Now you're paying even more for some seats—here's why

Here's what it's all about

• The Lufthansa Group is introducing new seat selection fees. Passengers who want to sit in the first row of Business Class will now pay about 40 francs, while the rearmost seats in Economy Class will be cheaper.
• This affects flights operated by Swiss, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, among others. There will be no changes to the seats themselves.
• The new fees are part of a series of additional charges, including fees for changing seats after check-in and an environmental surcharge that has already been introduced.

Summary created with

Be careful when choosing your seat on a plane. In the future, anyone who wants to sit at the very front or the very back will have to pay extra. Effective immediately, the Lufthansa Group is selling certain seats in new categories. The seats themselves remain unchanged, but they are now being marketed differently.

The policy applies to flights operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti, and Lufthansa City Airlines. According to the company, this will give travelers more options when reserving seats.

40 francs more for seats

The first row of Business Class is now being offered as a “First Row Seat.” This was reported by "aero telegraph" . The Lufthansa Group charges 36 euros or 40 Swiss francs for these seats. According to a company spokesperson, passengers are paying for the first row of seats and faster disembarkation after landing. For frequent flyers with Senator or HON Circle status, the reservation remains free of charge.

There is also a change in Economy Class. The rearmost rows will now be marketed as “Back Seat.” These seats will cost 12 euros or 15 francs in the future, instead of the previous 15 euros or 18 francs. According to Lufthansa, the seats themselves will remain unchanged. The only new feature is the introduction of these additional marketing categories.

The new seat classes are part of further changes to ancillary fees. Back in March, the Lufthansa Group introduced a lower-priced Business and Premium Economy fare on select long-haul routes. Since July, fees have also been charged on long-haul flights for several fare classes if passengers wish to change the seat automatically assigned to them at check-in.

New fees were introduced weeks ago

But those aren’t the only fees that have been introduced in the airline industry in recent years. Just a few weeks ago, blue News reported on new fees. And the focus remains on seating: On many long-haul flights, the Lufthansa Group will in the future charge a fee if passengers wish to swap their automatically assigned seat for another one after check-in.

Weitere Tarifverschärfung

Swiss führt neue Gebühr auf der Langstrecke ein

This applies to flights operated by Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Discover Airlines. Passengers who keep their assigned seat will not be charged. Exceptions to the new rule include, among others, Flex fares, Senator and HON Circle members, and passengers who have already reserved their seat before check-in.

With this change, the Lufthansa Group is extending a rule that previously applied only to the Economy Light fare to other Economy and Premium Economy fares. It is part of several adjustments made in recent months. By offering additional paid services, the Group aims to further increase its ancillary revenue.

Sustainability costs money

In 2024, blue News also reported on newly introduced fees. Swiss and other airlines in the Lufthansa Group introduced a new environmental fee in early 2025. It applies to all flights departing from airports in Switzerland, the EU, the United Kingdom, and Norway, and is automatically added to the ticket price.

Finanzierung von Umweltzielen

Swiss führt neue Gebühren ein – Flüge werden teurer

On short- and medium-haul flights, the surcharge in Economy Class ranges from 1 to 5 francs, depending on the route, and in Business Class from 1.50 to 7 francs. On long-haul flights, the fee is higher: Passengers pay an additional 6 to 12 francs in Economy Class, 9 to 18 francs in Premium Economy, 18 to 36 francs in Business Class, and 36 to 72 francs in First Class. The fee is charged for each individual flight segment.

As Swiss explained at the time to "Blick", the environmental fee is intended to cover additional costs resulting from new EU regulations. These include, among other things, the requirement to blend sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and changes to the European Emissions Trading System. The fee is mandatory for all passengers and does not replace the existing “Green Fares.”

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