Upgrading your seat on Lufthansa (LH) can be a great way to increase comfort, get more leg-room, lounge access, and other perks. Here’s a comprehensive guide covering what you need to know, your upgrade options, how to do it, and tips to increase your chances.
✅ What You Should Know Before You Upgrade
- An upgrade depends heavily on fare class and ticket type. Some deeply discounted economy tickets are not eligible for upgrades.
- Upgrades are subject to availability of a higher cabin on the aircraft (Premium Economy, Business, First). If all seats are sold in the higher cabin, the upgrade cannot be granted even if you pay. (Lufthansa)
- Upgrades may be processed differently depending on whether your flight is operated by Lufthansa versus a codeshare partner. If you booked through another airline but the flight is operated by LH (or vice versa), upgrade eligibility might be limited. (Reddit)
- Upgrade policies (fixed price vs bidding vs miles) may vary by route (short-haul vs long-haul), cabin class, and region. Always check the specific route. (Lufthansa)
🛫 Upgrade Options with Lufthansa
You have several methods to upgrade — here are the main ones and what they entail.
1. Fixed price upgrade
You pay a set amount to move up from your current class (e.g., Economy → Premium Economy, Economy → Business) if available. On LH’s upgrade page: “Upgrade at a fixed price: depending on your existing flight class and your flight route, we can offer you an upgrade here at an already existing fixed price.” (Lufthansa)
For example, for Premium Economy upgrades from Economy: you may see an option to pay a fixed price “at the ticket counter, at check-in or at the gate” depending on route. (Lufthansa)
2. Bid upgrade (offer your own price)
On eligible bookings, LH may invite you to submit an offer (bid) for an upgrade. If your offer is accepted, you pay your bid and receive the higher cabin. For example, the “Submit an offer for your upgrade” page says upgrades can be bid up to 60 hours before departure (for certain flights). (Lufthansa)
Helpful note: you’ll receive an email invitation for the bidding process (if your booking is eligible).
3. Upgrade using miles / vouchers
If you are a member of LH’s frequent flyer programme Miles & More, you may be able to redeem miles (or e-Vouchers) for an upgrade. For example: Premium Economy upgrades mention that you can redeem your miles or e-Vouchers. (Lufthansa)
4. Airport/counter/last-minute upgrade
If there are seats available in a higher class at the airport (check-in, bag drop, or gate) you can sometimes pay for an upgrade there. LH states: “Depending upon the location, you can get your upgrade … at the ticket counter, at the check-in or bag drop-off counter or at the gate – and pay a fixed price that is dependent on your route.” (Lufthansa)
5. Restrictions for First Class/“Allegris” seats
Be aware: for the ultra-premium cabins (e.g., LH’s “Allegris” First Class suites on some A350s), upgrade availability may be very limited or blocked even if there appear to be seats. One observer noted: “I can officially confirm that Lufthansa doesn’t seem to be allowing any sort of upgrades to its Allegris first class.”
🛠 Step-by-Step: How to Upgrade
Here’s how to go about requesting or buying an upgrade with Lufthansa.
- Check your booking eligibility
- Log in to your booking on LH’s website (Manage Booking).
- See if there is an “Upgrade” option. If you see it, proceed. If not, your fare may not be eligible. (Tours n Travel Pro)
- Verify that your flight is operated by LH (not a codeshare) if you want full upgrade access. (Reddit)
- Decide method: Fixed price, bid, miles
- If you see a fixed-price upgrade, you can pay online.
- If there’s a bid option (“Make an offer”), place your bid. You’ll await acceptance.
- If you wish to use miles, check the Miles & More section for “Upgrade Awards”.
- Complete payment / submit bid
- For fixed upgrades: pay the required difference.
- For bid upgrades: submit your offer before the deadline (often ~60 hours before departure) then wait for confirmation.
- For miles: ensure your account has the required miles; follow prompts to apply for upgrade.
- Confirm your new class & seat selection
- Once the upgrade is confirmed (via email or update in your booking), you should be able to select your new seat in the higher class. Note: some users report complications when they paid for economy seat selection and then got upgraded — you may need to call to adjust or refund the seat-selection fee.
- In some cases you might still need to re‐check in under the new cabin class.
- At the airport / last minute
- If you didn’t upgrade in advance, at check-in or bag drop ask whether a paid upgrade is available.
- If you still see unsold seats in a higher class, you can inquire about an airport upgrade price (fixed) or see if any last-minute offer appears.
💡 Tips to Improve Your Chances
- Book a fare that allows upgrades (avoid the cheapest “deep-discount” economy fares which may be blocked from upgrade programs).
- Monitor early — bid upgrades tend to succeed when you submit somewhat earlier rather than last-minute.
- Check often — seat availability can change; if the higher cabin is not yet full you may have a better chance.
- Avoid codeshare pitfalls — If your ticket is booked on another airline’s flight number (even if LH operates), some upgrade channels may be excluded.
- Consider airport upgrade option — if you don’t mind waiting until check-in or gate, you might find a last-minute upgrade pricing.
- Use your elite status or miles programme — Frequent flyers (with Miles & More status) may get better access or prioritization.
- Be realistic with bidding — In bidding upgrades, set a fair price, not minimal. Some users report that extremely low bids get rejected.
🧳 Visual: What Upgraded Seats Look Like
- Premium Economy: extra leg-room, upgraded service.
- Business Class: lie-flat seats on long-haul, lounge access, priority check-in.
- First Class / Allegris: the top tier, very limited seats and strict availability.
📌 Summary
- Upgrades on Lufthansa are quite feasible — fixed price, bid, miles, or airport last-minute.
- Eligibility depends on your fare class, flight route, aircraft cabin availability, and whether the flight is operated by LH.
- For the best success: check early, verify your booking class, consider bidding if eligible, and use airport options if you wait.
- Don’t count on free upgrades (unless you have elite status) — most upgrades are paid or involve miles.
If you like, I can check specific upgrade prices for your route (for example Economy → Business on a particular flight) with Lufthansa today, and see approximate cost ranges. Would you like me to do that?