In April, the Lufthansa Group introduced a revised fare structure for intra-European flights. The most significant shift was the launch of the Economy Basic fare, positioned below Economy Light. Passengers choosing this entry-level ticket are restricted to a single small personal item measuring up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm. Bringing a standard overhead carry-on trolley incurs an extra surcharge of at least €15 (when booked online in advance) or €60 (if paid at the departure gate).
Until now, this fare has only been available on select European routes. That is about to change. As Lufthansa announced, the Basic fare will be rolled out across all European routes starting October 6, 2026. This will affect all short-haul flights operated by Lufthansa, Lufthansa City Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti, and Discover Airlines.
Since April, it has become evident that the new Basic fare is primarily a disguised price hike. Baseline fares have not become noticeably cheaper; instead, passengers who need more than a small shoulder bag or laptop bag are forced to pay extra. Therefore, it may be worthwhile to lock in any pending European flight bookings before October 5 to secure the old Light conditions with an included trolley.
An exhaustive list of routes currently featuring the Basic fare does not exist publicly. For instance, Munich to Hamburg currently offers both Basic and Light, while Munich to Berlin only offers Light and above. There has been no transparent pattern behind the rollout—though that will soon be moot anyway.
To date, the price difference between Basic and Light is typically around €10. As a result, booking Basic currently only makes sense for frequent flyers who (courtesy of Star Alliance Gold status) can still bring a full-size carry-on free of charge. Whether this status benefit remains untouched indefinitely is doubtful.
Dynamic Pricing for Baggage, Seat Selection & More
This coincides with another update: over the coming months, the Lufthansa Group plans to pilot a dynamic pricing model for ancillary services such as checked baggage and seat selection. Fees will fluctuate depending on the point of sale, time of booking, or sales channel.
Lufthansa appears to have already removed its online baggage calculator as a precautionary step. Previously, passengers could look up the cost of extra luggage by simply entering their route. Now, these fees cannot be viewed without an active booking session.
Eurowings has already adopted this dynamic model. In some cases, checked luggage prices fluctuate if searched from a different device or checked a few hours later. This makes comparing prices across airlines and flights significantly more opaque.
EU Aims to Improve Price Transparency
Regardless, a new EU directive is expected to take effect in the coming year. Under the proposed rules, airlines would be required to display prices including a standard overhead cabin bag from the very first booking step. While the exact regulatory enforcement remains to be finalized, the European Parliament and Council agreement from June 2026 states:
To create price transparency, air fares including allowance for a piece of hand baggage shall be displayed by default before the start of any booking process to facilitate fare comparisons between airlines.
If implemented as announced, Lufthansa will no longer be permitted to advertise stripped-down Basic prices as headline fares, even if they remain selectable later in the booking flow. You can read more about the upcoming EU passenger rights reforms here:
Source: Lufthansa communication to travel trade partners