Passengers with sensory impairment
Lufthansa provides special services for passengers with hearing or visual impairments or with cognitive disabilities before, during and after the flight.
Booking and reservation
When you book your trip, you can help us to provide the service you need on the ground and during your flight. We require some advance information from you so that we can ensure your comfort at the airport and on board our aircraft. Please let us know by telephone what assistance you require. You can also register your assistance requirements after booking online. When booking tickets by telephone or at a travel agency, please indicate your needs before completing the booking. Please let us know what assistance you require at least 48 hours before departure to ensure you receive the best support. We can no longer guarantee the best assistance and support if you register at shorter notice.
Please note that, in principle, you are free to choose the seat that best meets your requirements. Please note, however, that for safety reasons there may be restrictions on your choice. Almost all seats on the Lufthansa fleet have moveable armrests which make access to your seat easier. If you wish to use a seating device on your seat, then for safety reasons we must check the device beforehand. In such cases, please contact our Medical Operation Centre.
In addition, we can transport up to two mobility aids (e.g. wheelchair or walking frame) free of charge either in the cabin or in the hold.
Services in detail
As a visually impaired passenger you do not need to have an assessment of your fitness for air travel. We offer visually impaired passengers the following assistance:
- Separate briefing in the event of delays and other important travel announcements
- Other assistance, such as being escorted at the airport
- Separate, individual safety briefings
- Explanations of the arrangement of food on the meal tray
- Our staff will also be happy to help you at your destination or if you need to change flights. They will accompany you to the airport exit or look after you until your connecting flight. For longer stopovers in Frankfurt or Munich we have set up a waiting lounge and can take visually impaired passengers there.
We offer the following assistance to hearing-impaired passengers:
- Separate briefing in the event of delays and other important travel announcements
- Separate, individual safety briefings
- Films with German and English subtitles
- Our staff will also be happy to help you at your destination or if you need to change flights. They will accompany you to the airport exit or look after you until your connecting flight. For longer stopovers in Frankfurt or Munich we have set up a waiting lounge and can take hearing-impaired passengers there.
In principle, Lufthansa carries passengers with a cognitive impairment. However, it is important to note the following points:
- The routes through international airports are often long and complicated and passengers may have difficulty finding their way around and communicating. Security, customs and police checkpoints may cause stress and anxiety.
- It is absolutely imperative that the passenger is able to follow the crew’s safety instructions during the flight, in the event of turbulence.
- The coping abilities of a person with a cognitive impairment should not be overestimated. In the case of specific impairments which lead to confusion or disorientation (e.g. Alzheimer’s), there is a risk that the passenger will not pay attention to the safety instructions issued by the flight attendants. In addition, unforeseen consequences may occur if the passenger disembarks from their flight without supervision as they could get lost in the airport buildings or within the airport perimeter and become increasingly confused. If this is a risk for the passenger, we strongly recommend that someone travels with them.
Assistance dogs
You can take an assistance dog with you on any route free of charge. However, certain requirements must be met in order for you to take your dog into the cabin. We have summarised all the information about the carriage of assistance dogs for you on the following page.
Travel companions
Please note that a travel companion is required in the following cases:
- if the passenger cannot help themselves in the event of an evacuation
- if the passenger cannot communicate with flight attendants about safety instructions
- if the passenger cannot understand or follow the safety demonstration
Our staff cannot provide the following services:
- Providing assistance in the toilet
- Lifting of carrying passengers
- Assisting passengers with meals
- Administering medicines or supervising the taking of medicines