Lufthansa Airlines: its routes, services and, fleet

A prominent player in the global aviation industry, Lufthansa Airlines is a renowned carrier with a rich history. Founded in 1953, Lufthansa has long since established itself as a leading European airline, offering a vast network of routes, top-notch services and a diverse fleet.

Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, Lufthansa Airlines operates from multiple hubs strategically located around the world. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the airline’s primary hub, serving as a gateway to Europe and beyond. It’s a bustling site connecting passengers to destinations worldwide, as is Munich Airport (MUC), another important hub offering convenient connections and a seamless travel experience for travelers.
Between them, Lufthansa’s hubs offer passengers a vast array of flight options, making the airline a preferred choice for both business and leisure travelers.

As a member of the Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Airlines is part of one of the largest airline conglomerates globally. The Lufthansa Group comprises several well-known airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, and Brussels Airlines. This substantial network allows Lufthansa to offer an extensive range of flight options, seamlessly connecting passengers across continents.

Lufthansa Airlines boasts a modern and diverse fleet, consisting of both narrow and wide-body aircraft. The narrow-body fleet includes aircraft such as the Airbus A320 family, enabling the airline to efficiently operate short to medium-haul flights within Europe and to neighboring regions. Meanwhile, the wide-body fleet comprises aircraft like the Airbus A330, A340, and the flagship Boeing 747-8, which facilitate long-haul journeys to destinations worldwide. Lufthansa’s fleet can be characterized by its commitment to passenger comfort, advanced technology and environmental sustainability.

In addition to its vast route network, Lufthansa Airlines is renowned for its exceptional services. From attentive cabin crew and comfortable seating to delectable in-flight dining options and cutting-edge entertainment systems, Lufthansa strives to provide a memorable travel experience for its passengers. Moreover, the airline offers a range of travel classes, including Economy, Premium Economy, Business, and First Class, catering to travelers’ diverse preferences and needs.

This article will delve into the airline’s narrow and wide body fleet, its extensive range of routes, and services offers.

Lufthansa Airlines routes

Lufthansa Airlines currently offers air travel services to a diverse range of destinations. It serves 17 domestic locations and an extensive network of 198 international destinations, covering 73 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe.

With its vast global reach, Lufthansa departs from a total of 215 airports.

The airline operates a comprehensive network of 613 routes. Among these routes, 59 are dedicated to domestic destinations, while the remaining 554 cater to international travel.

Let’s examine the routes operated by Lufthansa and rank them based on flight quantity. The scale ranges from 1 (most popular) to 10 (least popular).

The most popular countries Lufthansa operates in are:

Germany

Spain

Italy

France

United Kingdom

Poland

Sweden

Portugal

Greece

The most popular destinations Lufthansa operates are:

Frankfurt am Main – DE (Germany)

Gothenburg – SE (Sweden)

Stockholm – SE (Sweden)

Hannover – DE (Germany)

Madrid – ES (Spain)

Athens – GR (Greece)

Barcelona – ES (Spain)

Oslo – NO (Norway)

London – GB (United Kingdom)

Rome – IT (Italy)

Copenhagen – DK (Denmark)

Munich – DE (Germany)

The most popular international destinations Lufthansa operates are:

Edinburgh – GB (United Kingdom)

Porto – PT (Portugal)

Dublin – IE (Ireland)

Los Angeles – US (United States)

Valencia – ES (Spain)

Zurich – CH (Switzerland)

Billund – DK (Denmark)

Krakow – PL (Poland)

Marseille – FR (France)

Budapest – HU (Hungary)

Luqa – MT (Malta)

Prague – CZ (Czech Republic)

The most popular airports Lufthansa serves are:

Frankfurt am Main (FRA)

Hamburg (HAM)

Barcelona-El Prat (BCN)

Hannover (HAJ)

Oslo Gardemoen (OSL)

Brussels Bruxelles-National (BRU)

Rome Fiumicino (FCO)

London Heathrow (LHR)

Munich Franz Josef Strauss (MUC)

Stockholm Arlanda (ARN)

Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

Berlin Brandenburg (BER)

Lufthansa Airlines services

Frequent flyer program

Lufthansa operates a frequent flyer program called ‘Miles & More’ which allows passengers to accumulate air miles from Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners. The more you fly, the more miles you earn. These accumulated miles can then be used for a variety of rewards, including flight upgrades, award flights, hotel stays, car rentals and more.

The program also offers different status levels that increase as your flights accumulate. These levels include ‘Miles & More’ member, Frequent Traveler, Senator and HON Circle, each offering additional benefits.

Members with higher status levels beyond the basic ‘Miles & More’ membership enjoy privileges like lounge access and executive bonus miles. As they progress to higher status levels, they gain access to extra advantages and exclusive perks.

Picture 1 11 — ms pics and more Shutterstock

Classes of service

Lufthansa provides different classes of services to cater to an assortment of passenger preferences:

First Class:

Lufthansa provides First Class seating on many of its long-haul aircraft, such as all Airbus A340-600s, Airbus A380s, and Boeing 747-8Is. In-flight meals are available upon request. To cater to First Class passengers, Lufthansa has exclusive check-in counters and lounges in Frankfurt and Munich, as well as a separate first-class terminal and Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt.

Recently, Lufthansa unveiled its new ‘Suite Plus’ First Class product, to be launched on new A350 deliveries from 2024. Currently, the only remaining First Class seats offered by Lufthansa are on its Boeing 747-8Is, with plans to deliver 10 Airbus A350-900s with First Class seats by July 2023.

Lufthansa’s First Class offers a luxurious and exclusive travel experience. Passengers enjoy spacious seats that convert into fully horizontal beds, entertainment facilities, personalized service from dedicated flight attendants, gourmet dining and other premium amenities.

Lufthansa’s new €2 billion cabin specifically designed for First Class passengers

Business Class:

Lufthansa provides Business Class seating on all of its long-haul flights. The airline offers dedicated Business Class check-in counters at every airport and provides exclusive Business Class lounges at most airports, along with contract lounges at others. Furthermore, Lufthansa offers the Welcome Lounge in Frankfurt for Business Class passengers upon arrival.

Lufthansa has announced its plans to introduce a new business class product in 2023, initially on the Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A350 aircraft. Within the business class section of Lufthansa’s Boeing 787-9, passengers can expect a total of 28 seats, featuring four suites. On the Airbus A350, the business class configuration will consist of 38 seats spread across two cabins, providing eight suites. The airline also intends to retrofit the remaining fleet to match their new business class model during the years that follow.

Lufthansa’s Business Class provides a comfortable and refined travel experience. Passengers have access to spacious seats that can convert into lie-flat beds, enhanced privacy, fine dining options, access to Business Class lounges and a range of in-flight entertainment options.

Premium Economy Class:

Lufthansa introduced its long-haul Premium Economy offering in 2014, implementing it across all long-haul aircraft, initially including only select Boeing 747-8Is. Furthermore, the airline welcomed a new Premium Economy cabin with a ‘shell’ design specifically on the Boeing 777-9X.

Lufthansa’s Premium Economy Class offers an elevated experience between Economy and Business Class. Passengers enjoy greater legroom, wider seats, enhanced meal options, dedicated check-in counters and priority boarding.

Economy Class:

Lufthansa’s Economy Class represents a comfortable and cost-effective travel option. Passengers enjoy standard seats, in-flight entertainment and complimentary meals and beverages.

Lounges and terminals

Within its destination network, Lufthansa provides four distinct types of lounges: First Class, Senator, Business, and Welcome Lounges. Access to these departure lounges is available based on travel class or ‘Miles and More’/Star Alliance status. These lounges offer amenities such as complimentary food and beverages, Wi-Fi access, workstations, showers and relaxation areas.

Additional services

Alongside the aforementioned services, Lufthansa offers various other amenities, including:

Bus Service: Lufthansa operates a convenient bus service, dubbed the Lufthansa Airport Bus, which connects major cities and airports, providing seamless transportation for passengers.

Baggage Services: Lufthansa offers baggage services, including baggage tracking, handling, and assistance for lost or damaged luggage.

Lufthansa’s fleet

Lufthansa operates a diverse mainline fleet, encompassing various aircraft types from Airbus (including narrow and widebody models), Boeing (widebody), and Embraer and Bombardier (narrowbodies). The mainline fleet comprises 10 different aircraft families: Airbus A320ceo, Airbus A320neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A350, Boeing 747, Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Embraer E-Jet, and Bombardier CRJ700 series.

Lufthansa has placed orders for new Airbus A350s and Boeing 777Xs. The forthcoming 777Xs are intended to replace their existing Boeing 747-400s. Similarly, the A350-900s and A350-1000s are set to replace all remaining Airbus A340 aircraft. Furthermore, Lufthansa has announced the anticipated return to service of three A380 aircraft during the summer of 2023.