Traveller reference · LH
Lufthansa
Star Alliance · IATA LH · two large German hubs, one of them enormous
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This page is a general reference written by our team. Baggage allowances, fees and policies are set by the airline and change without notice, so confirm anything that affects your trip with Lufthansa directly before you travel.
Official site: lufthansa.comLufthansa runs two hubs with quite different characters. Frankfurt is one of the largest transfer airports in Europe and can involve long walks, a passport queue and occasionally a bus to the aircraft. Munich is smaller, newer and consistently easier to connect through. Given a choice of routing at similar cost, Munich is usually the more comfortable option.
The airline sits at the centre of a group that includes Swiss, Austrian and Brussels Airlines, so a Lufthansa booking may well be flown by one of them. That affects the cabin product and occasionally the baggage rules, and it is worth knowing which airline actually operates each leg.
Lufthansa at a glance
- IATA code
- LH
- ICAO code
- DLH
- Based in
- Germany
- Alliance
- Star Alliance
- Type
- Full-service
- Frequent flyer
- Miles & More
Cabins
- Economy
- Premium Economy
- Business
- First
Main bases
- FRA · Frankfurt
- MUC
How Lufthansa baggage works
Lufthansa organises allowance by cabin and fare tier, with the Economy Light fare being the restricted entry option that typically excludes a checked bag. Miles & More status and Star Alliance tier add entitlements.
Long-haul tickets generally follow a piece system with a weight ceiling per bag. Intra-European flying is where the fare tiers matter most, because the cheapest tier is genuinely hand-baggage only.
Where a leg is operated by Swiss, Austrian or another group airline, confirm whose rules apply to that segment on lufthansa.com.
Check-in
Online check-in typically opens 23 hours before departure, slightly earlier than the 24-hour convention most US carriers use.
Frankfurt's bag-drop and gate cutoffs deserve respect. Passport control for non-Schengen departures adds time that is easy to underestimate, and gates at the far end of a pier can be a long way from security.
Boarding
Boarding is by group, ordered by cabin and status. Lufthansa has been moving toward more structured group boarding across the network.
At Frankfurt in particular, some departures board by bus from a remote stand. When that happens the process takes longer than a jetbridge departure, and the boarding time on the pass is the one to work to.
Before you fly Lufthansa
Prefer Munich over Frankfurt for a connection
If your itinerary offers either at a similar price, Munich is the smaller and more predictable transfer. Frankfurt is manageable but unforgiving of a short layover.
Economy Light usually has no checked bag
It is the fare that makes Lufthansa look competitive on a comparison site. Check what it includes before treating it as equivalent to a standard fare.
Know which group airline is flying you
A Lufthansa flight number can be operated by Swiss, Austrian, Brussels or a regional partner, with a different cabin product from the one you pictured.
Planning a trip rather than researching a carrier?
Our route and airport guides cover the journey itself — when demand peaks, which airports work, and how long the connection really takes.
FAQ
Lufthansa — common questions
General guidance only. Lufthansa sets these policies and can change them, so confirm anything that affects your trip at lufthansa.com.
Is Frankfurt or Munich better for a connection?
Munich, in most cases. It is smaller, newer and laid out more compactly, so transfers are quicker and less prone to going wrong. Frankfurt handles more traffic and more destinations, but connections there can involve long walks, non-Schengen passport control and sometimes a bus to a remote stand. If both routings cost similarly, Munich is the easier trip.
What is Lufthansa Economy Light?
It is the restricted entry fare, typically without a checked bag included and with limited change rights. On intra-European routes especially, it is what makes the airline appear cheap on a comparison page. Confirm what your specific fare includes before comparing it against another carrier's standard economy.
When does Lufthansa check-in open?
Usually 23 hours before departure, which is an hour earlier than the 24-hour rule most US carriers follow — a small difference that matters if you are trying to check in at the first opportunity for seat selection.