Airlines

Lufthansa: new fare without hand luggage for short flights

The German airline adopts a low-cost model with trolley fees, while other carriers increase surcharges or cancel flights.

by Mara Monti

27 April 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The fuel crisis, with prices more than doubling since the outbreak of the war, is pushing airlines to adopt different strategies to cover all or part of the cost increase.

Some, like Air France-KLM, increased the fuel surcharge included in the ticket price by 50 euros. Others, like the Scandinavian company SAS, were forced to cancel thousands of flights. Lufthansa, on the other hand, has chosen a different path: introducing payment for the trolley in the cabin, following a practice already widespread among low-cost airlines.

This is new for the German company

As of 28 April, the new 'Economy Basic' fare is available, which no longer includes hand baggage. On short- and medium-haul flights, the ticket only includes a small personal item - such as a computer bag or backpack - with maximum dimensions of 40×30×15 cm and a weight of up to 8 kilograms.

This choice brings Lufthansa closer to the lower cost model, while maintaining generally higher prices. For example, a Frankfurt-Ibiza flight departing on 23 May and returning on 30 May costs 299 euros with Ryanair, including a 10kg trolley (departure at 6.20am). The same flight with Lufthansa costs €333 in the cheapest fare, which includes only personal luggage up to 8 kg (departure at 4:45).

The new fare is available for flights departing from 19 May onwards on all Lufthansa Group airlines: Lufthansa Airlines, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines and Air Dolomiti. ITA Airways is excluded for the time being.

Those who need a larger luggage item can still add it for a fee by choosing the higher 'Light' fare, which also offers more flexibility: it allows the booking to be changed free of charge, while with the 'Economy Basic' fare the change costs EUR 70.

Lufthansa is only the latest in a long line of airlines that charge for hand luggage in addition to personal belongings. Consumer associations have already threatened legal action, demanding that every passenger should be guaranteed the possibility of carrying a hand luggage in the cabin at no extra cost. The airlines, however, argue that millions of travellers voluntarily choose the basic fare and should not be forced to pay for services they do not need.