Baggage restrictions in Lufthansa

The only dimension for Lufthansa's carryon limit (per their website) that is smaller than United's limit (per their website) is the length - 21-5/8 for Lufthansa and 22 for United - 3/8" difference. So, if you have a rigid roller bag with a floor to handle dimension of 22" (or more), you could be in trouble. But the overall volume of the Lufthansa limit is more than 10% more than the United limit, so with a soft bag, you shouldn't have any problem. I've been on a lot of Lufthansa flights where there was a sizing frame next to the gate, but I have never seen it used (except by me).

The tightest limit for you will probably be the weight limit, which is 17.6 lb for Lufthansa, but not limited for United. And Lufthansa has weighed my bag on several occasions.

I have never seen United either weigh a bag nor check the dimensions, although at SFO a year ago, they did have a sizing frame next to the gate counter, and the were announcing that carryon bags would have to fit in it, but they never enforced it.

They are not that picky but you will find they require plane side checking on some smaller regional planes as most 20-22" roller bags won't fit.

DJ

Also, make sure your luggage really fits any limit. In a recent article by Consumer Reports, they looked at 11 bags (all wheeled, I believe). Ten were 22 inches long or less, according to the manufacturer, but only one really was. Several exceeded the 22" length by an inch or more.

Luggage manufacturers tend to ignore the extra length of wheels and handles, but airlines do not.

We have taken 4 round-trips with Lufthansa, plus a return leg as part of a code-share. We do carry-on only in a pair of Rick Steves convertibles, and we have never been asked to pit our bags in the sizer nor on the scale (and we weigh at home, we are about on the limit). We get in the boarding line with these on our backs, never questioned. In fact, we've only seen a couple folks sentto the sizer in all the trips.

When we flew them from ORD, the gate attendants were walking around the area, picking up bags that they thought looked too big, (almost all with wheels, or obviously bloated) and gave them a heft. If questionable they took them over to the sizer and if they didn't fit, they checked them. No mercy.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I will try to pack as little as possible.

All I can tell you is that when I fly Lufthansa from Dulles, they are very strict about weight and size and the idea that you can only have one "carry on" item. I like it. I'm sick of taking flights where people try to drag on coffin-sized bags as if there was any chance they are complying with the rules.

Sean, Do you mean 1 carry on + 1 personal item like a purse?

I flew Lufthansa 9 days ago, Dulles to Frankfurt and on to Madrid. I saw the "one carry-on" signs and was prepared to stuff my purse in my emptyish tote bag, but they seemed to be alliowing a personal item in addition to a carry-on. I did see a couple of not especially large rolling bags set aside in the gate area, apparently for gate-checking. Whether for weight or for size, I do not know.

From Lufthansa's web page, under Carry-On baggage, after listing the allowance (for Economy) of one 8 kg bag, 55 x 40 x 23 cm:

"Also allowed in the cabin: another item of carry-on baggage (max. 30 x 40 x 10 cm, e.g. handbag, laptop bag), one baby carrier per child or a child’s car seat or a foldable pushchair/buggy (may have to be transported in the cargo hold) and wheelchairs/orthopaedic aids (e.g. walking aids)."

This is not EasyJet.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I'm going to be cautious and go with 1 carry on bag and a small purse. On the positive side, it will keep me from taking only what is needed.

Our carryons were weighed on Lufthansa leaving SFO to Munich, so we had to check them. We had another flight from Munich to Barcelona a few days later, so we just went ahead and checked them rather than risk it at the gate.

I have stood in a couple of Lufthansa check in lines where they weighed every bag resulting in a lot of unhappy people.

Good for Lufthansa. Last year in SFO, United announce repeatedly at the gate that all carryon luggage had to fit in the sizing frame, but when they came to boarding, I saw many obviously oversized bags being taken on board. The didn't enforce it.

I had a non-stop flight from Denver to Frankfurt a few years ago, and had to check in at the counter. When I said I was not checking my bag, they weighed it to see if it met the carryon limit.

Lufthansa allows a little larger bags size than does United, but allows only 8kg (17.6#) whereas United has no weight limit.

We are flying Condor and then Lufthansa. Condor has a 6 kg limit, that will be tight. Lufthansa 8 kg will mean we can empty our pockets into the bag. Finding a bag less than 20 cm deep that doesn't weigh a thing is quite the challenge. I have heard both airlines weigh the bags so we will not be taking chances, small backpack and small purse/manpurse that holds a mini iPad size for everyone. It is my husband's CPAP that worries me, if we have to count that in the 6 kg weight limit I don't know what we will do.

I found this on the United Airlines website regarding Portable Oxygen Concentrators (POC),

POCs are considered assistive devices and do not count toward carry-on
limits, whether or not they are used on board. They must be able to
fit underneath the seat or in an overhead compartment.

I would thing that a CPAP would be considered an assistive device, as well. This is for United; Lufthansa could be different.