Lufthansa check-in: when and how to check in online
The rules below are checked against the official website. Checking in with Lufthansa is always free: nobody needs to pay a service to do it, let alone a subscription.
📬 Free check-in reminder
Tell us when and where you are flying: we will email you as soon as Lufthansa check-in opens, with the official link. The button takes you straight to the Lufthansa website.
It opens 30 hours before departure. Give us your take-off time if you know it: the reminder will arrive at exactly the right moment, otherwise we aim for the evening of the day it opens.
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Who is Lufthansa?
Founded in 1953, Lufthansa is Germany's flag carrier and the heart of Europe's largest airline group, which also includes SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and 41% of ITA Airways. A founding member of Star Alliance, it runs a hub-and-spoke network around its two hubs, Frankfurt and Munich. In France, it flies from Paris CDG, Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Nantes, Bordeaux and Strasbourg to these hubs, from which it serves more than 200 destinations on every continent.
On board, two worlds coexist. On European flights, food and drink have been paid for since 2021: apart from water and chocolate, everything is bought from the Onboard Delights menu. On long-haul, economy keeps a proper hot meal with a choice of three dishes, wine and beer included. Since May 2024 the airline has been rolling out its new Allegris cabins on the A350 and then the Boeing 787, with a First class in a closed suite. Skytrax has rated it 4 stars since 2022, after withdrawing its fifth star.
Lufthansa is a good choice for reaching Asia, Africa or the Americas from French cities outside Paris without going through Paris, for business travellers and for collectors of Miles & More miles. It is less so for small budgets within Europe: the Basic fare does not even include a cabin bag, and everything on board is paid for. And a hub means a connection: if you hate changing planes in Frankfurt, look at direct flights first.
What Lufthansa does well
- A dense global network: more than 200 destinations via Frankfurt and Munich, with for example nearly 58 flights a week between Paris CDG and Frankfurt.
- On long-haul, economy keeps a full hot meal with a choice of three dishes, wine and beer included.
- The new Allegris cabins, launched in May 2024, modernise all four classes on the A350 and then the Boeing 787.
- Online check-in opens 30 hours before departure, for the whole family on the same booking.
What often catches people out
- Strikes are recurrent: in February and March 2024, walkouts by ground staff (Verdi union) grounded up to 90% of flights and affected 100,000 passengers in a single day.
- According to Cirium, Lufthansa was the European airline that cancelled the most flights in 2024: 12,220 cancellations, almost 3% of its schedule.
- Connections in Frankfurt remain tight: the minimum connection time was raised from 45 to 60 minutes in March 2025, a sign that 45 minutes was no longer enough.
- In Europe, the Basic fare includes only an under-seat accessory: the cabin bag costs extra, and can only be added online.
🕐 Punctuality75% of Lufthansa flights arrived on time (less than 15 minutes late) between October 2024 and September 2025, according to the AirHelp Score 2025.
Frequently asked questions
When does Lufthansa online check-in open?
30 hours before departure, on the website or the app.
When does Lufthansa check-in close?
No single published time: each airport applies its own check-in deadline, which you can look up with the dedicated tool on lufthansa.com.
When can I check in online with Lufthansa?
Check-in opens 30 hours before departure, on lufthansa.com or the app. A family on the same booking checks in all at once, and self-service bag drop machines are available in Frankfurt and Munich.
Does the Economy Light fare include a checked bag?
No, none. An added checked bag is paid for and non-refundable, and cheaper online than at the airport. On European flights, the Basic fare goes further: not even the cabin bag is included.
Can I travel with my cat or small dog in the cabin?
Yes, up to 8 kg including the bag, in a soft bag of no more than 55 x 40 x 23 cm placed under the seat. You must declare it no later than 72 hours before departure; the fee depends on the route and is paid at the airport.
Rules taken from the official Lufthansa website. They may change: the reminder we send always includes the current official link.
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