Lufthansa Logo
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5.1

Overall Score

Author: Kalicia Bateman

LAST UPDATED: December 30th, 2021

Lufthansa is an airline based in Germany that offers flights across the globe. With low ticket prices and numerous airline groups providing aircraft for added flight options, Lufthansa does all it can to give passengers the best flying experience possible.  

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The Good

  • Affordable Tickets
  • Baggage Allowance
  • Check-In and Boarding
  • On-Time Percentage
  • In-Flight Services

Affordable Tickets

Large airlines like Lufthansa, with multiple airline groups associated with it, have the ability to offer cheaper ticket prices compared to many smaller airlines. This is simply because they have more flight options than the smaller companies which are restricted by where and when they fly.

When searching for ticket prices with Lufthansa, customers can even use a best-price search tool on the website. This tool is convenient for customers as they are searching for numerous different flights at different times.

Lufthansa will provide a list of departure locations and destinations and a handful of different flexible flight times then show the cheapest flight options as well as the cost for other flight options. By doing this (best price search) Lufthansa can provide potential flyers with the very best deal available using their airline.

Compared to other airlines, Lufthansa has on average cheaper ticket prices but that, of course, is varied on the destination and time of the flight.

Baggage Allowance

The allows passengers one checked bag weighing up to 23 kg (50 lbs) to be checked into the flight for free. Travelers are also allowed a carry on item that will remain with them throughout the duration of the flight and is the customer's own responsibility.

As a bonus for riding in upper cabin classes, business class is allowed two bags up to 32 kg (70 lbs)  and first class passengers are allowed three.

For baggage that is larger than the allowance, an excess baggage fee will be charged. The fee amount will depend on the size of the excess luggage as well as the cabin class of the customer and whether the flight is flying domestically or international.

Check-In and Boarding

The boarding process for many airline companies is standard and the difference comes in how easy a company can make the process for their passengers. Lufthansa allows their customers to check-in for a flight both online and in person at the gate. For boarding, Lufthansa now offers priority boarding for all European flights. Quick boarding is also an option for travelers who have purchased a boarding pass with a barcode to board the aircraft quickly and conveniently.

Lufthansa also provides an on-screen display of waiting lists directly at each of their departure gates, allowing customers to know when and how long it will take to board a flight.

Compared to other airlines, this boarding process seems much more comfortable than many competitors. It gives passengers clear instructions about how the boarding process works, and what to expect at the airport for any given flight.

On-Time Percentage

The daily flight statistics are important to compare to other airline companies to show whether or not a business is keeping up with the competition in various components. Lufthansa has an on-time flight statistic of 81% (according to Flightstats.com). When compared to other airlines, this is a fairly average statistic, meaning Lufthansa is neither excelling nor failing their customers by their on-time flight average.

Many airlines are within the eighty percent range, with companies who have excellent statistics in the high eighties, and companies with poor on-time flight statistics in the seventies. In addition, Lufthansa has only an eight percent late flight statistic which shows that most routes stay on tight schedules.

When comparing Lufthansa's twenty most active flight routes, all destinations were located in Europe. This can mean that flexibility in flight offerings to destinations outside of Europe is limited.

In-Flight Services

As with the majority of carriers, in-flight services offer a chance to stand out and show their customers their level of service. Lufthansa is no different and serves their business and first class passengers gourmet cuisine on fine china. The difference with economy class is that meal choices are slightly varied and come with fewer options.

In addition to the gourmet cuisine, Lufthansa airlines also serve their travelers an award-winning selection of wine. In addition to the long-haul flights that receive these culinary meals, short-haul flights are also served small snacks or sandwiches depending on the destination to which the flight is headed.

Along with the food, Lufthansa airlines provide their passengers with many options for entertainment. Aircrafts flying long-distance routes are equipped with in-seat television screens to show movies, television shows, and games. Medium-haul routes provide their passengers with an entertainment app that is downloadable to any mobile device and allows customers to view the entertainment selection while on board a Lufthansa flight.

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The Bad

  • Limited US Departures
  • Hidden Cities Lawsuit

Limited US Departures

While Lufthansa Group is a huge European carrier, with service to four continents, US customers won't have tons of options. The airline only flies into about 15 US cities. 

Hidden Cities Lawsuit

In 2019, Lufthansa brought a lawsuit against a customer who chose to disembark on the layover of a cheaper flight, rather than book a more expensive flight to his destination. 

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The Bottom Line

We do not currently recommend Lufthansa as a top airline company. They are a good, not great, option for choosing an airline (especially if you are traveling to or from Europe).

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Star Rating

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4.5

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36 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

72%

4 grade

17%

3 grade

3%

2 grade

6%

1 grade

3%

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Mr. E Cheshire, CT

Lufthansa left us stranded in Romania after a severe blizzard affected the region. All the roads leading to the airport in Bucharest were closed, as in literally closed—by the police. The trains were also not running. We were stuck in Constanta, which is 2 hours away by car. Naturally, we thought Lufthansa would rebook us on our flight to New York at no extra charge. As it turns out, the airport staff was able to clear the runway (because it’s easier to clear runways at an airport than the highways of an entire country) and the plane was able to depart after a few hour delay. We weren’t able to get back to Bucharest for 2 more days after that. Lufthansa refused to rebook us. They wanted to charge us all the penalties normally associated with rebooking. After all was said and done, it was cheaper to book a new ticket to New York with Air Berlin. I sued Lufthansa in small claims court in Queens, NY. I lost because I cashed a small check they sent for the ‘inconvenience’. Despite receiving emails from their staff that I would be reimbursed in full for the flight, the sleazy lawyer who obviously had never been to Bucharest, as evidenced by him repeatedly saying Budapest (which is in Hungary), lied and said that I was offered a return flight free of charge. Even the Judge had to ask him “why would they pay for a new flight with another airline if you were offering them a flight free of charge”, to which the sleaze replied “you’d have to ask them”. In the end, they won on a technicality. When I signed and cashed the check, there was a disclaimer in the small print which I failed to read. It basically stated that by cashing the check, I gave up my right to sue them. Oh well, it wasn’t all a loss. I may have had to buy a new ticket, but they also had to pay 2 lawyers presumably more than that to defend the case. Sleazy company. I would never fly with them again.

7 years ago