Free baggage rules at Lufthansa

Make sure you have attached your name and (mobile) telephone number to each piece of baggage (on the inside and outside) before checking it in at the airport. Bag tags and/or stickers for your baggage items are available free of charge at the check-in counter. You are also welcome to use your own bag tags. In addition, print out the following contact form, fill it out, and place it inside your item of baggage.

Please observe the baggage check-in deadlines for your respective travel class and airport.

The data collected by Lufthansa is generally used to fulfil the contract of carriage you have with us. It includes both passenger and baggage data. To ensure the onward transportation of your baggage with other airlines, as well as its timely processing at airports, we pass data on to the airlines and airports concerned. In addition, we support the German Customs authorities in the fulfilment of their legal duties by allowing limited access to selected data.

You can check your free baggage allowance in just a few steps with our baggage calculator – based on route, travel class and fare. You’ll also find prices and dimensions for the carriage of optional baggage there. Your permitted free baggage allowance is also indicated on your ticket/passenger receipt.

¹ IATA rules stipulate that the following countries belong to Europe: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark (excl. Greenland), Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway (+ Svalbard & Jan Mayen), Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Republic of North Macedonia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russia (European part – west of the Urals, i.e. Moscow – DME, St Petersburg – LED), San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City.

These rules also apply to flights between Baku and Ashgabat.

You can check your free baggage allowance in just a few steps with our baggage calculator – based on route, travel class and fare. There you’ll also find prices and dimensions for the carriage of optional baggage. Your permitted free baggage allowance is also shown on your ticket/passenger receipt.

Passengers travelling in Economy, Premium Economy, Business or First Class have the option of booking additional items of baggage for a fee at the Lufthansa service counter at the airport, by calling the Service Center or online themselves under “My Bookings”.

This also applies to additional items of baggage that exceed the permitted maximum weight and size for the different travel classes.

If you are travelling on the Economy Class Light fare, you have the option of booking one item of baggage per route, weighing up to 23 kg, online for a fee. The outbound and return flights each count as one route, even if a connection is involved. Once payment has been made, the baggage charge cannot be refunded or offset.

On flights between Europe and the USA/Canada on the Economy Light fare, a second item of baggage can be added to the booking for a fee at the Lufthansa service counter at the airport.

If you wish to check in a larger, heavier or additional item of baggage, the flat rates per additional item of baggage apply to the Economy Class Light fare.

If you are travelling on the Light Fare, you cannot take any sports baggage (e.g. skis, snowboarding equipment, etc.) free of charge as your booked item of baggage or in addition to your booked item of baggage.

If you are travelling on the Economy Class Light fare, you have the option of booking one item of baggage per route, weighing up to 23 kg, online for a fee. The outbound and return flights each count as one route, even if a connection is involved. Once payment has been made, the baggage charge cannot be refunded or offset.

You can check your free baggage allowance in just a few steps with our baggage calculator – based on route, travel class and fare. You can also find there the prices and maximum allowed weight and dimensions of additional baggage, excess baggage, and sports baggage.

For HON Circle Members, Senators and Star Alliance Gold customers on intercontinental flights, the first item of baggage on the Economy Light fare is free of charge and can only be declared at the check-in counter. If the first item of baggage on the Economy Light fare is booked online, at the Service Center or via a travel agency, corresponding charges will apply.

You can check your free baggage allowance in just a few steps with our baggage calculator – based on route, travel class, status and fare. You’ll also find prices and permitted maximum weight and dimensions for the carriage of optional baggage there.

• Irrespective of the booked travel class (except for the Economy Light fare), the route and their Miles & More status, babies (0–2 years) are entitled to a free allowance of one item of baggage up to a maximum of 23 kg and 158 cm (width + height + depth).
• Children over 2 years have the same free baggage allowance as adults in each travel class.
• If you are travelling with children aged between 2 and 7, you also have the option of bringing your own child restraint system. If a child restraint system is used for a child aged under 2, you must purchase a separate seat for the child.
• One suitable child seat, baby basket, foldable pushchair (1), foldable bicycle trailer or handcart or a baby back carrier can be carried free of charge per child as additional carry-on baggage. These will be labelled accordingly during check-in and transported in the cargo hold. You can take so-called "pocket buggies" on board with you as part of your permitted carry-on baggage allowance.
• If you wish to take a foldable buggy, pushchair¹ or baby back carrier with you as far as the gate, please find out more about it here.

¹ Please note that it must be a fully foldable travel pushchair.

You can check your free baggage allowance in just a few steps with our baggage calculator – based on route, travel class and fare. You’ll also find prices and permitted maximum weight and dimensions for the carriage of optional baggage there.

Please note: On the Economy Light fare, only the accompanying adult can book an item of baggage as an extra. Further items of baggage must be purchased as ​excess baggage.

If you have booked a connecting flight, in most cases your baggage can be checked through to your final destination. That means your baggage will automatically be transported to your destination airport without you having to do anything when connecting to another flight.

Baggage cannot be checked through, if:

• there is a change of airport at the transfer location,
  
• there are operational and local restrictions,
  
• if the customs regulations of the transit country require that you collect your bags yourself from Baggage Reclaim, take them through Customs and then check them in again.
  

Example: passengers entering India/USA/Canada on an intercontinental flight, who have booked an onward flight within those countries, are required to collect their bags from Baggage Reclaim during the stopover, take them through Customs and then check them in again at a check-in counter or bag drop-off counter.

When booking a journey with more than one airline, the baggage regulations of the airline flying the ​most significant route of the itinerary (usually the longest geographical route), and under whose flight number this route was booked, shall apply. For these purposes it is irrelevant which airline actually operates the flight.

The baggage regulations always apply up to the point at which you interrupt your journey for more than 24 hours (stopover).

Example: you have booked a round-trip flight from Vienna to Johannesburg with connections in Munich and Frankfurt.

Your outbound flight:

• From Vienna to Munich with flight number OS 115 (OS = Austrian Airlines), operated by Austrian Airlines.
• Continue without a stopover from Munich to Johannesburg with flight number LH 9542 (LH = Lufthansa), operated by South African Airways.

The baggage regulations for your outbound flight therefore comply with Lufthansa’s baggage regulations.

Your return flight:

• From Johannesburg to Frankfurt with flight number SA 7573 (SA = South African Airways), operated by Lufthansa.
• Continue without a stopover from Frankfurt to Vienna with flight number OS 7260 (OS = Austrian Airlines), operated by Lufthansa.

The baggage regulations for your return flight therefore comply with South African Airways’ baggage regulations.

The following baggage regulations apply to flights from, to or via the USA/Canada as defined under the consumer protection laws of the US and Canadian authorities (US Department of Transportation and the Canadian Transportation Agency):

• For all legs of a journey to/from or via the USA or Canada, consistent baggage regulations must be adhered to (e.g. free baggage allowance, size/weight of the baggage, carry-on baggage).
• The baggage rules set by the airline which is listed first on the ticket are those that usually apply in these cases. If Lufthansa is listed on the first flight segment of your ticket, Lufthansa’s baggage regulations will apply to your entire journey (outbound and return flight). Rules on carry-on baggage may vary (local laws).
• Exception: Airlines listed first on the ticket can transfer the determination of regulations to the "relevant carrier" (Most Significant Carrier rule). Lufthansa therefore cannot guarantee that, for a Lufthansa-issued ticket, the Lufthansa baggage rules will always apply (other airlines often have different baggage rules).
• Details of the free baggage allowance for your specific flight are shown on your ticket and in the email confirmation from Lufthansa.

On flights to the USA, locked baggage items may be forcibly opened by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) for monitoring purposes or if the baggage is deemed suspicious. For this reason, a TSA-approved bag lock is recommended. Further information on TSA procedures is available at http://www.tsa.gov.