Lufthansa is Germany’s flag carrier and the largest airline within Lufthansa Group, the holding company that also owns SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Discover Airlines, plus a 41% stake in ITA Airways it has agreed to raise to 90%, pending regulatory approval.
This page tracks the airline’s most important recent news and pairs it with a durable reference guide covering fares, baggage, fleet, cabins and loyalty.
Latest Lufthansa updates
Last updated: 12 August 2026.
Lufthansa fares right now
Before you commit to a date, it helps to see what Lufthansa is actually charging. The figures below come from Wego’s own metasearch data: cheapest return economy fares for Lufthansa-operated itineraries departing Frankfurt (FRA) on 23 September 2026 and returning 30 September 2026, sampled on 12 August 2026, in US dollars.
Two of these routes need a caveat. On Dubai and Tokyo, the cheapest fare Wego attributes to Lufthansa is an interline itinerary.
The Dubai routing connects through Cairo and Baku on partner metal, and the Tokyo routing connects through Hong Kong on a Hong Kong Express-operated segment. Lufthansa flies the Frankfurt legs, but you are not on a Lufthansa aircraft for the whole journey on either route.
Fares move constantly with demand and fuel surcharges, so treat these as a dated snapshot and check current prices on Wego before booking. Frankfurt is one of Lufthansa’s two mainline hubs and is used here as the sample origin, with Munich also carrying nonstop long-haul services.
Baggage allowance, fees and what’s included
Lufthansa sells fares in tiered bundles, each carrying its own baggage allowance. We break down what a ticket includes in what’s included in a Lufthansa ticket, and the headline allowances are below.
Excess and oversized bag fees vary sharply by route, from roughly 50 to 100 euros within Europe to 150 to 550 euros on intercontinental sectors.
Fare-brand rules change and vary by route, so always confirm the exact allowance attached to your booking before you pack.
Fleet and aircraft
Mainline Lufthansa German Airlines operated around 274 aircraft as of mid-2026, spanning Airbus A320-family, A330, A340, A350 and A380 jets alongside Boeing 747-400, 747-8 and 787 types.
- Around 737 aircraft across Lufthansa Group, including SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Discover and ITA Airways, with an average Group fleet age of about 14 years.
- Airbus A340-600s retire by October 2026, with the Boeing 747-400s progressively grounded as part of the fuel-efficiency push.
- Boeing 787-9s and Airbus A350s are joining the mainline fleet, several fitted with the Allegris cabin.
Lufthansa has ordered the Boeing 777-9, but that aircraft has not yet entered mainline passenger service. Note that the Group figure is well over twice the mainline count, so check which one a headline refers to.
Hubs and network
Mainline Lufthansa operates from two hubs in Germany: Frankfurt, its largest base and long-haul gateway, and Munich, its second hub and a growing long-haul base in its own right.
Zoom out to Group level and the picture is much bigger. Across the Group’s airlines and their hubs in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Italy, it offers more than 14,000 weekly connections to around 330 destinations in roughly 100 countries.
That network figure belongs to the whole Group, and mainline Lufthansa’s own network is smaller. It will keep shifting as the Group completes its agreed majority stake in ITA Airways and pursues a stake in TAP Air Portugal.
Cabins and the Allegris product
Allegris is Lufthansa’s newest long-haul cabin, covering First Class suites, Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy, and it is rolling out aircraft by aircraft.
By the end of 2026, Lufthansa expects roughly 35 aircraft departing Frankfurt and Munich to carry Allegris, a small fraction of the mainline long-haul fleet.
Whether you fly Allegris depends on the specific aircraft assigned to your flight number on the day, so check the aircraft type shown at booking. Older Business Class and Premium Economy configurations remain standard on most other long-haul aircraft for now.
Miles & More loyalty programme
Miles & More covers SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and other Group carriers, and it plugs into Star Alliance, of which Lufthansa is a founding member. Since 2024 the programme has run on Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points, replacing the old status-miles system.
- Frequent Traveller, roughly Star Alliance Silver benefits.
- Senator, Star Alliance Gold, with broader lounge access and upgrade priority.
- HON Circle Member, the top invitation-level tier, with perks such as Frankfurt’s First Class Terminal.
Exact qualification thresholds are reviewed periodically, so check the current requirements on Miles & More before planning a status run.
Check-in, boarding and how to change or cancel a booking
Online and app check-in typically opens 23 hours before departure, with airport check-in and bag drop closing shortly before boarding, usually 45 minutes for European flights and up to an hour for intercontinental ones.
Seat selection is free on some fare brands and a paid extra on others, and it is generally available from booking up to check-in, subject to seat map availability.
To change or cancel, manage the booking through the “My bookings” section of lufthansa.com or the Lufthansa app, or call the service centre for your country. Fee-free changes and rebooking are typically offered automatically when Lufthansa cancels or significantly delays a flight, as it is doing for passengers caught by the Barcelona ground-handling strike.
Compensation rules depend on the specific EU or UK regulation in play for your route. For where Lufthansa sits against its peers on safety, see Wego’s guide to the safest airlines in Europe.
Frequently asked questions
Is Lufthansa the same as Lufthansa Group?
No. Lufthansa German Airlines is the mainline carrier based in Frankfurt and Munich, while Lufthansa Group is the parent that also owns SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Discover Airlines.
The Group holds a 41% stake in ITA Airways it has agreed to raise to 90%, and has a pending bid for a stake in TAP Air Portugal. Its fleet, destination and financial figures are several times larger than mainline alone.
What is Allegris and will my flight have it?
Allegris is Lufthansa’s newest long-haul cabin across First, Business, Premium Economy and Economy. It is on a growing but still limited set of aircraft, expected to reach around 35 mainline long-haul jets by the end of 2026, so it is not on every long-haul flight. Check the aircraft type shown at booking to confirm.
Which hub should I fly through, Frankfurt or Munich?
Frankfurt is Lufthansa’s largest hub with the broadest long-haul network, while Munich is the smaller but fast-growing second hub. Either works well for connections. Munich tends to have shorter minimum connection times and a newer terminal, while Frankfurt has more frequency and route choice.
Is Lufthansa currently affected by strikes?
As of 12 August 2026, Lufthansa’s own cockpit and cabin unions are not on strike. Separately, an indefinite ground-handling strike by the contractor Groundforce at Barcelona Airport, which began on 4 August 2026 with no announced end date, is disrupting Group flights there. Always check your specific flight status before travelling.
Is Lufthansa a safe airline?
Lufthansa has a strong long-term safety record among major European carriers. For a full comparative look, see our guide to the safest airlines in Europe.
How do I check in and select a seat on Lufthansa?
Online and app check-in usually opens 23 hours before departure. Seat selection is free on some fare brands and paid on others, and can typically be added any time from booking through check-in, subject to availability.
Sources
- Lufthansa Group newsroom (second-quarter 2026 revenue, adjusted EBIT, fuel and strike costs, full-year guidance)
- FlightGlobal (mainline Lufthansa Airlines quarterly loss and the turnaround programme target)
- Lufthansa Group newsroom (binding bid for a minority stake in TAP Air Portugal)
- Lufthansa Group newsroom (Edelweiss and Lufthansa City Airlines leadership changes)
- Lufthansa eXperts (Barcelona strike disruption notice, rebooking and refund offer)
- LoyaltyLobby (indefinite strike start date, staff numbers and minimum-service levels)
- Lufthansa published fare and baggage information (allowances by fare brand and cabin, cabin bag sizing, excess fee ranges, check-in windows)
- Wego flight search (cheapest Lufthansa-operated return economy fares from Frankfurt, sampled 12 August 2026)
Fares in this article are a dated sample from Wego and may have changed since 12 August 2026. Always check current prices and booking conditions on Wego or lufthansa.com before travelling.
