Ancillary fees are common in air travel—checked-bag charges, pay-for-snack options and fees for extra legroom are now standard—but a recent surcharge announced by Lufthansa has drawn particular attention from travel managers and the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA).
In June, the Lufthansa Group said it would introduce an additional fee for tickets purchased outside the airline’s own channels. Starting Sept. 1, travelers who buy Lufthansa tickets through third-party sellers rather than the airline’s websites, service centers or airport ticket counters will face a surcharge.
The announcement prompted concern among corporate travel buyers. In August, a GBTA poll found that half of the respondents who currently list Lufthansa as a preferred carrier planned to reduce their company’s spending with the airline once the fee took effect. GBTA criticized the move as effectively a price increase for managed travel programs, noting it offers no clear benefit to companies that book through travel management systems or preferred channels.
Although the GBTA survey focused on U.S. travel buyers, partners in Europe have reported similar reactions, indicating that the policy could influence corporate purchasing behavior across multiple markets.