Lufthansa Group expands paid seat options

In early July 2026 the Lufthansa Group introduced a paid seat‑change option for long‑haul flights across its network. The fee, applied to Economy‑level fare classes on airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels and Discover, is shown only at the moment a passenger requests a seat shift and varies by route and booking time. The measure follows earlier fare‑structure adjustments and mirrors low‑cost carrier practices of charging for seat selection.

A few days later the group announced plans to display unified “Member of Lufthansa Group” branding at major hub airports and to implement a new hand‑baggage policy on short‑ and medium‑haul flights. The policy restricts the free personal item to a small size, with larger cabin bags subject to a €15 charge per segment. Consumer groups criticised the reduction in free baggage allowance.

On 22 July 2026 Lufthansa expanded its ancillary‑seat model to short‑ and medium‑haul services, launching two new chargeable Economy categories. The “Back Seat” option lets passengers reserve rear‑row seats for €16, a lower price than the standard “Classic Seat”, but is excluded for HON Circle and Senator members and for Economy Flex fare holders. In Business Class, a “First Row Seat” surcharge grants front‑row access, also free for the same status members.

On 23 July 2026 the group extended paid seat categories to European routes. A premium “First Row” seat is offered for about €29 on Lufthansa flights and 40 CHF on Swiss, while a “Back Seat” rear‑cabin option costs roughly €3 on Lufthansa and 15 CHF on Swiss. These options are available on Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa City and other group carriers, but not on ITA Airways or Edelweiss, further blurring the line between legacy carriers and low‑cost airlines as seats are segmented by location and comfort.