If you're flying Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Edelweiss, Discover Airlines or Air Dolomiti, a booking reference and your surname are no longer enough to check in online. The group is making its Travel ID account mandatory, rolling the rule out in stages through November.
The phased rollout started October 20 for departures from Schengen countries outside Germany, Austria and Switzerland. On November 2 it extends to European non-Schengen departures, German airports other than Frankfurt and Munich, Austria, and Switzerland excluding Zurich. US, Canadian and Mexican departures — plus Munich and Zurich — follow on November 16, and everything else, including Frankfurt, joins on November 30.
There are exceptions. You can still skip the account if you check in at an airport counter or self-service kiosk, if your ticket was issued by another airline, if you're flying on a Lufthansa Group ticket but the flight is operated by a different carrier, if you're part of a group booking, or if you booked through certain tour operators and charters using agency details. One Traveller ID holder can also check in companions, and someone helping another passenger may use their own account.
Lufthansa's pitch is convenience: one login across all its airlines, stored personal details, fewer forms, and personalised offers. For frequent flyers hopping between Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian, that genuinely saves time. For the occasional traveller who just wants a boarding pass, it's another password to remember and another step between them and the airport.
The timing matters for anyone flying over the holidays. If your departure point falls into one of the later phases and you'd rather not queue at a counter, it's worth signing up for a Travel ID before you travel — the registration is free and takes a few minutes. And note the odd quirk: tickets issued by rival airlines are exempt, so a codeshare booked through another carrier may let you dodge the requirement entirely.
The change fits a broader airline pattern: pushing passengers towards self-service apps and, in doing so, collecting more profile data. Airport check-in remains the fallback, but that's a poor trade for a carry-on-only traveller who previously had no reason to visit a desk at all. If you have an upcoming Lufthansa Group flight, check which phase your departure airport falls into and sort your login in advance — online check-in usually opens 23-24 hours before departure, and the last thing you want is a sign-up form standing between you and your boarding pass.
