Lufthansa web check-in

Lufthansa web check-in opens 30 hours before scheduled departure on Lufthansa-operated flights, on lufthansa.com or in the Lufthansa app. It closes shortly before departure — the exact minute is set by each airport and printed on your boarding pass. Checked bags then have their own, earlier deadline. Airlaza's desk: +1-888-890-4009, 24/7.

*Last reviewed August 2026.*

The Lufthansa check-in timeline, from 30 hours out to the gate

Most check-in confusion comes from treating check-in as one deadline. On Lufthansa it is four separate ones, and missing the earliest of them is what actually causes people to lose flights.

*Stage timings compiled from Lufthansa's published check-in guidance as indexed, AirHelp's Lufthansa check-in guide and Frankfurt Airport's own check-in information; Lufthansa's pages are not directly retrievable to us.*

Read that table from the middle outwards. The 30-hour opening is generous, but the bag drop closing is the hard wall: a passenger who checked in online at home and arrives 50 minutes before a long-haul flight with a suitcase is too late for the bag even though check-in itself is complete.

How to check in online, step by step

Lufthansa's online check-in runs on the website and in the app, and both accept the same three ways in. Have your passport with you before you start, because the machine-readable line has to be typed for most intercontinental flights.

Open lufthansa.com and choose Check-in, or open the app. Identify the booking with your six-character booking code and surname, your thirteen-digit e-ticket number, or by signing in with a Travel ID or Miles & More account. Signed-in members see every trip attached to the profile without typing a reference.

Then select the passengers and the flights you want to check in, add or confirm passport and contact details where the destination requires them, choose or keep your seat, and confirm. Lufthansa issues the boarding pass immediately: to the app, by email, as a wallet pass or as a printable file.

Two habits save trouble. Check in every passenger on the booking in one pass rather than one at a time, because partial check-in complicates seat allocation for the rest. And download the pass to your phone's wallet rather than relying on the app — the wallet copy works without a data connection, which airport Wi-Fi does not always provide.

Automatic check-in and the 23-hour boarding pass

Lufthansa offers a hands-off option for account holders. Travel ID and Miles & More members can switch on automatic check-in in their profile, after which Lufthansa checks you in and sends the boarding pass 23 hours before departure without you touching anything.

The limitation is scope. Automatic check-in applies to flights operating entirely within the Schengen Area, which excludes exactly the long-haul journeys where check-in is most fiddly. On an intercontinental departure you still need to complete the process yourself, because the passport and destination data cannot be presumed.

It is still worth enabling. On a multi-sector trip that begins with a Schengen feeder into Frankfurt or Munich, the feeder checks itself in and you deal only with the long-haul leg. And if you do nothing at all, Lufthansa will assign you a seat free of charge when check-in opens — which is precisely what happens on long-haul Economy Light fares, where advance seat selection is not included at all.

Who cannot use Lufthansa online check-in

Some passengers are directed to an airport counter by design, not by fault. If any of the following describes your booking, plan the extra time rather than troubleshooting the website.

*Restriction list as summarised in AirHelp's Lufthansa check-in guidance and Lufthansa's published check-in pages.*

The codeshare case catches the most people. A Lufthansa flight number does not mean a Lufthansa aircraft — if the segment is operated by a Star Alliance partner, that partner's check-in system owns it, and you check in on their website with their reference. Look at "operated by" on your confirmation, not at the flight number.

Bag drop after online check-in: the deadline that ends journeys

Checking in online does not check in your bag. It produces a boarding pass and reserves your seat; the suitcase still has to reach a Lufthansa bag drop before a separate, earlier deadline.

*Deadline bands as reported by airline-information services rather than a single published Lufthansa table; Lufthansa's own check-in deadlines tool gives the figure for your exact airport and flight, and that figure is the one that applies.*

Two practical points. Deadlines are airport-specific — a station with a single daily Lufthansa departure and a contracted handler may close earlier than Frankfurt does, and Lufthansa says the applicable time is shown on your boarding pass. And at busy hubs the queue for bag drop is part of the deadline: being inside the terminal at minute 61 is not the same as being at the counter.

Late-night check-in: dropping bags the evening before

This is Lufthansa's most useful and least known airport service. At several German airports, including Frankfurt and Munich, you can check your bags in the evening before an early flight and walk straight to security the next morning.

*Windows as reported in Lufthansa's late-night check-in guidance as indexed and in German airport coverage; confirm for your date, since airport opening hours change seasonally.*

The 23-hour rule governs everything here: you cannot drop a bag two days early, so an 07:00 departure can be pre-dropped from 08:00 the previous morning within the airport's stated hours. For a family with an early long-haul, the difference between carrying four suitcases through a morning rush and arriving hand-luggage-only is not a small one.

Boarding passes: app, wallet, print and when paper still wins

Lufthansa accepts a mobile boarding pass at German hubs and at most international stations, delivered to the app, by email, or as a pass in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet. The barcode is what matters; the wrapper around it does not.

There remain places where paper is the safer choice. Some airports outside the Lufthansa network still require a printed pass for entry to the terminal or for the security checkpoint, and some countries want a printed onward ticket at immigration. If you are transiting an unfamiliar station, print the pass as well as saving it — the cost of doing so is nothing and the cost of not doing so is a queue at a service desk.

Whatever the format, the boarding pass is also the document that tells you your real deadlines. Lufthansa prints the boarding time and the gate closing time on it, and where an airport sets an unusual bag drop cut-off, that is where it appears. Read it once at check-in rather than at the gate.

Seats, upgrades and extras at the check-in stage

Check-in is a second chance at the seat map, and on Lufthansa it is a real one. Seats released by no-shows, operational blocks and status passengers who moved often become available exactly when check-in opens 30 hours out — which is why setting an alarm for that moment is a genuine tactic on a full flight.

What it does not do is make chargeable seats free. Long-haul Economy Light includes no advance seat selection at all: a seat is assigned to you free when check-in opens, but choosing a specific one costs money at any stage, including after check-in. In Business, Allegris Classic seats are included for everyone while the Suite, Extra Space, Privacy and Extra Long Bed categories carry a surcharge whenever you select them.

Upgrade offers also surface at this point. Lufthansa presents paid and offer-based upgrades inside My Bookings on eligible flights, and Miles & More members can apply miles or vouchers from the account. If Airlaza issued your ticket and an upgrade offer appears that you want to take, call us before accepting it so the ticket is reissued cleanly: +1-888-890-4009.

Connections, partner flights and long itineraries

On a Lufthansa itinerary with a connection, online check-in normally issues boarding passes for every Lufthansa-operated segment at once, and bags are tagged to your final destination when you drop them. That is the smooth case.

The awkward cases are worth knowing in advance. Where a segment is operated by a partner airline, check-in for that segment may only be possible with the operating carrier, and occasionally only at the airport. Where two separate tickets are involved rather than one through-fare, bags are not automatically transferred and you may have to re-clear and re-check them at the connecting point — a distinction that has nothing to do with how long the connection is.

Where your itinerary begins outside Europe on a partner metal and finishes on Lufthansa, check the earliest segment's rules first, because that is the one that produces the boarding pass you need at the first airport. If any of it looks uncertain 48 hours out, resolve it then. Check-in problems are cheap to fix a day before departure and expensive to fix at a counter.

Frequently asked questions

What time does Lufthansa check-in open?

Online check-in opens 30 hours before scheduled departure on Lufthansa-operated flights, through lufthansa.com or the Lufthansa app. Airport check-in counters open considerably later, commonly around three hours before a long-haul departure, and kiosk and counter opening times vary by airport and by season.

When does Lufthansa online check-in close?

Shortly before departure, but there is no single figure that applies everywhere. Lufthansa states that the closing time depends on the airport and prints the applicable deadline on your boarding pass. The safest approach is to check in as soon as the 30-hour window opens rather than calculating backwards.

What is the Lufthansa bag drop deadline?

It is earlier than the boarding deadline and route-dependent. Bag drop typically closes around 60 minutes before departure on flights to and from the USA and other intercontinental routes, and around 45 minutes on flights within Europe. Lufthansa's check-in deadlines tool gives the exact time for your airport.

Can I drop my Lufthansa bags the night before?

Yes, at several German airports including Frankfurt and Munich, through Lufthansa's late-night check-in. Reported windows are roughly 05:00 to 21:00 the previous day at Frankfurt and 04:15 to 21:00 at Munich, never more than 23 hours before departure. Passengers to the USA must attend personally.

Why can't I check in online for my Lufthansa flight?

The usual reasons are structural rather than technical: an unaccompanied minor, a special assistance request, a pet in the cabin, a group booking, or a segment operated by a partner airline under a Lufthansa flight number. Codeshares are the most common cause — check in with the operating carrier instead.

Does Lufthansa have automatic check-in?

Yes, for Travel ID and Miles & More members who enable it in their profile. Lufthansa then checks you in and sends the boarding pass 23 hours before departure. It applies to flights operating entirely within the Schengen Area, so intercontinental departures still need to be checked in manually.

Do I need to print my Lufthansa boarding pass?

Usually not. Lufthansa issues a mobile boarding pass to the app, by email or to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and it is accepted at German hubs and most international stations. Some airports outside the network still require paper, so print a copy when transiting an unfamiliar airport.

Can I choose my seat during Lufthansa online check-in?

You can view and change seats at check-in, and seats released by no-shows often appear exactly when the 30-hour window opens. Free choice depends on your fare: long-haul Economy Light includes no advance selection, and Allegris Business premium seat categories carry a surcharge at any stage.

How early should I arrive at the airport for a Lufthansa flight?

Around 120 minutes before departure for flights to and from the USA and other intercontinental routes, and around 90 minutes for flights within Europe. Add time at large hubs during peak periods, because the bag drop queue counts against the bag drop deadline, not just your arrival at the terminal.

Does online check-in cover all flights on my Lufthansa booking?

For Lufthansa-operated segments, generally yes — boarding passes are issued for the whole journey at once and bags are tagged through to the final destination. Partner-operated segments may require separate check-in with that airline, and separate tickets may require you to re-check bags at the connection.