The Guide to Lufthansa Premium Economy

Passengers flying Lufthansa, a member of the Star Alliance, can pick between flying in a few different cabins when they take to the air. Depending on the route and flight selected, Lufthansa offers travelers economy, premium economy, business class and first class cabins.

If you’re considering flying Lufthansa’s premium economy, keep reading for our Lufthansa premium economy review.

A major benefit of flying Lufthansa premium economy is the extra legroom and space you’ll get compared with economy. Lufthansa premium economy seats offer 50% more room on all sides when compared with Lufthansa's economy class. Lufthansa’s premium economy seats offer 38 inches of pitch and a seat that is 18-19 inches wide, with 8 inches of recline.

Lufthansa’s premium economy seats offer a cocktail table at the armrest, which you can use for your pre-departure or in-flight beverage. The seats also come with a footrest, which we’ve found can make in-flight naps more comfortable. 

On top of the more spacious seats, there are a number of other amenities and perks that come with Lufthansa’s premium economy including:

• 11- or 12-inch inflight entertainment screen.

• A nonalcoholic welcome drink, along with a bottle of mineral water waiting at your seat.

• Meals served with fine china tableware.  

• Two free pieces of luggage weighing up to about 50 pounds (23 kilograms) each. 

• An amenity kit.

In addition to the amenities and perks above, Lufthansa’s premium economy cabin is located in the front half of the plane — meaning you’ll be one of the first group of passengers to exit the plane, which can help if you have tight connections. 

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Unlike Lufthansa’s economy class, those flying Lufthansa’s premium economy are offered a dining and drink menu that they can order from during their flight. While the dishes and drink offerings vary depending on flight and route, Lufthansa's premium economy menu is based on cuisine from Central Europe.

Your food options on Lufthansa premium economy also vary by flight length:

• On flights lasting less than 6 1/2 hours, you'll receive a main course, dessert and a snack (like a wrap).

• On flights that are at least 6 1/2 hours, you’ll receive a main course, dessert and a cold breakfast before landing.

• On flights that are at least nine hours, you’ll receive a main course, dessert, and a warm breakfast, such as an omelet, accompanied by freshly baked bread rolls. 

One thing to keep in mind is that Lufthansa no longer offers complimentary alcoholic beverages to passengers in premium economy. 

» Learn more: The guide to Lufthansa Airlines economy class

Lufthansa offers premium economy on long-haul routes, including between Munich/Frankfurt and the following cities:

• Cape Town, South Africa.

• Hong Kong.

• Los Angeles.

• Miami.

• New Delhi.

• New York.

• Tokyo.

The above isn’t a comprehensive list, so be sure to visit Lufthansa.com or search via Google Flights to check if a long-haul Lufthansa flight offers premium economy.

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The cost of a Lufthansa premium economy ticket varies depending on dates and routes, but last time we checked we found flights from:

• $2,068 one way from Los Angeles to Munich (compared with $887 in economy).

• $1,543 one way from Hong Kong to Frankfurt (compared with $657 in economy).

• $2,434 one way from Munich to New York City’s JFK airport (compared with $474 in economy).

Given the significant price difference between economy and premium economy, we’d recommend booking Lufthansa premium economy only if you place a high value on extra space, elevated dining options on your flight and being toward the front of the aircraft.

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Lufthansa offers the chance to fly its premium economy cabin on long-haul flights, including to destinations like New York City, Miami and Tokyo. Some benefits of flying Lufthansa’s premium economy include 50% extra space (compared with economy seats), an elevated dining experience and seating toward the front of the aircraft.

While there are many benefits to flying premium economy on Lufthansa, you should keep in mind that premium economy tickets can be significantly more expensive than regular economy tickets.

(Top photo courtesy of Lufthansa)