Lufthansa: Carry-on weight limits
 

Traveling to Italy via Lufthansa. I was aiming to carry on my luggage till I saw that Lufthansa has a weight restriction (8 kg) in addition to a size restriction. Size is fixed, generally speaking, so it's easy to measure to see if a bag fits the size restriction. Weight is variable, depending on what I decide to pack, so it's not easily measured in advance. I have no idea how close (under/over) I'll be to an 8-kg restriction, which seems low to me.

Those who have flown Lufthansa recently with a carry-on, what has your experience been with regard to weight restrictions? Do they weigh all carry-ons prior to boarding? Does an average carry-on bag with average contents (clothing, small amount of toiletries, maybe one pair of shoes) easily fall below an 8-kg limit?

I acknowledge that I'm asking vague questions with no definitive answers beyond "it depends," and no one can predict what my experience will be. I'm just looking to get a general sense of what people's experiences have been taking a carry-on bag on Lufthansa. Thanks for any insight you care to provide!

(I wouldn't have these concerns if they weren't trying to ding us for $120 per bag!!!)

It's been 2 years but in my experience Lufthansa pays no attention to weight, but rather size. Never, not once, in 20+ years flying with them every year or 2 have they ever checked weight.

My most recent experience with Lufthansa was over a year ago - they didn't weigh my carry on on either flight, but then again I only travel with a small day pack.

Flew with Lufhansa twice last year, with connections four check ins in total, most recent in December.
They checked the weight twice, first trip in Canada and second trip in Poland.
In Canada the weight was 9.2 kg, they let it go. In Poland I had more stuff than you list and it was below 8kg.
They weigh at the counter, before security, and tag it as "approved cabin baggage"
My second piece of cabin baggage (a waist pack with chargers, IPadMini, snacks, etc ) they didn't weigh.

Hmm, our experience on Lufthansa again was as to size. My bag didnt fit into the mold that is provided at check-in at Newark-Liberty. Thereupon, had to empty out alot of my stuff into my tote, husband's, to allow it through. One of the best things I own is a luggage scale which I suggest you get. It is also handy for weighing our gas tank for our grill!

LH is more concerned about size than weight.
If you fly carry-on only why would you go to check-in?
Just get your boarding pass online or on your mobile phone and proceed directly through security to the gate.
Or is this not possible in the US?

If you connect in Munich, many flights to Italy are operated with small aircrafts, like Canadair jets.
Even when your cabin luggage meets the regular restrictions it may not fit into the (very small) overhead bins of those small planes.
In that case, you often must "plane check" (i.e. leave it on a cart on the tarmac literally at the stairs before you board the plane) your cabin luggage. To prepare for this, I'd put all valuables, passport etc. in the "second item" that's allowed as cabin baggage.

That option IS available in the US but sometimes there are exceptions for international flights and you have to go through checkin no matter what. I'm not sure what it depends on, if it's the airline or what, but I know you cannot always do checkin by computer the day before.

I've flown Lufthansa multiple times over the last few yrs and they haven't weighed my carryon. I once checked a second bag to Lithuania and wasn't charged for it as it only weighed about 12 pounds. The agent said it was carryon size. I thought the size was bigger.

Think this may be agent/aircraft/roue dependent. Flew LH three times in the last six months. On one intra-european (FRA-LIS) flight they weighed my carry on at the gate, made me check it. Other flights, no weighing.

In September, we flew Lufthansa from Munich to Milan. We booked their Economy classic which allowed 8 kg carry-on, checked bag and seat reservation. It was not dramatically more costly than their basic economy as we recall. Anyway, we only fly with carry-ons but they are always heavier than 8 kg. We also always go straight to boarding area. Our worst case, I guess, is that we could allow them to gate check the bags since we were allowed one checked bag each. But we also noticed that there are no weight scales in the boarding area. And, they couldn't and didn't weight anyone's bags.

Why would anyone book economy classic which costs more because it includes a checked bag but only ever fly with carry-ons? Was it just for the seat reservation benefit on an hours flight? Gate check only applies to carry-on size luggage if the flight is full and the airline asks if they can put your carry-on luggage in the hold. I doubt you can just elect to gate check your carry-on of your own accord. There are no weighing scales at the gate, because it is a gate and not bag drop. Pity since there is hardly any room in the economy cabin for these oversized and overweight carry-ons that people struggle to lift into the overheads, it takes forever to board and disembark and is a right pain.

I reviewed that booking and the Economy Classic on that flight was the lowest level economy offered. Having said that, we fly a lot on varied discount carriers in Europe, and we do pay extra, when necessary, for seat reservations even on short flights. Personal decision. My wife and I have always felt if we ever go down, we will do it holding hands.

Our carry-ons size-wise are all designed to fit within the most restrictive limits of any of the discount carriers, so we are not among those who delay seating with bags not designed for the small bins. The only issue for us on Lufthansa is that our bags might weigh 9-10 kg, which everyone else seems to allow but is over the 8 kg. limit of Lufthansa.

Usually, it is 9-10 kg but it is better always to ask that air company which you have chosen.