap here, and use Miles & More for Air India and other partners. More routes in our business-class sweet spots from India.
Already transferred?
- Transfers can’t be reversed, so don’t book Lufthansa metal in a panic.
- Search Air India, Singapore and United awards on miles-and-more.com first.
- Miles & More miles normally expire after 36 months, so you have time to wait for partner space.
- Transfer only for a booking you’ve found. The 2,00,000-mile cap resets each year.
DealUni take
Miles & More in Group B is good news for Olympus and Atlas holders, because it gives you a big outlet now that Air India and Flying Blue are capped. Just don’t spend those miles on Lufthansa’s own flights after this hike. Fly Air India, Singapore or United with them, and keep Aeroplan for Lufthansa, SWISS or Austrian business.
Miles free hain, surcharge nahi. (The miles are free; the surcharge isn’t.)
