Lufthansa vs Air France

Overview

Lufthansa is Germany's largest airline and the flagship carrier of Lufthansa Group. According to Wikipedia, it traces its history to Deutsche Luft Hansa, founded on 6 January 1926, and was re-established in 1953. It is headquartered in Cologne, operates hubs at Frankfurt and Munich, and is a founding member of Star Alliance. Its frequent-flyer programme is Miles & More. The airline is still operating passenger services in 2026, its centenary year.

Network and hubs

Frankfurt and Munich are the main hubs. For summer 2026, Aviation Outlook reports that Lufthansa Group offers more than 14,000 weekly connections to 330 destinations in around 100 countries. That figure covers the whole group, not only the Lufthansa brand, and the same source describes a shift away from loss-making short-haul feeder flying towards long-haul growth. Lufthansa has also taken a stake in ITA Airways, with an option to acquire the remainder later.

Fleet

Wikipedia lists a mainline fleet of 274 aircraft and 229 destinations (retrieved September 2026; some infobox data may lag). Lufthansa Group as a whole had 737 aircraft at the end of 2025, with 219 more on order, according to Aviation Outlook. The long-haul fleet includes Airbus A350-900s, and Wikipedia also covers A340-600s, A380s and Boeing 747-8s, some of which are being refitted.

On board

• Cabins: Economy, Premium Economy, Business and, on selected aircraft, First Class.
• Premium Economy: introduced in 2014, with a seat pitch of about 38 inches, according to Wikipedia.
• Allegris: the airline's newer long-haul cabin product, which is being introduced across the long-haul fleet. Availability varies by aircraft.
• Meal, entertainment and Wi-Fi details vary by route and cabin. Check the airline's website before booking.

Good to know

• Baggage: a third-party guide (2025) says Economy and Premium Economy include one 8 kg cabin bag (55x40x23 cm). Economy Light includes no checked bag, while Economy Flex includes two 23 kg bags. Business and First include two cabin bags. Rules change, so confirm on lufthansa.com.
• Lounges: Lufthansa operates lounges at Frankfurt and Munich, including First Class lounges and a First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
• Loyalty: Miles & More has Frequent Traveller (Star Alliance Silver), Senator and HON Circle (both Star Alliance Gold) levels, with lounge access at the higher tiers.

Overview

Air France (legally Société Air France) is the flag carrier of France. According to Wikipedia, it was founded on 30 August 1933 and is headquartered at Roissypôle, Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Tremblay-en-France. It is a subsidiary of the Air France–KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance. Its subsidiaries include Transavia France and Air France Hop. Its IATA code is AF, ICAO code AFR and call sign AIRFRANS.

Network and hubs

The main hub is Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Focus cities are Lyon, Marseille, Nice and Toulouse. Wikipedia lists about 184 destinations, covering Europe, Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and Asia, plus France's overseas territories.

Fleet

The Air France–KLM fleet page reports that Air France had 229 aircraft at 31 December 2025, all in operation. These comprised 120 long-haul aircraft, 107 medium-haul aircraft and two freighters. In 2025 the airline took delivery of six Airbus A350-900s and 11 Airbus A220-300s. It also removed 12 A320-family aircraft, four A330s and two A380s. Renewal continues, with the group aiming for up to 80% new-generation aircraft by 2030 (Air France-KLM, October 2026). Figures for the Air France Hop regional fleet and for Transavia are separate.

On board

Baggage guides list Economy, Premium Economy, Business and La Première cabins, though not every aircraft has all four. Seat pitch, entertainment, Wi-Fi and meal details were not confirmed from the sources used here. Check the airline's cabin pages for the specific aircraft type before booking.

Good to know

• Cabin baggage: one bag of up to 55 x 35 x 25 cm plus one small item of up to 40 x 30 x 15 cm. The combined weight limit is 12 kg in Economy and 18 kg in Business, according to MyBaggage.
• Economy Light: this fare includes only the small personal item and no free checked bag, according to eDreams. Standard and Flex fares add a cabin bag.
• Loyalty: the frequent-flyer programme is Flying Blue, shared with KLM.
• Parent group: Air France–KLM, with Air France CEO Anne Rigail.

Allowances and fees vary by fare and route, so confirm them on the airline's website.