clean less in economy class

Airlines are finding increasingly creative ways to save costs. A while ago we knew the West Jet casewho did a test to end reclining seats in economy class. Now the protagonist is Lufthansa. And the German airline is experimenting with a new model to save costs and take advantage of its staff’s shifts: reducing cleaning in economy class.

Cost reduction. Lufthansa has been going through an internal restructuring process called “Turnaround”, a plan with which they intend to apply up to 700 different measures aimed at reducing operating expenses. In this context, the company has begun to test a new way of cleaning its planes on short-haul flights within Europe.

What exactly is happening. Between March 16 and 29, Lufthansa is carrying out a pilot test on about 20 intra-European routes. The objective is to evaluate whether reducing cleaning in economy class during layover time saves time and money without harming the passenger experience. The airline has called it internally “light cleaning.”

What the change consists of. On flights included in the test, economy class no longer receives a complete cleaning between flights. Instead, ground staff only intervene where cabin crew deem it necessary: ​​sinks are cleaned only if requested, and seatback bags are only emptied if there is something to remove. The systematic review is replaced by a selective inspection. In business and first class, however, they are not affected and maintain their usual cleanliness.

Which is also being evaluated. Beyond the frequency of cleaning, Lufthansa is also measuring whether it can reduce the number of operators per plane on these stops. The hypothesis is to go from four to two people, but extending the work time from five to ten minutes.

What they have already had to rectify. The test has already had some friction, as could be expected. According to counted aeroTELEGRAPH, the company had also initially proposed that cabin staff stop crossing the seat belts in economy before boarding. After complaints from the crew, Lufthansa reversed the measure.

Tightening the belt. The company’s financial results were nothing to write home about. In the first half of 2025, Lufthansa’s main division posted losses of $317 million, according to Simple Flyingdespite the fact that the group as a whole closed the year with its highest historical turnover, with an increase of 5% compared to 2024. Profitability continues to be the weak point, and this mammoth restructuring plan aims to solve part of that problem.

What will happen next. Lufthansa confirmed to the medium that will evaluate the results of the test comprehensively, taking into account not only the economic savings, but also the satisfaction of the passengers and the opinion of the crews. For now, the large airports of Frankfurt and Munich are left out of the experiment.

Cover image | Nick Herasimenka

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