On long-haul flights, Lufthansa has offered an Economy Light fare for many years. This fare typically includes only carry-on baggage. Any checked suitcase must be paid for separately.
Many airlines have already gone further and extended this kind of unbundling to Business Class as well. Now Lufthansa is following that trend. Starting Tuesday, March 17, there will also be Premium Economy Light and Business Light fares, available on numerous long-haul flights worldwide.
The new fares mainly involve reduced checked baggage allowances. In Business Class, only 1 × 32 kg of checked baggage will be included (instead of 2 × 32 kg). In Premium Economy, it will be 1 × 23 kg (instead of 2 × 23 kg). In addition, seat reservations in Business Class will no longer be included.
Here are the key details of the new long-haul fares:
Business Class Light
- Checked baggage: 1 × 32 kg (instead of 2 × 32 kg)
- Carry-on: 2 × 8 kg + personal item (unchanged)
- Seat reservation: about €80–€120 (previously included)
- Changes: possible, but with a higher fee than before
- Refunds: not possible
Premium Economy Light
- Checked baggage: 1 × 23 kg (instead of 2 × 23 kg)
- Carry-on: 8 kg + personal item (unchanged)
- Seat reservation: from €45 (as before)
- Changes: possible, but with a higher fee than before
- Refunds: not possible
The new Light fares will be introduced simultaneously at Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, Austrian Airlines, Discover Airlines, and Brussels Airlines.
For now, they will only be available on selected routes to/from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and South America. North America will initially be excluded, as will Japan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, and Australia.
Seat Reservations Become Chargeable, even for Status Members
Frequent flyer status holders might think: “Not too bad. With status you get more baggage allowance, and as a Senator you also get free seat selection.”
This is exactly where Lufthansa has now made changes. Indeed, the baggage allowance still increases for Star Alliance Gold members (including Senator and HON Circle) to:
- 2 × 32 kg in Business Class
- 2 × 23 kg in Premium Economy
However, regarding seat reservations:
Even for HON Circle Members, Senators, and Star Alliance Gold members, the seat reservation fee will apply in the Light fare.
Source: Lufthansa communication to distribution partners
This marks a departure from the previous policy. Even in the long-haul Economy Light fare, Senators and HON Circle members currently still benefit from free seat selection, including exit row seats. It’s possible that the above rule may soon also apply to Economy tickets, although no official information has been announced yet.
Bottom Line
The initial reaction to the announcement was: It could have been much worse. For example, at Finnair, the cheapest Business fare no longer includes any checked baggage or lounge access.
Other airlines like KLM and Qatar Airways have also become stricter and removed lounge access from certain Business Class fares. And the move away from free seat reservations had already been expected, especially with Lufthansa’s new Allegris cabin, where most seats carry an extra charge.
However, one thing stands out as particularly problematic: even status customers must now pay for seat reservations. As a result, the airline’s most loyal customers have less incentive to remain loyal to Lufthansa.
Translated by Ditmar