Flying Lufthansa with Kids: Bassinets, Boarding & Infant Fares

Per Lufthansa's published policy, infants under 24 months of age traveling as lap infants are charged 10% of the adult fare on intra-European routes and 10% of the adult fare on intercontinental routes, plus all applicable taxes and surcharges. Unlike US carriers where domestic lap-infant travel is typically free, European carriers including Lufthansa apply the percentage fee across all route types. On long-haul transatlantic flights, the combination of the 10% base plus fuel surcharges and passenger taxes can result in a total infant ticket cost of EUR 100–250 or more. A 7-day fit-to-fly minimum applies for newborns; a doctor's note may be required. Always verify the full ticket total at checkout before completing payment. For current fare details, visit lufthansa.com.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, infants under 24 months of age may travel as lap infants without a purchased seat, held on the accompanying adult's lap throughout the flight. However, both the FAA and EASA recommend that all children under 2 travel in an approved child restraint system secured in their own seat for maximum safety during turbulence and emergency scenarios. Purchasing a separate seat for the infant qualifies for the approximately 20% child fare discount on Standard Economy fares and allows the use of an approved car seat in the cabin. The car seat must display UN-ECE R44 or R129 approval, or the equivalent FAA approval label. Parents considering a purchased seat on flights over 8 hours should factor in the safety benefit alongside the additional fare cost.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, bassinets are available on 6 widebody aircraft types: the Boeing 747-8, Airbus A380, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350 (including the new Allegris cabin), and Boeing 787-9. This is the broadest bassinet fleet coverage in the European-legacy cluster. The bassinet accommodates infants up to 11 kg in weight, up to 67 cm in length, and under 8 months of age — one of the more restrictive age caps among European carriers. Critically, per Lufthansa's published policy, the bassinet reservation must be made at least 52 hours before the scheduled departure time. Reservations placed after this deadline cannot be accommodated regardless of availability. Bassinet seats are positioned at the bulkhead row and a seat-selection surcharge of EUR 30–70 may apply on Light Economy fares. Reserve via 'My Bookings' or by contacting the Lufthansa Service Centre.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, children traveling with a purchased seat receive the same checked-bag and carry-on allowance as adults in the equivalent fare class. Lap infants on international routes receive 1 free checked bag up to 10 kg in addition to the adult's standard allowance, plus a free collapsible stroller check. Children 2 and older on Economy fares receive the standard Economy baggage allowance. A diaper bag for infants is permitted in addition to the carry-on allowance and does not count against it. On Light Economy intercontinental fares, the approximately 20% child discount does not apply and the baggage allowance may be reduced compared to Standard Economy. Parents should review the specific fare rules at booking to understand exact allowances. Always verify the current policy at lufthansa.com before travel.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, unaccompanied minor (UM) service is mandatory for children aged 5–11 and optional for ages 12–17. Children under 5 are not accepted as unaccompanied minors. The service fee is EUR 50 per domestic flight segment and EUR 100 per international flight segment. A structurally important distinction: per Lufthansa's published policy, connections are permitted on both Lufthansa Group-operated flights and Star Alliance interline partner services — a broader allowance than many carriers that restrict UM travel to direct non-stop flights only. Booking must be completed by phone through the Lufthansa Service Centre; online booking is not supported. The adult collecting the child at the destination must present a matching government-issued photo ID. Parents should confirm each connection partner's UM handling procedures when booking multi-carrier itineraries.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, the Jetfriends program is Lufthansa's children's travel program featuring Lumi-the-Bear as the mascot character. On qualifying long-haul flights, children receive a Lumi-the-Bear plush toy and an age-appropriate activity pack containing games, puzzles, and coloring materials. The program also encompasses a dedicated children's IFE channel on widebody aircraft with multilingual content available in German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Japanese. Hipp baby food jars are available for infants on long-haul routes, and children's special meals (SPML) can be pre-ordered at least 24 hours before departure. The Jetfriends program is active through 2026 and represents one of the more developed branded children's experiences among European-legacy carriers, comparable to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines' Bluey co-branding program. Program availability may vary by route and aircraft type — verify at booking.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, the Allegris product is Lufthansa's redesigned cabin experience on the Airbus A350, introduced starting in 2024 and continuing rollout through 2026. The Allegris cabin features a redesigned Business Class with direct-aisle access for all seats, an updated Premium Economy, and revised Economy seating. For families, the Allegris A350 is one of the 6 widebody types equipped with bassinets per Lufthansa's published bassinet policy. The bulkhead row configurations on the Allegris A350 are part of the redesigned cabin architecture. Parents booking transatlantic routes operated by A350 should confirm their specific aircraft subtype through the Lufthansa booking flow, as the Allegris product deployment is ongoing. Bassinet reservation rules — 52-hour deadline, 11 kg / under-8-months cap — apply identically to Allegris A350 operations as to all other bassinet-equipped aircraft in the fleet.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, the approximately 20% child fare discount applies to children aged 2–11 on Standard Economy fares for both short-haul intra-European and long-haul intercontinental routes. The discount is applied automatically when the 'child' passenger type is selected during booking — no code or manual request is required. However, the discount does not apply to Light Economy or Basic Economy fare classes on intercontinental routes. This distinction is important for budget-conscious families: on transatlantic routes, the Standard fare after the 20% child discount may be only marginally more expensive than the Light fare without the discount, while also including checked baggage. The discount does not reduce taxes, surcharges, or ancillary fees. Always compare the final total for both fare classes at checkout before confirming the booking at lufthansa.com.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, strollers are accepted for gate-check free of charge on mainline widebody-operated flights departing from Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC), with strollers returned at the jet bridge upon arrival. A gate-check weight limit of 10 kg applies — strollers heavier than 10 kg must be checked at the ticket counter and collected at the baggage carousel. One important operational caveat: on Lufthansa CityLine-operated CRJ-900 regional jet flights, strollers are delivered to the baggage carousel regardless of weight. Passengers connecting through an intra-European CityLine segment should account for carousel retrieval time in their connection schedule. When checking in, request a gate-check tag from either the ticket counter or the departure gate agent and confirm the return method for your specific route.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, lap infants can be added through the 'My Bookings' section on lufthansa.com for most directly-booked fares — making Lufthansa more online-accessible than Air France, which does not support post-booking infant additions online. However, for codeshare-ticketed bookings or partner-issued PNRs, the addition must be completed by phone through the Lufthansa Service Centre. Parents should complete the infant addition as early as possible — particularly if a bassinet is needed, since the bassinet reservation has a separate 52-hour deadline that runs independently. Required information includes the infant's full legal name matching their passport or birth certificate, date of birth, and for international travel, the passport number. After adding the infant, save or print the updated booking confirmation listing the infant as a named passenger.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, families traveling with children under 6 years of age are invited to pre-board before the general cabin. This threshold is one of the broader eligibility windows among European-legacy carriers — KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France use a similar under-6 threshold, while Iberia typically limits family pre-boarding to families with infants under 2. All European-legacy carriers, including Lufthansa, apply a broader boarding age than the US-typical under-2 standard used by American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines. Seating adjacency on Lufthansa is handled on a best-effort basis; families who pre-select seats at booking have the highest probability of staying together. Gate agents at Frankfurt and Munich are generally accommodating, but adjacency is not contractually guaranteed without pre-selected seats. Verify current boarding procedures at lufthansa.com before travel.

Per Lufthansa's published policy, unaccompanied minor travel is permitted on itineraries that include connections operated by Lufthansa Group carriers and Star Alliance interline partners — a meaningful advantage over carriers that restrict UM service to non-stop direct flights only. This means a child flying from a secondary European city to a North American destination via Frankfurt may travel as a UM with a connection, provided the connecting segments are on qualifying Lufthansa Group or Star Alliance-operated flights. Parents should confirm each connecting segment's UM handling with the Lufthansa Service Centre at booking, as individual Star Alliance member procedures may vary. Fees apply per segment: EUR 50 per domestic segment and EUR 100 per international segment. Booking must be completed by phone; online UM booking is not supported. Always verify the current policy directly at lufthansa.com before making travel arrangements.