The airline group is adjusting its Distribution Cost Charge (DCC) across major reservation systems, citing the need for greater cost transparency.
Travel advisors booking Lufthansa Group flights via traditional Global Distribution Systems (GDS) will face higher fees starting in the new year. The Group—which includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, and Discover Airlines—announced Thursday that it is hiking its Distribution Cost Charge (DCC) for tickets issued through Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport.
The changes take effect for all tickets issued on or after January 1, 2026.
The New Fee Structure
Lufthansa stated that the adjustments are necessary to “reflect GDS cost accurately” and account for recent currency fluctuations. While the fee hike affects all three major GDS platforms, the specific increases vary by provider and currency.
Amadeus (1A):
- EUR: Increases from €17.50 to €18.00
- USD: Increases from $19.00 to $21.00
- CAD: New fee set at $29.50 CAD
Sabre (1S/1B):
- EUR: Increases from €22.00 to €22.50
- USD: Increases from $24.00 to $26.00
- CAD: New fee set at $36.50 CAD
Travelport:
- EUR: Remains unchanged at €23.00
- USD: Increases from $25.00 to $26.50
- CAD: New fee set at $37.50 CAD
Exemptions and Codeshare Rules
Not all bookings will be subject to the new surcharges. The Lufthansa Group has outlined several geographic and categorical exemptions:
- Geographic Exemptions: Tickets originating in China, Hong Kong, Iran, Libya, New Zealand, and Yemen are exempt from the DCC.
- Ticket Types: Infant (INF) tickets are universally exempt, whether booked via traditional EDIFACT channels or NDC Public channels.
- Specific Itineraries: Eurowings itineraries issued on Lufthansa documents and select Lufthansa ground transport tickets in Germany are also excluded.
How it works for Codeshares: The application of the fee depends heavily on the ticketing carrier rather than the operating carrier.
- Exempt: If a flight is operated by Lufthansa but marketed and ticketed by a partner like United Airlines (e.g., ticket stock starting with 016), the DCC does not apply.
- Not Exempt: Conversely, if a flight is operated by United but marketed and ticketed by Lufthansa (ticket stock 220), the DCC will apply.
