If you're flying Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Edelweiss or Discover Airlines, there's a new hoop to jump through: from late 2026, checking in online will require a free Lufthansa Group Travel ID account. No account, no online check-in — you'll have to do it the old-fashioned way at the airport.
The Travel ID is a single log-in that works across all of the group's carriers' websites and apps. It's separate from the Miles & More loyalty programme — the point is unified digital access, not points. The catch for passengers is that a feature most of us treat as a given is about to sit behind a registration wall.
The rollout is staged. From 20 October 2026, the requirement applies to Schengen departures (except Germany, Austria and Switzerland). From 2 November 2026, it extends to non-Schengen European departures plus Germany (excluding Frankfurt and Munich), Austria, and Switzerland (excluding Zurich). From 16 November 2026 it covers the US, Canada, Mexico, Munich and Zurich. Finally, from 30 November 2026, everywhere else including Frankfurt falls in line.
There are a few escape hatches. You can still check in at an airport counter or kiosk without an account, and the rule doesn't apply if you're on a ticket issued by another airline, or flying on a partner-operated flight with a Lufthansa Group ticket.
Why is Lufthansa doing this? Data, mostly. A Travel ID gives the group a unified profile for every passenger, which is marketing gold. Most airlines bribe you into signing up — free Wi-Fi for loyalty members is the classic move. Lufthansa has flipped the logic: instead of offering something extra for registering, it's taking away a convenience (online check-in) unless you do. That's an odd approach given that online check-in arguably saves the airline more money in staffing and resources than it saves passengers time.
In practice, though, the pain is minimal. Registration is free and quick, and almost nobody is going to switch airlines over it. The realistic outcome is a wave of new account holders — exactly what Lufthansa wants. For travellers, the smart move is simply to create a Travel ID before your next trip rather than discovering the rule at the airport with a slow Wi-Fi connection and a boarding time ticking closer. If you already have Miles & More, double-check whether your log-in doubles as a Travel ID; the two systems are distinct, so don't assume.
Worth knowing even if you rarely fly the group's carriers: this covers a huge chunk of European air travel, including nearly every long-haul departure from Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna. Set up the account once and it'll carry you across Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Edelweiss and Discover Airlines — one less thing to think about at check-in time.
Story via One Mile at a Time.
