Lufthansa is changing its fare structure and introducing a new lowest Economy Basic class.

The main change is fundamental. Only a small personal item measuring 40 × 30 × 15 cm is included. This is 5 cm smaller than on Ryanair, for example.

What exactly does Economy Basic mean

The new fare is primarily aimed at short- and medium-haul flights within Europe. In practice, it is a lighter version of the classic economy.

It won't be offered on long-haul routes for the time being - where it remains the cheapest fare, Light, with classic hand luggage + free personal items.

Included:

• 1× personal item (40 × 30 × 15 cm)

Not included:

• classic hand luggage (55 x 40 x 23 cm)
• Checked baggage

Official information is available on the Lufthansa website: lufthansa.com/carry-on-baggage.

On which flights will Economy Basic be available?

Economy Basic should be available on most flights in Europe on all Lufthansa Group airlines, i.e.:

• Lufthansa
• Austrian Airlines
• Brussels Airlines
• Swiss
• ITA Airways
• Eurowings
• Discover Airlines
• Edelweiss

When will the new fares apply?

Fares will be phased in gradually - the first flights with the new Economy Basic fare are available from 19 May 2026.

The fares will first be available on Lufthansa flights.

On other Lufthansa Group airlines, they will be phased in over the course of 2026.

Tariff comparison: basic vs. light

	Economy Basic	Economy Light
Personal item 40 x 30 x 15 cm	✅	✅
Cabin Luggage 55 x 40 x 23 cm	❌	✅

Hand luggage: how much does it cost extra

I'm taking an example flight from Prague to Frankfurt on the route I use the most. Random date, one-way flight:

Economy Basic

• Basic fare: 97 eur
• Personal item: free
• large hand luggage: + 20 eur
• Total: 117 eur

Economy Light

• Basic price: 109 eur
• Personal item: free
• hand luggage: free
• Total: 109 eur

👉 If you want to travel with a classic cabin bag 55x40x23 cm, choose Economy Light.

Will there be lower flight prices?

At first glance, yes.

I fly with Lufthansa frequently, so I've been following their prices for a long time:

• Economy Basic is cheaper than the former lowest fares
• but the difference is usually only €10-15.

The price has dropped, but so far only cosmetically.

The fundamental change is elsewhere:

• lower prices in search engines
• more surcharges during purchase

Remember also that most traditional airlines still include a standard carry-on bag in the basic price.

Find out Economy Basic fares

Where Lufthansa is going

The introduction of Economy Basic is not an isolated step. It is a trend we are seeing across Europe:

• the pressure of low-cost competition
• the drive to divide customers according to their willingness to pay
• maximising the return on each passenger

Lufthansa is not creating a low-cost airline, but a hybrid model where the passenger "folds" the price in a similar way to Ryanair - but with better facilities.

But I would not see this move as fundamentally negative.

The price differences are small and maybe Economy Basic will make sense for me if I travel with checked baggage. Personally, in that case, I'm just taking a small laptop bag on the plane.

💬 What do you think about the new fares? Let us know in the comments.

Summary - When does Economy Basic make sense

• Short flights (e.g. business trips of 1-2 days) where you really only need a laptop bag / handbag / small backpack
• Travelling with checked baggage, when you don't need a large carry-on bag

And when does it not make sense?

• you need a cabin suitcase -> it's always cheaper to just buy an Economy Light