Eurowings Review: My take on their Fares, Baggage Fees, Seats (2026)

Overview — Is Eurowings a good airline?

Eurowings is the Lufthansa Group’s low-cost airline, a German budget carrier flying short and medium hops across Europe to city, beach, and other holiday destinations. It runs on the familiar European airline budget model: a cheap BASIC headline fare that’s a seat and a small personal item only, with everything else (cabin trolley, checked bags, seat selection, airport check-in) added on or bundled into pricier SMART and BIZclass fares. Fares can dip into the €25-35 range. The aspect that sets it apart from Ryanair is the Lufthansa connection: you collect Miles & More miles and it slots into a major airline group. If you book the right fare and pack to the rules, it’s a solid, slightly more comfortable budget option. Book BASIC assuming your roller bag flies free, and you’ll pay at the gate.

Who Is Eurowings Best For?

The Budget Europe Traveler

Eurowings’s whole purpose is affordable short-haul European travel, weekend city breaks, beach runs to the Mediterranean, and holiday routes, primarily from German-speaking Europe. If you’re hopping between European cities and watching the budget, it belongs on your comparison list.

The Lufthansa / Miles & More Collector

Here’s Eurowings’s real edge over the pure budget carriers: it’s part of the Lufthansa Group, so you can collect Miles & More miles and stay inside a major airline ecosystem even while flying a low-cost fare. For anyone already loyal to Lufthansa, Swiss, or Austrian, that continuity is worth something.

The Traveler Who Wants Budget With Higher Standards

Eurowings holds a Skytrax 4-Star Low-Cost Airline certification. This is prestigious because it is only awarded following a detailed audit across up to 800 areas of product and service delivery, covering everything from cabin crew conduct to check-in efficiency and onboard comfort. Of 74 low-cost carriers worldwide assessed by Skytrax, only 14 hold this rating.

Eurowings also won Skytrax’s “Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe 2025” award, based on real passenger reviews.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

If you want the absolute lowest fare and you’re a disciplined one-bag traveler, an ultra-low-cost rival may beat Eurowings on headline price for some routes. And if you’re outside its core German and Central European network, it may simply not serve your city.

How Does Eurowings Work?

Eurowings runs the classic low-cost “unbundled” model, the same philosophy as Ryanair, but as part of the Lufthansa Group rather than an independent. You start with a cheap BASIC fare that buys little more than your seat, then add the extras you need, or skip up to a fare that bundles them. Its homepage fares advertise the model plainly: the basic fare excludes checked baggage and airport check-in, priced per leg, per person.

The airline focuses on short and medium-haul European routes, heavily weighted toward Germany and Central Europe, serving a mix of city, beach, and active-holiday destinations. You book at eurowings.com or via the app, and the key skill (as with all budget carriers) is matching your fare to what you actually need so the cheap fare stays cheap.

What Are the Eurowings Fare Types?

Eurowings sells three main fares, and understanding them is the whole game:

BASIC

The cheapest fare. You get your seat and one small personal item (about 40 x 30 x 25 cm) free. A large cabin trolley (55 x 40 x 23 cm, up to 8kg) and any checked bag cost extra, and airport check-in carries a surcharge. This is the fare that catches people out, your American-style roller bag is not free on BASIC.

SMART

The standard fare, and often the better value. It adds, on top of BASIC, the large cabin trolley, one checked bag up to 23kg, free airport check-in, and free seat reservation. If you’re checking a bag, SMART usually beats BASIC-plus-add-ons.

BIZclass

The premium short-haul fare: two checked bags up to 32kg each, two cabin bags with reserved overhead space, Lufthansa lounge access, priority services, and an exclusive menu. A business-style experience at short-haul prices.

What’s the Catch With Eurowings?

Every budget airline has trade-offs. Naming them is the point of a review.

BASIC Doesn’t Include Your Carry-On Roller Bag

This is the single biggest gotcha. On BASIC, only the small under-seat personal item is free; the standard overhead roller bag is a paid add-on. The two bag categories are not interchangeable, and international travelers who assume “hand luggage” means a roller bag (as it does on many airlines) get surprised. A cabin trolley on BASIC starts at a modest fee online and costs significantly more at the airport.

Checked Bags and Fees Stack Up

BASIC has no free checked bag; you add a 12kg or 23kg bag for a fee (cheapest booked online, in advance). A second checked bag is expensive, often around €75. As always with budget carriers, every airport-counter transaction costs more than doing it online ahead of time.

Gate Checks on Full Flights

Eurowings checks cabin-bag size and weight at the gate, and on full flights even allowed bags can get checked. A bag right at the 55 x 40 x 23 cm / 8kg limit is riskier than one comfortably under it.

Network Is Germany-Centric

Eurowings is strongest in and around German-speaking Europe. Depending where you are, it may not fly your route at all, so it’s a “check if it serves you” airline rather than a universal option.

Seat Selection and Legroom on Eurowings

Seat choice on Eurowings follows the same logic as everything else: what’s free depends on your fare. You can pick a standard (“preferred”) seat, pay for one with larger seat pitch and more legroom, or add an empty middle seat next to you, and in each case choose window, aisle, or middle.

Here’s how it breaks down by fare, with Eurowings’ own starting prices (these vary by route):

BASIC includes no free seat selection. A standard preferred seat starts from €4, a more-legroom seat from €9, and the empty-middle-seat upgrade from €15. If you don’t pay, a seat is simply assigned to you.

SMART includes a free standard seat reservation, one of the reasons it’s often the better value. A more-legroom seat is a discounted add-on from €4, and the empty-middle-seat upgrade is available from €10.

BIZclass includes it all: preferred seating and a more-legroom seat are free (a seat in rows 1-4), and the empty adjacent middle seat is part of the fare.

A few things worth knowing before you pick:

The more-legroom seats offer a larger seat pitch, and the option is route- and aircraft-dependent, so it isn’t offered on every flight or every plane type.

The free middle seat is a genuinely useful middle-ground: it’s a paid upgrade (from €10 on SMART, €17 on BASIC) that guarantees the seat beside you stays empty, more space without buying up to business class. You can add it while booking or even after you’ve booked, and note it applies to all flights in your booking rather than a single leg.

Emergency exit row seats carry the usual conditions (you must be willing and able to assist in an evacuation), so they have their own rules at selection.

And the standard caveat: these seat rules apply to flights operated by Eurowings itself. If a partner airline operates your flight (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Condor, United, Air Canada, or ANA), that airline’s seating rules apply instead.

The practical takeaway: if a specific seat or legroom matters to you, factor it into the fare math. A SMART fare, with its free standard seat selection and cheaper legroom and middle-seat upgrades, often beats BASIC once you add those extras back on, the same “do the math on the bundle” logic that governs the whole airline. Also, keep in mind that prices vary by route and booking window. The prices that I’ve included are for general guidance and managing expectations.

Eurowings Baggage and Fares at a Glance

• Personal item (free, all fares): small bag ~40 x 30 x 25 cm, under the seat.
• Cabin trolley: 55 x 40 x 23 cm, up to 8kg, free on SMART/BIZclass, paid on BASIC.
• BASIC checked bag: none free; add 12kg or 23kg for a fee (from around ~€17-19 online).
• SMART: includes 1 checked bag up to 23kg.
• BIZclass: includes 2 checked bags up to 32kg each.
• Second checked bag: chargeable, often around €75+.
• Maximum: up to 5 checked pieces, each up to 32kg; over 158cm total is oversized.
• Power banks (since Jan 15, 2026): maximum 2 per person, carried in hand luggage, no use or charging onboard.
• Miles: collects Lufthansa Group Miles & More.

Checkin Process

The checkin process for Eurowings was pretty straightforward. You can check in to your flight online as much as 30 days prior to departure. Basic fliers should be sure to take advantage of the online checkin process else you risk an airport checkin fee. This is one of the primary hidden costs and ‘gotchas’ of budget airlines.

Mobile or Print?

After you have successfully checked into your flight, you should receive a digital boarding pass. You can use the boarding pass in your email via the mobile app or even a print version if you like. Eurowings is flexible in this regard unlike Ryanair which now mandates that you use their mobile app.

How to Fly Eurowings: A Quick Guide

1. Book online in advance at eurowings.com or the app; everything is cheaper than at the airport.
2. Choose your fare deliberately. Carry-on roller bag or a checked bag? SMART usually beats BASIC plus add-ons. Truly traveling light with just a personal item? BASIC works.
3. Mind the two bag categories. The free personal item is not a roller bag; the overhead trolley is separate.
4. Check in online to avoid the BASIC airport check-in surcharge.
5. Stay under the cabin-bag limits (55 x 40 x 23 cm, 8kg) to avoid gate-check fees on full flights.
6. Collect Miles & More if you’re in the Lufthansa ecosystem.

Inflight WiFi, Entertainment & Services

Eurowings advertises that it keeps you connected and entertained through Wings Connect and Wings Entertainment. Both of these services run on your own device rather than a seatback screen and provide you with WiFi and a streaming library respectively.

Wings Connect (Wi-Fi)

Every passenger can connect a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to the Wings Connect portal, where you’ll find current flight information, destination facts, and partner offers free of charge. From there, if you want to actually get online, you buy one of three internet packages:

• Chat — access to instant-messaging apps for the full flight, at a basic speed (up to around 150 kbps), enough to text your arrival time to whoever’s picking you up.
• Connect 30 / Connect 60 — full internet access for 30 or 60 minutes, at a faster speed (up to around 1.5 Mbps).
• Connect Premium — internet access for the entire flight at the faster speed, and it unlocks the Wings Entertainment library (below).

Each package includes unlimited data for the services it covers, for that flight segment. Payment is by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Diners, JCB) or PayPal.

The important caveat: Wi-Fi isn’t available on every flight. Eurowings offers internet on selected aircraft and routes (notably parts of its Airbus A319/A320 fleet), and it depends on availability, so treat onboard Wi-Fi as a nice bonus rather than a guarantee on any given flight. See their official documentation on internet and content.

Personally, I flew on a flight that did not have the internet option. I expected to work on my flight but in the end I just did some writing. I’d recommend downloading entertainment or bringing a book just in case, especially if you are unsure which aircraft that you will be flying on. Also, it is nice to have a moment of separation from the internet.

Wings Entertainment (Movies, Series, and the like)

Wings Entertainment is the name of Eurowings’ streaming entertainment service. It is available on a portion of its fleet and accessed through the Wings Entertainment app on your own smartphone, tablet, or laptop (Yes, you will need to download the app). It offers a library of films (blockbusters and classics), TV series, music, audiobooks, and a children’s program, along with flight and destination information and the Wings Shop and Wings Bistro menus.

Worth knowing: the flight and destination info and the shop/bistro menus are free, but the full films-and-series library is unlocked through the Connect Premium package, so the streaming entertainment is tied to buying the top internet tier rather than being complimentary.

The practical takeaway: bring your own device, since everything streams to you rather than a built-in screen. And because both services depend on aircraft and route, download a few things to watch before you fly as a backup. I use Brave’s Playlist feature. It’s a great companion for flights. Lastly, make sure you charge your phone and bring your headphones. Don’t be that seat neighbor!

Other Services

The flight attendants did offer food and drink options on board via the Wings Bistro. I did not get anything but there were options onboard for someone who needs it. The menu for Wings Bistro changes throughout the year, so expect some seasonal items.

Are Pets Allowed on Eurowings?

If you have a furry friend then you are in luck, unless you are flying to the United Kingdom. Eurowings does allow small pets to travel in the cabin with you, provided they meet a set of requirements. Unfortunately, Eurowings does not allow pets on flights to the UK though.

It is worth mentioning that your pet must be at least 12 weeks old to fly on Eurowings. If you are looking for extra space, the emergency exit row cannot be reserved when traveling with a pet.

Here’s everything you need to know about Eurowings pet policies before booking.

Carrier Bag Requirements

• The carrier bag must be waterproof, bite-proof, sealed, and air-permeable (no hard-sided containers)
• Maximum bag dimensions: 55 x 40 x 23 cm
• The combined weight of your pet(s) and bag must not exceed 8 kg
• You may carry up to two animals in one bag, but the 8 kg total weight limit still applies

If all requirements are met, your bag will receive a special Pet-in-Cabin baggage label at check-in. Be sure to check out the Eurowings website for updates before your flight.

Things to do before you fly

You must complete a form and present it at the check-in desk before your pet can travel. You can download and find a link to the form here.

Tips for Travelling with Your Pet

Traveling with pets can be challenging, especially when they are young. It is always a good idea to get your pet used to the carrier at home by placing them in it for a few hours at a time, then rewarding them afterwards. It is common for pets to get nervous during flights. It can be helpful to place a familiar item inside the carrier to help soothe your pet with a recognizable smell.

It may be a good idea to speak to your vet before flying. This can help you to prepare for any adjustments to your pet’s diet or to handle unpredictable reactions ahead of the flight.

Is Eurowings Worth It? My Take

Eurowings is a competent, slightly more polished budget airline, and the Lufthansa Group backing is its genuine differentiator. The 4-Star low-cost rating, the Miles & More earning, and the well-equipped SMART and BIZclass fares make it a comfortable step up from the most bare-bones carriers, while the BASIC fare keeps the headline price competitive.

It earns the same caution as every budget airline: the cheap fare is only cheap if you pack to its rules, and BASIC’s paid carry-on roller bag is the classic trap. Do the math on SMART if you’re checking a bag, book online, and Eurowings is a sensible choice for European hops, especially if you’re already in the Lufthansa world. I was a little annoyed that the WiFi was not functioning. Taking everything into consideration, it gets three and a half stars from me.

Eurowings FAQ

Compare Your Options

Weighing European budget airlines? See my reviews of Ryanair and easyJet.

Last updated June 2026. Eurowings BASIC, SMART & BIZclass fares verified via their official documentation.