lufthansa seat assignment cost

Simple Flying

Lufthansa to charge for seat selection on economy light tickets.

Lufthansa will begin randomly allocating seats during check-in for base economy tickets.

In a bid to increase revenue, Lufthansa has introduced an 'amendment fee' for passengers looking to change their seat assignment. Those traveling Economy Light, the base fare, will now be randomly allocated a seat and have to pay to change this. This is the same system as Ryanair and other low-cost European airlines, albeit with a much higher seat fee.

A step down for travelers

First spotted by One Mile At A Time, Lufthansa has a new seating policy that brings it far closer to its budget competitors. Starting June 21st, the German carrier will charge a €25/$35 fee for anyone looking to change their seats in Economy Light. Currently, seat selection is free during check-in, 23 hours before the flight, and paid at any time before that.

However, from Wednesday, Lufthansa will randomly allocate a seat to you during check-in, potentially leaving you in a middle seat on a short, medium, or even long-haul flight. The €50/$70 'amendment' fee on roundtrip flights could be a huge factor for those choosing between full-service Lufthansa and low-cost airlines on shorter flights.

Notably, while Lufthansa has adopted the tactics of its competitors, the fees are drastically higher. For example, seat prices on Ryanair cost as little as €3 ($3.2) and rise to €14 ($15) for extra legroom options. At €25/$35, Lufthansa's prices are outrageous on a short-hop across Europe and can only be argued for a long-haul service.

What else do you get?

In reality, the differences between budget airlines and full-service ones keep reducing every day. Now, Lufthansa's biggest short-haul advantage remains that it flies in and out of Europe's biggest airports, which usually offer better connectivity and amenities. While frequent flyer and status miles are useful too, Economy Light fares usually only attract a percentage of the usual earnings.

Lufthansa points out that it includes one 8kg carry-on bag and snacks with its fare, two offerings that are chargeable in low-cost airlines. However, considering the usual fare difference between these airlines, passengers may be wise to see how much sense it is flying with a €25/$35 seat fee each way and no scope for refunds or changes.

However, the dynamic changes in medium- or long-haul flights, where the importance of padded seats and hot meals is much more. Even then, paying for every seat and piece of baggage may make other airlines seem more attractive.

Dealing with pressures

While Lufthansa uses the phrase "of course" while explaining the policy, the real reason behind the policy is obviously to boost revenues. Given the tough two years it has had, the carrier now wants to take advantage of returning passengers and maximize the ancillary products it sells. Sadly for passengers, it seems like the only thing to do is take a hard look at which flight to take and brace for a middle seat.

What do you think about Lufthansa's new seat policy? Let us know in the comments!

Source: One Mile At A Time

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Lufthansa Check-in

• Planes & Seat Maps

Does Lufthansa have online check-in?

• Yes, Lufthansa's Web Check-in allows you to check-in starting 23 hours before your flight departs. At online check-in you can choose your seat, print your boarding pass for your convenience, or have it sent to your mobile phone, at home, at the office or en route, for yourself or any other passengers you are traveling with, ages two and older.

Check in now for your Lufthansa flight

What are the requirements for using Web Check-in?

• • Check-in starting 23 hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. Check-in deadlines vary by airport.
• Check-in deadlines vary by airport. Click here for more information.
• You are not a special needs passenger (ie. Unaccompanied Minor).

Can I use Web Check-in if I have bags to check?

Yes, with online check-in you can now board faster, even if traveling with bags. If you are only traveling with hand luggage, you can continue directly to security and then on to your gate. Any other luggage can be checked in on the way to your flight at one of the designated Lufthansa baggage drop-off counters. Contact Lufthansa for more information.

Can I change/select my seat with Web Check-in?

As early as 23 hours before your flight departure, you can check in online, select your seat, and conveniently print your online boarding pass or have it sent to your mobile phone.

Online seat selection is free of charge from 23 hours before your flight departure.

For a charge, Economy class passengers can reserve seats in advance depending on their chosen fare or booking class.

Lufthansa HON Circle Members and Senators can reserve their seats in advance free of charge irrespective of their travel class. The only exception to this is if they book an Economy Class Light fare on a European flight.

Contact Lufthansa for more information.

If I plan to check in at the airport, how much time should I allot?

Lufthansa recommends you arrive at the airport 2 hours before your flight's scheduled departure. View Check-in Times

SeatGuru was created to help travelers choose the best seats and in-flight amenities.

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Lufthansa Review – Seats, Amenities, Customer Service, Baggage Fees & More

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Table of Contents

Frequent flyer program, ticketing options, lufthansa baggage and other fees/add-ons, how to avoid paying excess fees and expenses, lufthansa lounges, inflight inclusions, amenities, and seat specs, lufthansa customer satisfaction, final thoughts.

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Lufthansa is Europe’s only airline to be awarded 5-star status by Skytrax, which assesses airlines by their quality and safety standards.

With its main hub at Frankfurt Airport [FRA] in Frankfurt, Germany, Lufthansa is the largest European airline, serving destinations across its expansive network with Lufthansa Group partner airlines SWISS, Austrian Airlines, and Eurowings.

Airline : Lufthansa

Category : International airline

Frequent Flyer Program : Miles & More

Tagline : “Say yes to the world”

Number of Passengers Annually : 142 million

Fleet : 351

Main Hub : Frankfurt Airport (FRA)

Destinations : 18 domestic and 210 international destinations

Miles & More is Lufthansa’s loyalty program that rewards members with award miles when flying with partner airlines and through other purchases, such as car hire or hotel stays.

Status points can also be earned to gain exclusive privileges, such as priority check-in, increased baggage allowance, and upgrade vouchers.

Hot Tip:  If you’re looking to earn miles quickly for your next reward flight, check out our article on the best ways to earn lots of Lufthansa Miles & More miles .

Economy Fares

Premium economy fares, business class, first class, baggage fees.

Lufthansa has a standard piece concept, meaning passengers must adhere to the number of checked bags allocated to their fare type. The weight cannot be split across multiple pieces.

Lufthansa Carry-On Allowance

Economy and premium economy passengers may bring 1 standard carry-on, and business and first class passengers may bring 2. Each piece may weigh up to 17.6 pounds (8 kg) and measure up to 21.6 x 15.7 x 9 inches (55 x 40 x 23 cm).

All passengers may also bring 1 personal item measuring 11.8 x 15.7 x 3.9 inches (30 x 40 x 10 cm).

Lufthansa Checked Baggage Allowance

• Economy: 1 x 50 pound (23 kg) bag
• Premium Economy: 2 x 50 pound (23 kg) bags
• Business Class: 2 x 70 pound (32 kg) bags
• First Class: 3 x 70 pound (32 kg) bags

Additional / Excess Baggage Fees

Passengers that have purchased an Economy Light Fare may purchase 1 piece of luggage.

Passengers traveling to/from the U.S. or Canada may also purchase a second bag for €90 / $100 per way.

Additional Luggage for Other Fare Types

Hot Tip:  View more information (including excess baggage fees) in our dedicated article about Lufthansa’s baggage policy .

Other Fees and Add-Ons

Change/cancellation fees (cash tickets), for most destinations:.

• Changes: $300-$750
• Cancellations: $300-$750

Cancellation and change fees for flights to/the U.S. can range between $250-$1,000 (per passenger). For changes, any fare difference would also apply.

Hot Tip:  If you’ve booked an award flight, you can find out more pricing details in our article on airline cancellation and change fees for award flight bookings.

Reservation Service Fees

• Online: No fee
• Online for flights originating outside the U.S.: $16.50
• Call center: $20
• At the airport: $20

Secure Your Fare : $39 to hold the fare at its current price for up to 48 hours

Extra Legroom Seats

• To/from North and Central Africa as well as the Middle East: $65
• To/from Argentina, Brazil, Canada (Vancouver), China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, U.S. (Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco): $115
• All other flights: $100

Lufthansa FlyNet ® Internet

• 1 hour: €9/$10 or 3,500 miles
• 4 hours: €14/$15.50 or 4,500 miles
• Entire flight: €17/$19 or 5,500 miles

Sky Phone (Onboard Telephone) : $9.95 per minute

Unaccompanied Minor

• Domestic flights within Germany or Europe: $90
• Intercontinental flight: $165

Pet Transportation

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First Class Lounges

Senator lounges, business lounges.

Hot Tip:  For additional information, check out our piece on U.S. Lufthansa Lounges listing locations, hours, eligibility, and more.

Starting in the summer of 2021, Lufthansa will debut catering from Munich-based dean&david through Gate Gourmet with a price range of €2 to €12. Hot beverages and confectionery and patisserie specialties continue to be supplied by Munich-based Dallmayr.

Amenities include:

• Cushioned seats measuring nearly 16 inches (40 cm) on long-haul flights with adjustable headrests
• Touchscreen on long-haul flights with movies, music, and live sports
• Starting in spring 2021, a complimentary snack will no longer be served on short and medium-haul routes; passengers can purchase food or beverages at their leisure
• Blanket and pillow
• Wi-Fi (available to purchase)

Premium Economy

• Access to the Lufthansa lounge (for a fee)
• Welcome drink onboard
• Generously sized seat, recline, and legroom with up to 50% more space on all sides
• 11-12 inch touchscreen on long-haul flights with movies, music, and live sports
• Meal, snacks, and beverages, including alcohol (number of meals depends on flight duration)
• Dining on fine china tableware
• Bottled water at your seat

• Access to the Lufthansa lounge
• Priority boarding
• Welcome drink
• Middle seat remains free on short-haul flights
• Seat that converts into a lie-flat bed on long-haul flights (nearly 79 inches long)
• On-demand restaurant service dining, snacks, and beverages, including fine wines (number of meals depends on flight duration)
• Access to the welcome lounge

Lufthansa has 3 fits for first class, onboard the  747 , A380 , and on all other aircraft. Plus there are plans to install first class seats on new A350-900 planes in 2023.

• Personal assistant on arrival at your destination airport
• Valet parking at Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC) airports
• Limousine service
• Access to the lounge (including the First Class Terminal at Frankfurt airport)
• Up to 17-inch touchscreen on long-haul flights with movies, music, and live sports
• Amenity kit
• Flexible Michelin-quality fine dining, including caviar as a separate course (number of meals depends on flight duration)
• Snacks and beverages, including fine wines
• Privacy divider on some aircraft

Hot Tip: Read our review of Lufthansa first class  aboard the Boeing 747-830 from Boston to Frankfurt. Did it live up to expectations?

It’s uncommon to come across negative comments on Lufthansa’s Facebook page, which is not surprising since quite a few followers have posted that their negative comments have been removed — not the sign of a transparent and balanced attitude towards customer service.

Some passengers have questioned whether Lufthansa truly deserves its 5-star status, with complaints of old aircraft, lousy food, and poor service.

One critical factor for the Skytrax accreditation is the consistency of standards, and passenger reviews don’t support this. Passenger opinion is divided, either raving about their experience with Lufthansa or stating they will never fly the airline again. There are very few middle ground reviewers, and that’s what happens with a 5-star airline as the expectation is so high.

Germans are known for their efficiency and professionalism, and this is often the praise Lufthansa receives about its cabin crew, pilots, and ground staff assisting flight connections.

Most Common Complaints

No official statistics can be found on Germany’s Aviation Authority website lba.de .

Consumer Rankings, Ratings, Etc

Skytrax Ranking : 5-Star Airline (out of 5)

Skytrax Customer Rating : 6/10

Tripadvisor Airline Review Rating : 4/5 (average from 34,532 reviews)

Kayak Customer Rating : 7.9/10 (average from 27,390 reviews)

AirHelp.com Overall Rating : 7.52/10 (quality of amenities, on-time arrivals, and how well an airline resolves flight delay compensation claims)

Safety and Performance

Lufthansa has a 7/7 safety record according to AirlineRatings.com . This rating is assessed using information from the World’s Aviation Governing Body, government, and crash records, and takes into account whether an airline has an IATA Operational Safety Audit Certification.

Recent Awards

Skytrax world airline awards 2019.

• Best Airline in Europe
• Best Western European Airline

Like many European Airlines, 2018 and 2019 have been tough years for Lufthansa, with hesitant travelers due to the uncertainty of Brexit.

The airline’s long-haul services have remained profitable, so it’s unlikely Lufthansa will be going anywhere — especially with its 2.9% passenger growth in 2019, having transported 145 million passengers.

Lots of controversy surrounded the 5-star status Lufthansa was awarded in 2018, as it was based on the airline’s 777X cabin that hadn’t been launched at the time of the award. There’s no doubt about it, the new cabin concepts look amazing, and hopefully, they will live up to the 5-star rating.

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Since the flight is operated by Lufthansa you can't choose the seats on the United Website. You are redirected to the Lufthansa website. on the LH.com website you find a note :

"Conditions of your ticket do not allow for seat reservations on LH.com. Please contact our service center at:

1-800-645-3880 or select seats during check-in."

I called the number and the LH rep told me that an advanced seat reservation is $40 per seat, or get free seat assignments 23 hour before departure. I told her that I bought the more expensive ticket so that I can choose my seats. We are a family of four and want to sit together and we don't want to sit next to the lavatory. The LH rep basically told me that I can pay for the seats or complain with United.

Called back United, they said they can't do anything because the Lufthansa rules apply.

So here I paid United $150/ticket extra to get advanced seat assignments and then Lufthansa wants to charge me an additional fee of $40/ticket.

Basically the airlines want me to pay TWICE for ONE advanced seat assignment.

Any advice how to resolve this issue?

Other than pay Lufthansa to select seats, no. You can argue more with united that they didn’t make the seat assignment policy clear but I don’t think it’ll get you anywhere. Economy has more advantages over basic economy than just seat selection so I think United will say they provided what you bought, an economy ticket. You’re getting the free bag plus ability to change for the extra cost.

Fares have become very complicated as to what is included. You really have to check out all of the details before purchasing, as things change for many reasons. Domestic and international rules can be different, such as you get one free bag on UA for an international trip in Economy ( I believe BE pays $60 for the first bag) but not domestic, unless you fly in a higher class (BC or FC), have their credit card, or other status. Seat assignments are tricky as to when you get free seat assignments in advance and when you don't. Most European airlines seem to charge for advance seat assignments.

Certainly gets confusing but from my experiences with codeshares, especially on UA, I don't think you're going to win any arguments with UA or LH.

"With economy: Complimentary seat assignments are only offered when available on United and United Express flights . There may be a charge for Economy seat assignments on our partner airlines ."

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

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The Guide to Lufthansa Premium Economy

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Table of Contents

Lufthansa premium economy seats

Amenities and other perks in lufthansa premium economy, food and drink in lufthansa premium economy, lufthansa premium economy routes, lufthansa premium economy cost, final thoughts on lufthansa premium economy.

Passengers flying Lufthansa, a member of the Star Alliance, can pick between flying in a few different cabins when they take to the air. Depending on the route and flight selected, Lufthansa offers travelers economy, premium economy, business class and first class cabins.

If you’re considering flying Lufthansa’s premium economy, keep reading for our Lufthansa premium economy review.

A major benefit of flying Lufthansa premium economy is the extra legroom and space you’ll get compared with economy. Lufthansa premium economy seats offer 50% more room on all sides when compared with Lufthansa's economy class. Lufthansa’s premium economy seats offer 38 inches of pitch and a seat that is 18-19 inches wide, with 8 inches of recline.

Lufthansa’s premium economy seats offer a cocktail table at the armrest, which you can use for your pre-departure or in-flight beverage. The seats also come with a footrest, which we’ve found can make in-flight naps more comfortable. 

On top of the more spacious seats, there are a number of other amenities and perks that come with Lufthansa’s premium economy including:

11- or 12-inch inflight entertainment screen.

A nonalcoholic welcome drink, along with a bottle of mineral water waiting at your seat.

Meals served with fine china tableware.  

Two free pieces of luggage weighing up to about 50 pounds (23 kilograms) each. 

An amenity kit.

In addition to the amenities and perks above, Lufthansa’s premium economy cabin is located in the front half of the plane — meaning you’ll be one of the first group of passengers to exit the plane, which can help if you have tight connections. 

» Learn more: Air Canada versus Lufthansa

Unlike Lufthansa’s economy class, those flying Lufthansa’s premium economy are offered a dining and drink menu that they can order from during their flight. While the dishes and drink offerings vary depending on flight and route, Lufthansa's premium economy menu is based on cuisine from Central Europe.

Your food options on Lufthansa premium economy also vary by flight length:

On flights lasting less than 6 1/2 hours, you'll receive a main course, dessert and a snack (like a wrap).

On flights that are at least 6 1/2 hours, you’ll receive a main course, dessert and a cold breakfast before landing.

On flights that are at least nine hours, you’ll receive a main course, dessert, and a warm breakfast, such as an omelet, accompanied by freshly baked bread rolls. 

One thing to keep in mind is that Lufthansa no longer offers complimentary alcoholic beverages to passengers in premium economy. 

» Learn more: The guide to Lufthansa Airlines economy class

Lufthansa premium economy is currently offered on long-haul flights on the:

Airbus A380-800

Airbus A350-900.

Airbus A340-600.

Airbus A340-300.

Airbus A330-300.

Boeing 7474-8.

Boeing 747-400.

Depending on the aircraft, Lufthansa uses either 2-3-2 or 2-4-2 seat layout for its premium economy, meaning there are two seats by the windows and either three or four seats in the middle.

You can earn more Lufthansa Miles & More miles flying in Lufthansa premium economy than economy class, depending on the fare class you purchase. For a paid premium economy ticket, you’ll earn 1x miles for Class N fares and 1.5x miles for Class E and G bookings.

Depending on fare class, if you fly 2,000 miles for instance, you’d earn either 2,000 or 3,000 Miles & More miles.

With economy class tickets, you’d earn from 0.25x to 1.5x miles for the distance flown, depending on fare class. So while there are instances in which you can earn more miles flying economy class, you’ll usually earn more miles in premium economy.

» Learn more: The best Star Alliance program to earn miles

» Learn more:

The best Star Alliance program to earn miles

Lufthansa offers premium economy on long-haul routes, including between Munich/Frankfurt and the following cities:

Cape Town, South Africa.

Los Angeles.

The above isn’t a comprehensive list, so be sure to visit Lufthansa.com or search via Google Flights to check if a long-haul Lufthansa flight offers premium economy.

» Learn more: How to make the most of Lufthansa first class

The cost of a Lufthansa premium economy ticket varies depending on dates and routes, but last time we checked we found flights from:

$2,068 one way from Los Angeles to Munich (compared with $887 in economy).

$1,543 one way from Hong Kong to Frankfurt (compared with $657 in economy).

$2,434 one way from Munich to New York City’s JFK airport (compared with $474 in economy).

Given the significant price difference between economy and premium economy, we’d recommend booking Lufthansa premium economy only if you place a high value on extra space, elevated dining options on your flight and being toward the front of the aircraft.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

Lufthansa offers the chance to fly its premium economy cabin on long-haul flights, including to destinations like New York City, Miami and Tokyo. Some benefits of flying Lufthansa’s premium economy include 50% extra space (compared with economy seats), an elevated dining experience and seating toward the front of the aircraft.

While there are many benefits to flying premium economy on Lufthansa, you should keep in mind that premium economy tickets can be significantly more expensive than regular economy tickets.

(Top photo courtesy of Lufthansa)

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