Lufthansa's baggage allowance trips up plenty of travellers because what you can bring with you changes depending on your fare and specific route. Someone sitting next to you on the flight can have a different baggage allowance. Also, it's easy to assume a bag is included in your fare when it isn't. So make sure you know what your fare includes to avoid paying surprise baggage fees at the airport.
- Every Lufthansa cabin bag is capped at 8kg and 55 x 40 x 23cm, plus a personal item of 40 x 30 x 15cm. Economy Basic on short and medium routes gives you the personal item only.
- Checked allowance depends on your fare and your route. Within Europe it runs from none on Basic and Light fares to one 23kg bag on Comfort and Flex, and intercontinental it goes up to three 32kg bags in First.
- A checked bag can weigh up to 23kg in Economy and Premium Economy, or 32kg in Business and First, and measure up to 158cm. Anything over 32kg isn't accepted and has to go as air freight.
- Always check your exact allowance in Lufthansa's baggage calculator or on your ticket, because it changes with your fare, your route and your Miles & More status.
What is the Lufthansa hand luggage allowance?
Every passenger gets a personal item (up to 40 x 30 x 15cm) that fits under the seat, and most fares add one or two cabin bags in addition to this, each up to 8kg and 55 x 40 x 23cm.
Cabin bag allowance
Lufthansa weighs cabin bags at the gate on busy routes, so the 8kg limit is real, not a guideline.
What happens if your cabin bag is too big, or the flight is full
If your cabin bag is over the size or weight rules, Lufthansa takes it at check-in or at the gate and checks it to the hold for a fee. That fee runs from $75 to $125 (€60 to €110). This is more expensive than booking a checked bag in advance, and you can only pay by card.
On very full flights, even a compliant cabin bag may have to go in the hold. If this is the case, Lufthansa will email you beforehand and let you drop it at check-in for free.
In both cases, take your valuables, medication and battery devices like phones, laptops and power banks into the cabin with you.
Adding a cabin bag on an Economy Basic fare
Economy Basic on short and medium routes is the only fare without a free cabin bag, so it's the only one you'd buy one for. Every other fare already includes at least one, as the table above shows.
- How to add it: book the cabin bag online or through the Service Center, not at the airport. Any extra checked bags you add yourself in My Bookings, Lufthansa's online manage-booking area.
- How much it costs: the price depends on your route, so check Lufthansa's baggage calculator for the exact amount.
- What size it can be: a standard cabin bag, up to 8kg and 55 x 40 x 23cm.
Lufthansa checked baggage allowance
Your checked baggage allowance depends on your fare and whether you're flying within Europe or intercontinentally. Economy bags can be up to 23kg each, and Business and First bags can be as much as 32kg each. The lowest fares include no free checked bag at all.
Each checked bag can measure up to 158cm, which is the width, height and depth added together.
Free checked baggage on flights within Europe
Free checked baggage on intercontinental flights
How do you add extra checked bags with Lufthansa?
You add extra bags for a fee, and it's cheaper to book them before you get to the airport.
- Where to add them: online in My Bookings, at the airport service counter, or by phone through the Service Center.
- What you pay: Lufthansa charges route-based flat rates rather than one fixed price, so check Lufthansa's baggage calculator to see your exact fee. Some airports add local taxes in addition to the fee.
- How many you can add: this depends on your route and aircraft. The baggage calculator shows what's available for your flight.
When does a bag count as excess?
- In Economy and Premium Economy, excess baggage is anything over 23kg (up to a 32kg maximum) or over 158cm (up to a 292cm maximum).
- In Business and First, where the weight limit is already 32kg, an excess bag is anything over 158cm (up to 292cm).
A bag over 32kg, or over 292cm, is too heavy or too large to check as normal luggage, so send it as air freight through Lufthansa Cargo.
Extra baggage for Miles & More and Star Alliance Gold members
HON Circle, Senator and Star Alliance Gold members get one extra free bag, and where it applies depends on your route:
- Within Europe, on an Economy Basic fare: one free cabin bag on top of your personal item (but not a second cabin bag).
- Intercontinental: one extra free checked bag, which is your first bag on Economy Light, or a second bag on Premium Economy Light and Business Light fares.
This intercontinental benefit doesn't apply to flights to or from Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon or Syria.
Lufthansa baggage allowance for babies and children
A baby under 2 gets one free checked bag (up to 23kg and 158cm) on every fare except Economy Basic short and medium-haul and Economy Light. A child over 2 gets the same allowance as an adult.
Per child, you can also check one piece of baby equipment free, on top of your allowance, including: a child seat, baby basket, foldable pushchair, bicycle trailer, handcart or baby back carrier. This will be stored in the hold, though a small pocket buggy can come into the cabin.
Allowances change with your fare, route and Miles & More status, so check your exact allowance in Lufthansa's baggage calculator or on your ticket before you fly. You can verify the current rules on the official Lufthansa site.
If your Lufthansa bag is delayed, lost or damaged
If your bags are missing or arrive damaged after a Lufthansa flight, file a PIR (Property Irregularity Report) immediately at the airport. Without that report a claim is much harder to win.
Also, keep your bag tag, boarding pass and any receipts if you had to purchase clothing or toiletries. On an international flight, the Montreal Convention protects you up to 1,519 SDR, about $2,000 (€1,800) per person, for baggage mishandling. For the full breakdown of what Lufthansa owes you, see our Lufthansa baggage compensation guide.
Find out more about your rights and what to do if your bags are delayed, lost or damaged.
Claim with BagHelp
BagHelp helps travellers claim compensation for delayed, lost or damaged baggage on a no-win, no-fee basis. If your Lufthansa bag went missing or arrived broken, we can check your case and handle the claim for you, so you don't have to argue with the airline yourself.
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FAQs
Not on the cheapest fares. Economy Basic for short and medium routes and Economy Light don't include free sports baggage, so you'd book it as paid special baggage. On other fares, sports gear can travel within your normal allowance if it fits the size and weight limits.
File a PIR at the airport before you leave if you can. In writing, the Montreal Convention gives you 7 days for a damaged bag and 21 days for a delayed bag once it's back.
No. You can carry duty-free on board, but it counts within your cabin baggage allowance, so it can't take you over your limit.
No. For HON Circle, Senator and Star Alliance Gold members, the free bag only counts if you register it at the check-in counter. Book it online, through the Service Center or a travel agent, and you'll be charged.
Your outbound and your return each count as one route, even if there's a connection, so a paid cabin bag covers one direction of your trip.