Lufthansa Miles & More is implementing some changes to the program’s award chart. As the program announced on its Web site, “On 3 January 2011 some changes will be made to Miles & More flight awards–and some will be better.” The rest of that sentence of course, which was not mentioned, is that some changes will be for the worse. The cost of business and first class intercontinental award flights will be increasing. For example, between Europe and North America, previously the rates were 90,000 and 140,000 miles and the new rate is 105,000 and 170,000 miles. Mileage rates between Europe and South America, South Africa and the Far East are also increasing in business and first class. The three-region award is increasing from 160,000 to 185,000 in business class and from 180,000 to 290,000 in first class. And the Round the World awards are increasing in business class–280,000 to 325,000 and in first class–325,000 to 480,000 miles. In other bad news for members, the 3,000-mile discount to book awards online will end.

There is also some good news: two stopovers will be allowed per award and one-way awards are now 50 percent of a roundtrip award instead of 75 percent. There will no longer be a same-day award penalty of 10,000 miles. Upgrades and economy awards and all continental and European domestic award flight levels remain unchanged. Visit http://insideflyerus.wpengine.com/link/?3682 to learn more.

Bottom line: Business and first class intercontinental awards have risen 20 percent. Miles & More chose to give members just around one month’s notice about the changes; however, the news trickled out through FlyerTalk.com and was available for several days before being officially announced by Miles & More.