Lufthansa Group has started the process of integrating its new purchase – ITA Airways – into itself. And there is a lot of the menu, so strap in//
All one happy fleet.
Frequent Flyer programme
Miles & More members can earn and redeem miles on all ITA Airways flights with immediate effect. At the same time, members of the ITA Airways frequent flyer program Volare can earn and redeem their points on all flights operated by Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines.
As usual, you’ll need to update your bookings appropriately so that the miles are credited to the correct programme.
Terminal Co-Location
On the 30th of March, ITA Airways will move to Terminal 1 in Frankfurt and into Terminal 2 in Munich, bringing them into the same terminals as Lufthansa operates. This is to allow for easier transfers and reduced transit times.
At all other hubs of the group, as well as in Rome-Fiumicino and Milan-Linate, the Lufthansa Group airlines already offer their flights in the same terminal areas as ITA Airways.
Check when you travel, as you might pop out somewhere you’re not familiar with.
Codesharing and Coordinating flights
With the start of the summer flight schedule, more than 100 flight connections will initially share their flight numbers and can thus be more easily combined.
These code-shares make it possible to combine flights of different airlines in the group into a single booking. Once fully implemented, this code-sharing will give ITA Airways passengers access to over 250 destinations of the Lufthansa Group. For passengers of the Lufthansa Group airlines, the offer will be expanded to include ITA Airways domestic flights to Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria and Puglia.
All codeshare connections can be booked from 25 February through all global sales channels, including online and via the Lufthansa Group and ITA Airways apps.
Meanwhile, flight connections between the Lufthansa Group’s hubs (Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Brussels) and ITA Airways’ two main airports (Rome and Milan) will be optimised to give better distribution throughout the day to offer passengers more travel flexibility, whilst reducing waiting times and improving connections.
Check your bookings if you have them.
Lounges
Starting from the 30 March, ITA Airways passengers will also be able to visit and use the approximately 130 lounges of the Lufthansa Group and its partners on their travels. The lounges of ITA Airways will also be open to Lufthansa Group passengers from this date.
Star Alliance Exit planned for 2026
For those ITA Airways Frequent Flyers, this may be the big one with negotiations underway to admit ITA Airways into Star Alliance.
Preparations have already begun. ITA Airways’ official accession to the Star Alliance is planned for the first half of 2026. Accordingly, ITA Airways already initiated the withdrawal from the SkyTeam alliance.
In Quotes
Carsten Spohr, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, says: “
Now that ITA Airways has become a member of our airline family a few days ago, we want to push ahead with the merger quickly, so that ITA and its passengers, as well as the guests of our other passenger airlines, can quickly benefit from the advantages of an expanded Lufthansa Group. We are also confident that ITA Airways will realize a profit as early as this year. All in all, we are convinced that today, the start of the integration of ITA Airways into the Lufthansa Group, marks the beginning of a joint success story for customers, employees and shareholders of ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group.”
All change!
For those who thought when ITA Airways was purchased by Lufthansa Group that things would stay the same… you’re sorely mistaken. With ITA Airways 41% controlled by Lufthansa Group, it’s seeking to bring in its control, economies of scale and use its facilities, whilst offering some integrations carrots to its customers.
For those ITA Airways frequent flyers who want to fly SkyTeam airlines, it could be time to start planning those last redemptions and racking up the status.
Why? Once a certain airline has more control, Miles and More will be an inevitability…
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