CDMX → BER · All available airlines · 4 Round Trips / Year
Calculator for the
Mating with Jenn
Complete credit card ROI analysis for every airline flying Mexico City to Berlin. No nonstop exists — all routes require one connection. Move the sliders to see the ranking shift live.
01
Your Route Options: MEX → BER
Lufthansa · Star Alliance
MEX → FRA/MUC → BER
Most frequencies on this route. Direct MEX–FRA then FRA–BER with Lufthansa on same ticket. Miles & More card earns 2 mi/€ since you're flying LH metal the whole way.
Loyalty: Miles & More (M&M)
Turkish Airlines · SkyTeam partner
MEX → IST → BER
Often cheapest option. TK not in a major alliance. Istanbul layover can be 6–12h (free hotel if >12h). Loyalty: Turkish Miles&Smiles. Not transferable to Flying Blue.
Loyalty: Miles&Smiles (TK)
KLM · SkyTeam
MEX → AMS → BER
Strong SkyTeam option. KLM Crown Lounge AMS with Flying Blue Visa card. AMS layover typically 2–3h.
Loyalty: Flying Blue (AF/KLM)
Air France · SkyTeam
MEX → CDG → BER
Same Flying Blue program as KLM. AF Lounge CDG included with Flying Blue Visa card.
Loyalty: Flying Blue (AF/KLM)
Iberia / British Airways · Oneworld
MEX → MAD/LHR → BER
Iberia is strong MEX–MAD. Avios (shared with BA/Qatar) are valuable for Business class. No German card in the market for Avios currently — requires US/UK/ES card or credit card transfer.
Loyalty: Avios (IB / BA)
Aeromexico · SkyTeam
MEX → [hub] → BER
AM Rewards points can book KLM/AF to BER — 30% cheaper than Flying Blue rates for same seats. But booking requires phone call. Salón Premier MEX useful at departure.
Loyalty: Aeromexico Rewards
02
Assumptions
Route
MEX → BER
Connections
1 (no nonstop)
Cabin
Economy
Annual trips
4 round trips
FB mile value
1.3¢
M&M mile value
1.5¢ (on LH)
Avios value
1.4¢
TK Mi&Sm value
1.3¢
EUR/USD
1.08
MXN/USD
18.3
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Live Calculator
Ticket price adjustment1.0× base prices
Low season (−43%)Peak season (+71%)
Using each airline's own avg price
LH: $1,050
AF/KLM: $1,050
Iberia: $1,080
AM/TK: $1,100
Daily spending (annual, EUR)€0 / yr
€0€30,000 / yr
Monthly equiv: €0/mo
ROI view:
Year 1 (with welcome bonus)
Year 2+ (recurring only)
3-yr average
Year 1: Includes one-time welcome bonuses. Bonuses are real value but only occur once — especially important for Amex cards where the welcome bonus dominates Year 1 ROI.
Best card ROI
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Cards positive ROI
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Best for LH route
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Best for AF/KLM route
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Live Ranking — All Cards, All Airlines
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Net ROI by Card
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Full Comparison Table
| # | Card / Issuer | Country | Earn on flights | Best for airline | Program | Real mi/USD | Lounge | Annual fee | Net ROI | Pro / Con |
|---|
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Program Deep Dive — Redemption by Airline
Each program is compared only against the airline(s) where those points can actually be used for MEX → BER. No cross-program comparisons.
Miles & More → Lufthansa
Commerzbank · Germany · Star Alliance
✈ Fly with:
· Lufthansa (direct MEX–FRA, FRA–BER)
· Swiss (via ZRH)
· Austrian (via VIE)
· All Star Alliance partners
· Swiss (via ZRH)
· Austrian (via VIE)
· All Star Alliance partners
Earn on LH Group flights2 mi/€ ✓
Earn on AF/KLM flights1 mi/€ (lower)
Mile value on LH~1.5¢ (economy avg)
Mile value on LH Business~2.0¢ (excellent)
Economy RT MEX–BER via LH~55,000 mi
Short-haul EU RT (FRA–BER)~10,000 mi ✓ best
Annual fee€55/yr
Key insight: If you fly Lufthansa, this card earns 2 mi/€ — double the rate it earns on AF/KLM. The €55 fee is the lowest of any card in the group. Short-haul FRA→BER redemptions (~10k mi) are the fastest win since they're reachable in ~1.4 years of your trips. M&M miles cannot be used on AF/KLM.
Flying Blue → Air France / KLM
BNP Paribas · Germany · SkyTeam
✈ Fly with:
· Air France (MEX–CDG–BER)
· KLM (MEX–AMS–BER)
· All SkyTeam partners
· KLM (MEX–AMS–BER)
· All SkyTeam partners
Earn on AF/KLM flights3 mi/€ ✓ highest
Earn on other travel1.5 mi/€
Mile value~1.3¢/mi
Promo Award Economy RT37,500 mi (−25%)
LoungeCDG (AF) + AMS (KLM)
Annual fee€75/yr
Key insight: Best earn rate on AF/KLM flights (3 mi/€). Monthly Promo Awards can cut redemption cost to 37,500 mi RT — reachable in Year 1 with this card. MEX–Europe via CDG or AMS is well-served. Cannot earn at this rate on Lufthansa tickets.
Miles&Smiles → Turkish Airlines
No German/MX card — earn through TK flights
✈ Fly with:
· Turkish Airlines (MEX–IST–BER)
· No major alliance (TK is independent)
· No major alliance (TK is independent)
Earn on TK flightsDistance-based
Credit card that earns M&SNone in DE or MX
Mile value~1.3¢ (domestic TK value)
Economy RT MEX–IST–BER~60,000–80,000 mi
Free hotel (layover >12h)Yes ✓ 4-star
Transfer from Amex MRYes (MR → M&S)
Key insight: Turkish is often the cheapest option (~$850–1,000 RT) but no German or Mexican card earns Miles&Smiles directly. You'd earn through TK flights themselves or transfer Amex MR points to M&S. The free Istanbul hotel for layovers over 12h is a genuine perk. For card strategy purposes, TK route is best paired with a card that earns transferable points (Amex Platinum DE → transfer to M&S).
Avios → Iberia / British Airways
Via Amex MR / Citi TY transfer · Oneworld
✈ Fly with:
· Iberia (MEX–MAD–BER, excellent value)
· British Airways (MEX–LHR–BER)
· All Oneworld partners
· British Airways (MEX–LHR–BER)
· All Oneworld partners
Economy RT MEX–BER via IB (off-peak)~50,000 Avios
Business RT MEX–BER via IB (off-peak)~68,000 Avios
Avios value~1.4¢/mi (TPG 2026)
Transfer from Amex MR DEYes (MR → Avios 1:1)
Transfer from Citi TYYes (TY → Avios)
Taxes vs. BAMuch lower via IB ✓
Key insight: Iberia Avios are one of the best Oneworld redemptions for MEX–Europe. Business class from ~68k Avios off-peak is exceptional value (~2¢/Avios). No German or Mexican card earns Avios directly — but both Amex Platinum DE and Banamex Élite (via Citi TY) can transfer points to Avios. Always book through Iberia.com (not BA) to pay lower taxes.
Aeromexico Rewards → AM + SkyTeam
BBVA · Mexico · SkyTeam
✈ Fly with:
· Aeromexico (MEX–FRA via codeshare)
· KLM (MEX–AMS–BER) — 30% cheaper than FB
· Air France (MEX–CDG–BER) — dynamic pricing
· Delta (via US hub)
· KLM (MEX–AMS–BER) — 30% cheaper than FB
· Air France (MEX–CDG–BER) — dynamic pricing
· Delta (via US hub)
Earn on AM flights2–3 pts/MXN
Point value~1.0¢/pt
Economy RT on KLM via AM Rewards~30% cheaper than FB ✓
Partner bookingPhone only (no online)
Salón Premier MEX✓ included
Annual fee~$2,800 MXN/yr
Key insight: AM Rewards points can book KLM/AF seats at ~30% lower mile cost than Flying Blue charges for the same seats. This is a genuine arbitrage. Downside: all SkyTeam partner bookings require a phone call. Best strategy: search on KLM.com for availability, then call AM Rewards to book.
08
What Is a "Free RT via Promo Awards"?
Flying Blue Promo Awards is a monthly promotion from Air France–KLM where redemptions on selected routes are discounted by up to 25%. Instead of 50,000 miles for a MEX–Europe Economy round-trip, you pay as few as 37,500 miles. MEX–CDG/AMS appears regularly — including January 2026 for Premium Economy.
STEP 01
Accumulate miles
Use the AF/KLM Flying Blue Visa on AF or KLM tickets. At 3 mi/€, 4 round trips generates ~12,000 spend miles + 5,000 welcome = 17,222 mi in Year 1.
STEP 02
Watch for Promo Awards
Flying Blue publishes monthly Promo Awards on the 1st of each month at flyingblue.com. Set a calendar reminder. MEX routes appear several times a year.
STEP 03
Redeem at 25% off
When your route is featured, book a round trip for 37,500 miles instead of 50,000. You pay ~$300 USD in taxes. The flight itself is covered by miles.
STEP 04
The net result
4 paid trips generated enough miles for a 5th trip. You pay ~$300 in taxes for a ticket worth ~$1,050–1,100 USD. Effective saving: ~$750.
37,500 mi
Needed for Promo Economy RT (MEX–CDG/AMS)
~$300 USD
Taxes & fees paid at redemption
~$750 USD
Effective saving vs. buying the same ticket
Important: Promo seats sell out within hours of release on the 1st. Miles must already be in your account. The 25% discount applies to miles cost, not taxes. Taxes for MEX–CDG/AMS are typically $200–400 USD depending on dates.
09
What Changes With Daily Spending?
When you add daily expenses — groceries, restaurants, subscriptions — onto these cards, the equation shifts significantly. Use the slider above to see the live effect.
AF/KLM Flying Blue Visa (DE)
Earns 1.5 mi/€ on all non-AF/KLM purchases. Positive ROI from €0 in daily spend.
Stays #1 until: ~€21k/yr
Amex Platinum DE
Earns 0.8 mi/€ on everything. High fee but broad earn coverage. Break-even point:
Break-even: ~€7,700/yr
Beats FB Visa at: ~€21k/yr
Miles & More Gold (DE)
If you fly Lufthansa, daily earn at 1 mi/€ adds up. Low €55 fee = stays positive throughout.
Always positive ROI ✓