Germany’s Lufthansa has launched a Munich stopover programme allowing passengers between Singapore and the United States to extend their layover at the carrier’s Bavarian hub for up to seven days, the airline said in a statement on April 28.
The stopover option is integrated directly into the booking process on lufthansa.com and is available across all travel classes. Travellers can add the option to either the outbound or return journey, with stay lengths between 24 hours and seven days.
A surcharge may apply depending on the route combination. Hotel accommodation, rental cars and leisure activities in Munich can be added via integrated partners from 24 hours after the flight booking is confirmed.
The programme will be gradually expanded to other regions and destinations over the next year, the airline said. Further stopover options at other Lufthansa Group hubs are also planned.
“With our new stopover programme, we are making the layover in Munich a real added value for our guests,” Heiko Reitz, divisional board member of Lufthansa Airlines and Munich hub manager, said.
“We are delighted to offer travellers the opportunity to flexibly integrate one of Europe’s most attractive cities and regions into their trip, thus enriching their flight with a truly personal travel experience,” he added.
Why it matters for the trade
- The launch opens a structural new inbound corridor for Munich’s tourism and hospitality sector, with passengers on one of the world’s longest aviation pairs (Singapore-USA) given a clear incentive to break their journey in Bavaria.
- Stopover programmes have been one of the most effective inbound tourism levers globally, as demonstrated by Icelandair, Finnair, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates.
- Inbound tour operators specialising in Bavaria, the Alpine region and southern Germany should engage with Lufthansa’s integrated booking partners to secure visibility in the new transit funnel.
- Hotels in Munich’s Altstadt-Lehel, Maxvorstadt and Schwabing districts stand to benefit from incremental short-stay demand, particularly properties offering airport transfers and 24-72 hour packages.
- Day-tour operators offering Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, BMW Welt and Bavarian Alps excursions are well positioned for transit traveller demand.
- The 24-hour to seven-day flexibility is more generous than the standard windows offered by some competitors, and the integrated booking flow with hotels and activities mirrors the model pioneered by Icelandair Stopover and Singapore Airlines’ Singapore Stopover Holiday.
- Premium and luxury operators may benefit disproportionately given the higher booking class skew of long-haul Singapore-USA traffic.
Lufthansa Group operates hubs at Munich, Frankfurt, Vienna, Zurich and Brussels through its Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and Brussels Airlines brands. Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich are likely candidates for future stopover product launches.
Munich Airport handled around 41.6mn passengers in 2024 and ranks as Germany’s second-largest hub after Frankfurt. The launch positions Lufthansa more directly against the established stopover programmes of Gulf and Asian hub carriers.
What to watch
Trade buyers should track:
- Take-up rates and average stay length on the launch corridors over the first 90 days
- Expansion to additional source markets, with India, Japan, Korea and Australia likely candidates given Munich’s existing long-haul network
- Confirmation of stopover programmes at Frankfurt, Vienna and Zurich
- Bavaria DMO and Munich Tourism marketing activations supporting the rollout
- Hotel and DMC partnership announcements within the integrated booking flow