ITA Airways to Join Miles & More, Reshaping Global Rewards

ITA Airways is preparing a sweeping overhaul of its loyalty offering, with industry reports indicating that the Italian carrier’s Volare program will be folded into Lufthansa Group’s Miles & More from April 2026, marking one of the most significant frequent flyer shake-ups in Europe in years.

A Strategic Loyalty Pivot for Italy’s Flag Carrier

The impending move into Miles & More comes as ITA Airways accelerates its integration into the Lufthansa Group and finalizes its exit from SkyTeam ahead of a planned entry into Star Alliance in 2026. Publicly available information shows that Volare, ITA’s standalone loyalty scheme, is slated to end by March 31, 2026, paving the way for a full transition to Miles & More as the principal rewards platform from April.

Travel industry analyses describe the change as a pivotal shift for the Rome based airline, which has been steadily aligning schedules, codeshares, and premium services with Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. The loyalty migration is viewed as the final step in bringing ITA fully into the Lufthansa ecosystem, allowing customers to engage with a unified status and mileage framework rather than juggling separate programs.

Market watchers note that the timing is also closely linked to ITA’s anticipated admission into Star Alliance during the first half of 2026. By anchoring its frequent flyer proposition in Miles & More ahead of that milestone, ITA positions itself to offer a more seamless experience once full alliance wide recognition of status, lounge access, and partner earning is in place.

For Italy’s aviation market, the change underscores how quickly ITA has shifted away from its original SkyTeam centric model. Analysts point out that, within a few years, the airline will have moved from a regional loyalty approach to one tied into one of the largest and most established frequent flyer schemes in Europe.

What Changes for Volare Members From April 2026

For the 2.7 million plus members of Volare, the most visible impact is expected to arrive around the end of March 2026, when ITA’s proprietary program is scheduled to close to new accruals and redemptions. Travel and loyalty publications report that balances will not simply disappear; instead, they are widely expected to be converted or migrated into Miles & More as part of a controlled transition.

While final conversion ratios and timelines have not yet been publicly detailed, guidance from similar migrations within the Lufthansa Group suggests that members should anticipate a defined window for account alignment, status mapping, and point transfers. Industry observers expect ITA and Lufthansa Group to communicate specific charts and deadlines well before the March cutoff to minimize uncertainty for frequent flyers.

Elite status recognition is likely to be a key concern for Volare’s most loyal travelers. Publicly available information on ongoing benefit harmonization shows that many premium services such as priority check in, extra baggage, preferred seating, and reciprocal recognition are already being aligned between ITA and Lufthansa Group carriers. From April 2026, these privileges are expected to be formalized within the standard Miles & More tier structure, which ranges from Frequent Traveller to Senator and HON Circle Member.

Travel experts advise Volare members who are approaching a tier threshold to monitor their 2025 and early 2026 travel patterns carefully. Given that qualifying activity is already crediting to Miles & More on ITA flights, passengers may find that much of their existing flying will count toward their future status once the program switch becomes official.

Expanded Global Reach for Miles & More Members

For existing Miles & More customers, ITA’s full onboarding from April 2026 promises a substantial expansion of practical earning and redemption opportunities to and from Italy and beyond. Since early 2025, members have already been able to earn and redeem miles, along with Points and Qualifying Points, on ITA operated routes across Europe, North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The difference from 2026 is that ITA will no longer be a partial or transitional partner but a fully integrated pillar of the network.

Once the April rollover is complete, Miles & More members booking ITA flights are expected to see consistent accrual rules, status benefits, and award availability that match those already in place with Lufthansa Group’s core airlines. Travel trade coverage indicates that coordinated schedules between hubs such as Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna, Brussels, Rome, and Milan are designed to make it easier to build complex itineraries while earning in a single currency and tier system.

Loyalty analysts suggest that this integration could be especially attractive for travelers based in Southern Europe, who will gain a stronger link between Italy’s domestic and regional network and long haul routes operated by the wider group. For North American, Middle Eastern, and Asian passengers, the shift means more options to route through Rome and Milan using a familiar loyalty framework, rather than relying on one off bilateral agreements.

Corporate travel managers are also expected to benefit, as Italy’s flag carrier becomes more firmly embedded in group wide corporate rewards and contracting structures. Public program documentation already shows ITA appearing in Lufthansa Group’s corporate loyalty and bonus schemes, a trend likely to be reinforced once Miles & More becomes the airline’s sole loyalty platform.

Competitive Shockwaves Across Europe’s Loyalty Landscape

ITA’s full scale adoption of Miles & More from April 2026 is being read by analysts as a clear competitive signal in Europe’s fiercely contested loyalty market. With Air France KLM’s Flying Blue and IAG’s Avios based ecosystem already vying for traveler attention, the emergence of a strengthened Italy centered pillar within Miles & More adds fresh pressure in both the Mediterranean and long haul connecting segments.

Industry commentary notes that SkyTeam and its members will lose not only ITA’s feed and capacity, but also the associated loyalty flows from Italian based corporates and high value leisure travelers. As Volare is wound down and ITA’s residual SkyTeam links are phased out, competitors may need to rely more heavily on other partners in Southern Europe to maintain coverage and customer lock in.

Lufthansa Group’s strategy, as reflected in public financial and integration reports, has emphasized the importance of loyalty as a revenue stabilizer and a mechanism to deepen customer relationships. Bringing ITA’s customer base into Miles & More gives the group a new opportunity to sell co branded credit cards, status accelerators, and bundled products tailored to Italian and broader Mediterranean markets.

Observers suggest that the move could also intensify competition on transatlantic and Europe to South America corridors, where ITA and Lufthansa Group partners already operate alongside SkyTeam and oneworld rivals. As award space, upgrade instruments, and promotional campaigns are harmonized under Miles & More, travelers may find that loyalty considerations become a more decisive factor when choosing routings through Rome, Frankfurt, or Paris.

What Travelers Should Do Ahead of the Switch

With the April 2026 transition now firmly on the horizon, loyalty experts recommend that ITA customers begin preparing well in advance. One practical step is to ensure that future bookings on ITA carry a Miles & More number rather than relying solely on Volare, especially for travel close to the March 31 cutoff date.

Travelers who hold balances in Volare are also encouraged by analysts to track any official guidance on conversion rules, particularly for premium cabin redemptions and partner awards. Experience from prior program mergers suggests that certain sweet spots may disappear or become less favorable after migration, creating an incentive to use existing Volare balances for high value trips before the program shuts to new activity.

For those already active in Miles & More, the months leading up to April 2026 may present an opportunity to strategically route through Rome or Milan on ITA metal to build status and miles ahead of the broader Star Alliance integration. Reports indicate that status earning on ITA flights is already recognized within Miles & More, meaning that flying now can have benefits that extend well into the post merger period.

As with any large scale loyalty change, there is some uncertainty over the finer details. However, the direction of travel is clear: from April 2026, ITA Airways is set to operate as a fully fledged Miles & More airline, offering travelers a single, globally recognized currency for earning and redeeming rewards across an increasingly extensive network.