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Baggage allowance on Lufthansa economy
Lufthansa is quite generous with baggage on this route. In economy, you are allowed two pieces of checked luggage, with a weight allowance of around 23 kg per piece. On top of that, you can carry one piece of hand luggage up to 7 kg. Compared to some other airlines, that is a reasonable allowance for a long-haul trip.
What happened when our flight was overbooked — and what you should know
This is the part of the journey I was not expecting. When we tried to check in at the kiosk and print our boarding passes, the system flagged something strange — it put our seats on standby. As first-time flyers on this route, we did not fully understand what that meant, so we had to wait until we reached the actual check-in counter to get answers.
At the counter, the agent told us the flight was overbooked. There are about 245 seats in economy on that aircraft, and they had bookings for approximately 255 passengers — overbooked by around 10 seats. We were made to wait for about ten minutes while they tried to assign seats. I am not going to pretend I was calm — I was standing there with my fingers crossed, genuinely dreading that they were going to turn us away. Thankfully, they managed to find seats for us.
Airlines overbooking flights is more common than most passengers realise. I have heard of situations where people were told there were no seats left after the plane had already been fully boarded. If you ever arrive at check-in and the kiosk puts you on standby, go straight to the staffed counter and ask what is happening — do not assume it will sort itself out.
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Book a Mock InterviewSeats, legroom, and in-flight comfort
Once we were on board, each seat comes with a standard pillow and blanket. I have flown a few international airlines — Singapore Airlines included — and honestly, the blanket quality on Lufthansa is decent but slightly behind Singapore Airlines. The seat itself is similar in quality to Singapore Airlines economy.
Where Lufthansa actually edges ahead, in my experience, is legroom. I would say the legroom in Lufthansa economy is slightly better than Singapore Airlines economy. I am not a tall person, so I had plenty of room to move my legs around comfortably on a flight this long.
The Frankfurt transit — what to expect
Frankfurt Airport is massive. The signage is clear and it is not hard to find your way around, but do not underestimate how far you might have to walk. We had just one hour to make our connecting flight to New York, and we were literally running through the terminal. We made it, but we were among the last passengers to board.
One tip that makes a real difference during international transit: travel with minimal hand baggage. If you are carrying a large bag, you will likely be pulled aside at security for it to be opened and checked. That costs you precious minutes. A smaller, well-organised bag means you move through security faster and spend less time standing at the checkpoint.
Also be prepared for your boarding pass to be checked multiple times at Frankfurt — it happened to us more than once before we even reached the gate. Do not be surprised by it; just keep your boarding pass accessible.
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