Lufthansa's Cheapest Fare in Europe No Longer Includes a Carry-On Bag

Lufthansa's cheapest European fare no longer comes with a carry-on bag. Since Oct. 27, the Lufthansa Group's Economy Basic fare has been on sale on every European route its airlines fly, including flights on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines. Book it, and the only bag you can bring on board for free is a small one that fits under the seat in front of you. Anything bigger costs extra.

Lufthansa first tried the fare on a handful of routes in May. Now it's everywhere in Europe, which means a lot of travelers who are used to rolling a small suitcase onto the plane are going to find out at the gate that it isn't included anymore.

What Economy Basic Includes

The fare covers your seat and one personal item no bigger than 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters, roughly 16 x 12 x 6 inches. That's about the size of a small backpack or laptop bag. A regular carry-on of up to 8 kilograms isn't included, and neither are checked bags or choosing your seat in advance. The ticket can't be refunded or changed either, so if your plans shift, you lose it.

The new fare applies to flights within Europe on Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines and Air Dolomiti. Eurowings, the group's budget airline, isn't on the list. If you're flying from the US to Europe, this matters most for the short hops you book once you're there, like Munich to Rome or Zurich to Barcelona.

What a Carry-On Costs Now

Adding a standard carry-on reportedly starts at about €15 if you buy it online ahead of time, and can run as high as €60 at the gate. That's the gap that catches people. A bag fee you'd shrug off at booking is a lot harder to swallow when you're at the gate and boarding has started.

The next fare up, Economy Light, still includes a full-size carry-on. It's reportedly often only about €10 more than Basic on the same flight, so if you know you're bringing a roller bag, Light is usually the cheaper choice once the bag is added. Light can't be refunded either, but you can change it for a €100 fee. Frequent flyers with Star Alliance Gold status reportedly still get a free full-size carry-on even on Basic, though Lufthansa hasn't said how long that will last.

Why Lufthansa Is Doing This

Lufthansa says the fare is a response to how passengers travel now, pitching it as a cheaper option for people on short trips with little luggage. It's also a way to compete with budget airlines like Ryanair and easyJet, which have long charged for anything bigger than a personal item, and to match moves by other big European airlines. KLM, for one, already sells some European tickets without a full-size carry-on.

The timing is a little awkward. In June, EU governments and the European Parliament reached a provisional deal that would require standard tickets to include both a personal item and a cabin bag of up to 7 kilograms. That still needs final approval, though, and reportedly wouldn't take effect until October 2027 at the earliest. Until then, airlines are free to keep charging, and many are leaning into it while they can.

How to Avoid Paying More

Start by comparing Basic and Light side by side before you book, and add the bag fee to the Basic price. If the difference is small, Light is the safer bet. If you can travel with just a backpack, Basic can save you a little money, but measure your bag first, since gate agents can charge you if it's too big for the 40 x 30 x 15 limit.

If you do need a carry-on on a Basic ticket, add it online as early as you can, since it's reportedly far cheaper than paying at the gate. Seat selection costs extra on Basic too, so families and groups who want to sit together should factor that in. And with fares already running high, it's worth checking which airlines on your route still include a carry-on in their cheapest ticket before you assume Lufthansa's lowest price is the best deal.