Booking the cheapest fares with Swiss airlines soon means packing lighter. The new ‘Basic’ ticket changes what counts as included baggage
Passengers in Switzerland booking the cheapest short- and medium-haul fares with SWISS and other Lufthansa Group carriers will soon no longer have a free cabin suitcase allowance, as the new entry-level ticket covers only a small personal item.
The new “Economy Basic” fare will be introduced gradually from April 28th for travel from May 19th on selected routes. It will apply across the Lufthansa Group, including (besides SWISS and Lufthansa) Austrian Airlines,, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa City Airlines and Air Dolomiti.
By the end of 2026, the new Economy Basic fare is expected to be available on all European flights across the group.
If you book the cheapest fare, you will only be allowed one personal item, such as a laptop bag or small backpack. If you want to bring a carry-on suitcase or checked luggage, you will have to pay extra.
What will still be included?
Under the new Economy Basic fare, passengers may bring only one personal item, which must not exceed 40 x 30 x 15 centimetres,The small cabin trolley stored in overhead compartments, which many passengers currently take on board for free, will no longer be included with the cheapest fare.
Passengers who need more baggage will be able to add either carry-on or checked luggage for an extra fee, starting from €15. (about 13.80 francs).
Why is Lufthansa doing this?
The group said the move was designed to give passengers more choice and a “clearer fare structure”.
It described the new Basic fare as an attractive entry-level option, especially for day travellers who don’t need much luggage.
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No more ‘free’ bags
The new fare structure brings Lufthansa Group closer to the model already used by some budget airlines and by Air France.
That is likely to keep the debate over hand luggage rules going. APA reported that the European consumer organisation BEUC had already challenged strict cabin baggage policies at some airlines and wanted passengers to be allowed one cabin bag in addition to a personal item.
The airline association A4E, which includes Lufthansa, took the opposite view. It argued that millions of passengers deliberately choose lower fares with only minimal baggage and should not be forced to pay for extras they don’t need, they said.
