Lufthansa: vapes, lighters and cigarettes on board
Yes, you can take a vape and one small lighter on Lufthansa: the vape goes in the cabin and never in checked baggage, and the lighter must be on your person, because Lufthansa allows it in neither bag. You cannot use or charge the vape on board, and Zippo lighters are banned outright.
Facts checked on November 12, 2026
| Vape in cabin bag | Yes, personal quantities, no accidental activation |
|---|---|
| Vape in checked bag | No |
| Lighter | 1 small gas lighter, on your person only |
| Matches | 1 small pack of safety matches, on your person |
| Cigarettes | No Lufthansa limit found; customs at arrival decides |
| Use on board | Use or charging prohibited |
| Power banks | Max 2, 100 Wh each, no use or charging |
Vapes and e-cigarettes
Lufthansa's electronic devices page puts e-cigarettes in the cabin only: not permitted in or as checked baggage, permitted in carry-on. They have to be in quantities for personal use, and a lithium battery may hold at most 100 Wh or 2 g of lithium content per device. The page counts e-cigarettes inside a limit of 15 portable electronic devices per passenger.
Two instructions are particular to Lufthansa. Use or charging is prohibited on board, and the device must not go in the overhead locker. Keep it on your person, in the seat pocket or under the seat in front of you, with accidental activation impossible. The airline adds a warning that some countries prohibit carrying e-cigarettes or other inhalers at all.
Lufthansa Group applied matching rules to power banks and e-cigarettes from 15 January 2026, across Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, according to the group's news item.
Lighters and matches
Lufthansa lists lighters and matches as not permitted in checked baggage and not permitted as carry-on in the cabin, but allowed on your person. The limit is one small pack of safety matches or one small lighter, for personal use, filled with liquid gas and holding no other free liquid fuel.
The prohibited list is longer than most airlines print:
- Zippo lighters, and any lighter fluid or refill pack
- Blue Flame lighters and cigar lighters
- Strike-anywhere matches
- Lighters shaped like a weapon
- Lithium-battery lighters without a safety cap or other protection against accidental activation
Lufthansa adds that in many countries the transport of matches or lighters is prohibited. Check the departure and arrival country if you fly outside Europe.
Spare batteries and power banks
| Item | Lufthansa rule |
|---|---|
| Power banks | Carry-on only; max 2 per passenger; max 100 Wh or 2 g lithium content each |
| Charging or using one | Prohibited, except for approved medical devices |
| Overhead locker | Not allowed; keep it on you, in the seat pocket or under the seat |
| 100 to 160 Wh | Airline approval needed, registered at booking through the Lufthansa Help Center |
EASA, the European regulator, takes the same line: power banks always in carry-on, each protected against short circuit, and not used to power a device during the flight.
Cigarettes, cigars and tobacco
Lufthansa's baggage pages do not set a quantity for tobacco, so the practical limit is the customs allowance where you land. Germany's own rules are on the Germany rules page. Lufthansa's long-haul network also flies to places that restrict vapes or tobacco, so read the page before you go:
Heated tobacco devices are not named on Lufthansa's pages. The e-cigarette entry covers inhalers generally; treat a heated tobacco holder the same way. That is our reading rather than a Lufthansa statement.
Before you board in Frankfurt or Munich
Penalties for smoking or vaping on board
The Lufthansa pages say use is prohibited but name no fine, and we did not verify a figure under German law, so we give none. Fines in other countries are in our guide: can you bring a vape on a plane.
Other airlines
Questions travellers ask
Can I take a vape on Lufthansa?
Yes, in carry-on baggage and in personal quantities, never in checked baggage. Keep it on you, in the seat pocket or under the seat, not in the overhead locker. Use and charging on board are prohibited.
Can I take a lighter on Lufthansa?
One small lighter filled with liquid gas, or one small pack of safety matches, carried on your person. Neither is allowed in checked or cabin baggage. Zippo, torch (Blue Flame) and cigar lighters and strike-anywhere matches are prohibited.
Can I take a Zippo lighter on Lufthansa?
No. Lufthansa lists Zippo lighters among the prohibited items, along with lighter fluid and refill packs.
How many power banks can I take on Lufthansa?
Two per passenger, in carry-on only, up to 100 Wh each. Between 100 and 160 Wh you need the airline's approval at booking. You may not use or charge them on board.
Can I bring cigarettes on Lufthansa?
Lufthansa's pages set no quantity for cigarettes, so the cap is the customs allowance of the country you land in.
Sources
- Lufthansa - Electronic devices and batteries (Estonia version)
- Lufthansa - Dangerous goods (Estonia version)
- Lufthansa Group - Power banks on board: updated regulations from 15 January 2026
- EASA - Dangerous goods for passengers
Rules change. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will check it.