This is a Lufthansa connecting flights guide.
It covers everything from how to book connecting flights with Lufthansa to baggage rules and air passengers rights. Deutsche Lufthansa AG, mostly referred to as simply Lufthansa, is a full-service airline from Germany. Together with its subsidiaries it’s one of the largest airlines in Europe. Together they operate flights to more than 100 countries around the world.
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
1
Is It Protected?
Yes, it’s a protected connection.
Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.
Unless you book flights separately.
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2
Baggage Rules
Airline takes care of your baggage.
Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with full-service airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.
Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors.
3
Travel Insurance
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1. Lufthansa Connecting Flights
Lufthansa is a full-service traditional airline.
And full-service traditional airlines offer airline-protected connecting flights. In most situations that’s the biggest difference between traditional and low-cost airlines. Airline-protected connecting flights are better than self transfers.
Airline-protected connecting flights are:
- More safe. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
- More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
- Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.
Lufthansa sells airline-protected connecting flights.
1.1 Lufthansa – Lufthansa Connecting Flights
In some situations you will fly only with Lufthansa.
You will have two or more flights and all of them will be operated by Lufthansa. These will be Lufthansa airplanes and Lufthansa staff. Note, that it’s not the same every single time and with every single connecting flight with Lufthansa.
1.2 Lufthansa Codeshare Partners
Sometimes airlines share their flights.
So, you may book a connecting flight from Lufthansa, but it might be operated by another airline. You may have to fly with another airline, on their airplane. Connecting flights with different airlines is a norm in aviation. It’s nothing unusual. These kind of flights are called codeshare flights, and airlines collaborating — codeshare partners.
What you should know is that:
- If you miss a connecting flight, it’s Lufthansa’s responsibility. You should contact Lufthansa to take care of that and to find you an alternative flight. As long as it’s a Lufthansa connection booked from Lufthansa, they are called marketing airline — they are responsible for finding solutions.
- If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not Lufthansa, then they are called operating airline — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.
See a list of Lufthansa codeshare partners here.
2. What If Lufthansa Cancels a Flight?
Why is Lufthansa cancelling flights?
This happens for a number of reasons. Staff shortage, technical problems or airport congestion. Bad weather. Security issues. These are just some of the most popular reasons why airlines cancel flights.
2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled
Lufthansa is a European airline.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
And if as a result you’re going to miss your connecting flight, it’s Lufthansa’s responsibility to offer you an alternative flight to your final destination. If you choose so, they must help you to get to your final destination. The rules are the same with all Lufthansa cancelled flights. You may also opt for a full refund instead.
You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled
Overall, for you as a passenger the options are the same.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, Lufthansa must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).
Refund must be paid within seven days.
You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.
2.3 Lufthansa Refund for Cancellation
Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.
If a flight is cancelled, and you don’t want to take an alternative flight, you can choose a refund. And you also have a right to choose how it’s being paid. You don’t have to accept coupons from Lufthansa. Refund has to be made back to the same bank account / bank card, from where you made a purchase, unless you’re fine with a different solution offered by an airline.
3. Lufthansa Missed Connecting Flight
Why do people miss connecting flights?
You may miss a connecting flight because your previous flight was delayed or cancelled. You may miss a flight because of airport congestions and long lines. And, sometimes, you may simply make a mistake and wait at the wrong gate or fall asleep while waiting for flight.
3.1 What Happens If You Miss Lufthansa Connection?
If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.
If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from Lufthansa, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by Lufthansa or not, you should contact Lufthansa. It’s their responsibility to find a solution. You missed a connecting flight, Lufthansa must offer you a solution.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay
3.2 Right to Compensation from Lufthansa
Sometimes you have a right to compensation.
If you’re going to arrive later than planned, and it’s due to airline’s fault, you should definitely check your flight. Sometimes even a 2-hour flight delay is enough for you to be entitled to compensation. The latter applies to situations when one flight is cancelled last-minute. If it’s a 3-hour delay, there’s a very high chance you have a right to delay compensation from Lufthansa.
Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?
You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION
File a Claim Online
3.3 Right to Care from Lufthansa
On all Lufthansa flights you have a right to care.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:
- Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
- Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary;
- Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
- Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. So you can get in touch with your family, relatives, or to inform someone about this flight disruption and resulting changes in your travel plans.
It applies to all Lufthansa international flights and all domestic flights. Again, it’s because Lufthansa is a European airline. With non-European airlines it applies only to flights departing from European airports.
When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.
4. How to Book Connecting Flights with Lufthansa?
You can do it directly from Lufthansa or via a third-party.
Generally speaking, these are two best options that you have. You can either go to the website of Lufthansa and book Lufthansa flights there, or you can book via a third-party booking website.
How to Book?
Airline website (directly).
This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.
Other Option
Flight booking websites.
Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.
Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer.
For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.
With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.
Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?
5. Lufthansa Connecting Flights: Baggage
Since Lufthansa is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.
Baggage rules on connecting flights with Lufthansa are simple.
In short, Lufthansa takes care of your baggage. You check it in only once, before your first flight, and the airline takes care of your belongings throughout the journey. You don’t have to collect and recheck baggage between flights. Unless you have a self-transfer — separately booked flights, or you’re traveling through a country that requires everyone to collect and recheck their baggage (US is one such exception).
When in doubts, just ask the airport staff during the check-in or baggage drop-off. Just ask, whether you’ll have to collect and recheck your baggage between flights. They will be able to answer you.
5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
What happens if there are several airlines?
What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not Lufthansa? As we already talked, you may experience this, because Lufthansa does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline. In by far most situations you won’t have to worry about it.
Read more:
- Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
- Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
- Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
- What is Checked Baggage?
5.2 Lufthansa Free Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.
Free baggage allowance varies depending on your class of travel, destination, and occasionally some other factors. Check your Lufthansa flights booking confirmation to see, what have you booked for yourself. Or, if you’re still thinking of booking a flight with Lufthansa, make sure to pay attention to that — these rules aren’t the same for all flights and for everyone.
5.3 Economy Light
This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.
Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.
We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).
When you see cheap Lufthansa flights, pay attention to this. Because Lufthansa also offers Economy Light tickets. If you need more than a single bag, this may not suit you at all.
Read more: What is Economy Light?
6. Connecting Flight Examples
Here are two connecting flight examples with Lufthansa.
6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with Lufthansa (Most Common)
For this example I’ll be using the website of Lufthansa.
For example, I want to fly from London to Cairo, Egypt.
I look for flights on September 14, and these are my options:
On their website Lufthansa sells only protected connecting flights. However, as we can see, not all of the flights are operated by Lufthansa. For example, the first option is fully operated by Austrian Airlines. There are two flights: London – Vienna and Vienna – Cairo, and both are operated by Austrian Airlines, an airline owned by Lufthansa Group.
If this matters to you, if you want to be on an airplane of Lufthansa, you must be paying attention to details like these.
Total flight duration, number of stops and price also vary.
6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with Lufthansa
Now, let’s assume, that your itinerary is slightly more complex.
You want to fly from London to Cairo, and from Cairo onwards to Sharm El Sheikh, where you have booked a stay in an all-inclusive resort on the beach. But before that you also want to spend a day in Cairo, to visit the pyramids and The Egyptian Museum.
- You book a connecting flight to Cairo, like in the example above. For example, you’re taking one of the cheapest options, the third one, which arrives in Cairo at 1:40 am.
- And then you go to kiwi.com, or some other flight booking website, and book a flight from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 30 hours in Cairo.
You can leave the airport during a layover like this.
Until Cairo you have an airline-protected connecting flight. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, Lufthansa will take care of that. Most likely they will put you on another flight for free. However, the last leg, Cairo – Sharm El Sheikh flight, includes a self-transfer layover. Take this into account and better don’t risk with too short layovers.
What is your experience with Lufthansa? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with Lufthansa? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from Lufthansa?
Featured photo by Tom Dasko from Pexels
About the author:
Kaspars is a digital nomad and travel blogger who’s been traveling the world extensively since 2013. Since 2017, Kaspars has been writing about the less-known aspects of air travel, things like air passenger rights laws and regulations. He’s really good at simplifying complex concepts and making them easily understandable. Kaspars favorite airlines are Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.
