When traveling with Lufthansa, your cabin and check-in baggage allowances will vary according to your route of travel, and your selected class of travel/fare type.
In this article, I explain Lufthansa’s cabin and check-in luggage allowances based on Lufthansa’s two zones of travel – Europe or Intercontinental. I describe Lufthansa’s free baggage allowances and how you can purchase any additional baggage allowance that you may require.
As with all airlines, Lufthansa may change its baggage rules and allowances at short notice, so please consult the Lufthansa website for any latest information, and carefully check the conditions of travel before you book and confirm your ticket.
Lufthansa Baggage Size
Lufthansa Carry On Size
The maximum permitted dimensions for cabin baggage items are as follows:
| Item | Height/cm | Width/cm | Depth/cm |
| Carry-on baggage | 55 | 40 | 23 |
| Foldable garment bag/pushchair, or trolley (in lieu of a carry-on bag) | 57 | 54 | 15 |
| Personal item | 40 | 30 | 10 |
Lufthansa Check-in Baggage Size
The maximum permitted dimensions total of a single item of check-in baggage is 158cm (width X + height Y + depth Z).
Source: Lufthansa
The maximum permitted free weight allowance of each check-in baggage item is 23kg in Economy and Premium Economy classes, and 32kg in Business and First Class.
Baggage items that are larger than these limits will need to be carried as excess baggage, and a fee will be payable.
Lufthansa Flights Within Europe
Free Baggage Allowances
Your free baggage allowances when traveling with Lufthansa within Europe depend on your class of travel, and when flying Economy Class, these allowances also depend on your chosen fare type:
- Economy Lite – one item of carry-on baggage weighing up to 8kg.
- Economy Classic and Economy Flex – one item of carry-on baggage weighing up to 8kg, and one item of check-in baggage weighing up to 23kg.
- Business Class – two items of carry-on baggage each weighing up to 8kg, and two items of check-in baggage each weighing up to 32kg.
Trolleys, foldable clothes bags, or foldable pushchairs count as carry-on baggage.
In addition, you can take one personal item with you such as a laptop bag, handbag, or shopping bag.
Additional Baggage Charges
Economy Lite passengers can purchase 23kg of check-in baggage as follows:
- First bag – €25 online, or €50 at check-in or at the boarding gate.
- Additional bags – €65 online, or €80 at check-in.
Economy Class passengers can purchase an additional 23kg of check-in baggage at a price of €65 online, or €80 at the check-in counter.
Business Class passengers can purchase an additional 32kg of check-in baggage at a price of €65 online, or €80 at the check-in counter.
Lufthansa Intercontinental Flights
Free Baggage Allowances
Your free baggage allowances when traveling with Lufthansa on an intercontinental route depend on your class of travel, and when flying Economy Class, they also depend on your chosen fare type:
- Economy Lite – one item of carry-on baggage weighing up to 8kg.
- Economy – one item of carry-on baggage weighing up to 8kg, and one item of check-in baggage weighing up to 23kg.
- Premium Economy – one item of carry-on baggage weighing up to 8kg, and two items of check-in baggage each weighing up to 23kg.
- Business Class – two items of carry-on baggage each weighing up to 8kg, and two items of check-in baggage each weighing up to 32kg.
- First Class – two items of carry-on baggage each weighing up to 8kg, and three items of check-in baggage each weighing up to 32kg.
In addition, you can take one personal item with you such as a laptop bag, handbag, or shopping bag.
Additional Baggage Charges
The fees for any baggage in addition to your free allowance vary by the length of your route. To demonstrate the typical scale of charges I checked the one-way fees for two different Lufthansa routes – Munich to New York, and Munich to Sydney.
Munich – New York Economy Lite passengers can purchase 23kg check-in baggage as follows:
- First bag – €65 online, or at check-in.
- Second bag – €80 online, or €90 at check-in.
- Additional bags – €160 online, or €200 at check-in.
Munich – New York Economy Class passengers can purchase an additional 23kg of check-in baggage as follows:
- Second bag – €80 online, or €90 at check-in.
- Additional bags – €160 online, or €200 at check-in.
Munich – New York Business Class and First Class passengers can purchase an additional 32kg of check-in baggage at a price of €160 online, or €200 at check-in.
Munich – Sydney Economy Lite and Economy Class passengers can purchase an additional 23kg of check-in baggage for €200 online, or €250 at check-in.
Munich – Sydney Business Class and First Class passengers can purchase an additional 32kg of check-in baggage at a price of €200 online, or €250 at check-in.
The Lufthansa website includes a ‘Baggage Calculator’ where you can input an origin, destination, and class of travel/fare type, and it will provide details of the free baggage allowance and the charges for any additional or excess baggage.
Baggage calculator | Lufthansa
Lufthansa Excess Baggage
Overview
Excess baggage is charged at flat rates if your number of check-in bags corresponds to your allowance, but your bags exceed your permitted weight and/or dimensions, or if your number of check-in bags exceeds your allowance.
In Economy and Premium Economy Class, an item of baggage is considered to be excess baggage when it weighs more than 23kg (up to the permitted maximum weight of 32 kg) and/or its combined dimensions are larger than 158cm (width X + height Y + depth Z), up to a maximum permitted value of 292cm.
In Business and First Class, an item of baggage is considered to be excess baggage when its combined dimensions are larger than 158cm, up to a maximum permitted value of 292cm. For Business and First Class, the single item maximum weight allowance of 32kg matches Lufthansa’s maximum permitted check-in bag weight.
Excess Baggage Fees – Europe
The minimum fees for excess baggage, per passenger, are as follows:
| Economy Lite | Economy | Business Class | |
| Larger or heavier | €50 to €130 | €50 to €130 | €50 to €130 |
| Larger and heavier | €100 to €180 | €100 to €180 | N/A |
Excess Baggage Fees – Intercontinental
The minimum fees for excess baggage, per item, vary by your route of travel and range from €120 to €550 per passenger.
Sports Items
On some routes in Europe, Lufthansa allows a free winter sports allowance for all passengers, except those passengers traveling on Economy Lite fares. The free allowance includes one pair of skis, or one snowboard, plus one other item such as a pair of ski poles or snowboard boots. The maximum weight and dimensions are 23kg and 200cm respectively, per person. You may take a winter sports helmet as well.
For other routes and other sports equipment such as bicycles, diving gear, surfboards, golfing equipment, hang gliders, etc. Lufthansa levies a charge. Please contact Lufthansa directly to enquire about the fees applicable to your equipment and itinerary.
Musical Instruments
You can take a musical instrument with you into the aircraft cabin free of charge, in lieu of a carry-on bag, as long as its dimensions do not exceed 55 x 40 x 23cm (height x width x depth) and its weight does not exceed 8kg.
In exceptional cases, and not guaranteed, you may be able to take slightly larger instruments into the aircraft cabin as long as these can fit in the overhead locker.
If your musical instrument exceeds the dimensions stated above, you must book an additional seat at the same time you book your own ticket via the Lufthansa Service Center. Ticketed musical instruments in the cabin must not exceed the following dimension and weight specifications:
- 155 x 42 x 25cm (height x width x depth) for musical instruments that stand in the cabin.
- 110 x 42 x 50cm (height x width x depth) for musical instruments strapped to a seat.
- Maximum weight 75kg.
Prices for taking your musical instrument are variable and need to be confirmed with Lufthansa.
Traveling With Infants and Children
Except for Economy Light fares, babies (0–2 years) are entitled to one item of check-in baggage up to a maximum of 23kg and 158cm (width + height + depth).
Children over 2 years have the same free baggage allowance as adults in each travel class.
Suitable child seats, baby baskets, foldable pushchairs, or ‘pocket buggies’ may be taken on board as additional carry-on baggage free of charge.
Miles & More Frequent Flyer Program
If you are a member of the Star Alliance Miles & More frequent flyer program you gain additional free baggage allowances when traveling with Lufthansa, depending on your status. More details can be found here:
Benefits for frequent flyers compared | Miles & More (miles-and-more.com)
Conclusion
When traveling with Lufthansa your cabin and check-in baggage allowances will vary according to your route of travel, and your selected class of travel/fare type.
All passengers are allowed one free personal item and at least one carry-on item in the cabin.
Free check-in baggage allowances are provided for all passengers, except for passengers traveling on Economy Lite fares. The number of check-in bags allowed and the weight of check-in bags varies according to travel class. All passengers have the option to purchase an additional check-in baggage allowance if required.
