Lufthansa Launches ‘Unbundled’ Premium Economy and Business Fares With Fewer Perks

Updated: March 17, 2026, 9:56am CDT

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Lufthansa Group’s Unbundled Premium and Business Class Fares
Final Thoughts

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More fare changes have landed in Europe.

As of March 17, Lufthansa Group is introducing new “Light” options for premium economy and business class fares. This so-called “unbundling,” which started as a common trend for economy tickets, is now creeping into premium cabins.

Let’s take a look at what this means for Lufthansa Group fares.

Lufthansa Group’s Unbundled Premium and Business Class Fares

Starting with the good news: The changes won’t affect flights to North America (yet).

However, all other long-haul fares offered by Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS will now be unbundled in premium economy and business class.

Not even Lufthansa Miles & More Senator (or higher) or Star Alliance Gold status holders are exempt from some of the changes!

Opting for a Light business class fare means reduced baggage allowance, paying a fee to choose a seat, and higher change fees.

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Business Class Light	Business Class Basic	Business Class Light With Status
1 checked bag at 32 kilograms (70 pounds)	2 checked bags at 32 kilograms each (70 pounds)	2 checked bags at 32 kilograms each (70 pounds)
Seat selection from €80 ($92)	Seat selection included	Seat selection from €80 ($92)
Higher change fees	Change fees remain the same	Change fees remain the same

Here’s an example of a one-way business class Light fare from Frankfurt (FRA) to São Paulo (GRU). On this flight, Lufthansa charges an extra $65 to upgrade from its new Light fare to a Basic fare.

Considering the new seat-selection price starting at $92, many customers could be tempted to pay more to technically “save” money if seat selection is important to them.

Lufthansa Business Light versus Business Basic — Image Credit: Lufthansa

Similar restrictions now apply when booking a premium economy Light fare instead of a Basic fare. The changes are detailed in the table below.

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Premium Economy Light	Premium Economy Basic	Premium Economy Light With Status
1 checked bag at 23 kilograms (50 pounds)	2 checked bags at 23 kilograms each (50 pounds)	2 checked bags at 23 kilograms each (50 pounds)
Higher change fees	Change fees remain the same	Change fees remain the same

Here’s an example of what’s included in a Premium Economy Light fare from Zurich (ZRH) to Johannesburg (JNB) with SWISS:

SWISS Premium Economy Light versus Basic fares — Image Credit: SWISS

This time, the offer is $42 to upgrade to a Basic fare. However, you should remember that upgrading to Basic still won’t include seat selection, so there’s less motivation here to pay more — unless you really need to check an extra bag.

Despite recently joining the Lufthansa Group, ITA Airways will retain its own fare types, including 3 bundles in both premium economy and business class.

Final Thoughts

Unbundling is often marketed by airlines as a way to give passengers the option of paying less for premium tickets, which is difficult to prove either way. As for Miles & More and Star Alliance elites, these frequent flyers will likely begrudge having to pay for seat selection when booking a Light fare.

Ultimately, as consumers, we have no control over changes. What we can do, though, is keep you in the loop on such changes so you don’t get caught off guard later — or know what’s happening so you can book elsewhere if you don’t like the changes.