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I bought two Lufthansa tickets, for a journey from Europe to Asia and back (outbound via FRA, return via MUC). I also reserved two adjacent seats, and paid for it all.

Now, the second person cannot join me.

  1. What if I still check in the second person - do i get an empty seat next to me, as i initially reserved the seat?
  2. Will Lufthansa figure out that the second person did not board the airplane for the first leg towards Munich, and invalidate the second seat on the long-haul to Asia?
  3. Will Lufthansa also invalidate the return ticket, if the 2nd person didn't even fly to Asia?
  4. Could this cause myself any trouble?

Background: since the tickets are not refundable, i would at least like to make the most out of it.

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  • Welcome to the site. I think this question may already have an answer here, which I don't find at the moment. When the other person is a no-show, the entire ticket is cancelled (outbound legs and return); the seat may be reassigned as it's not yours, although it could remain empty; it will not cause you any problems that the person didn't board.
    – Giorgio
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 14:40
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    No: while you made the reservations at the same time, each passenger and tickets are separate, independent of each other. One has your details and 'belongs' to you. You won't be affected. The first indicator to the airline will be when the other person doesn't check in and, when they don't board, and the flight closes (just before departure), that's when their reservation and all flights are cancelled. You'll be fine. When you arrive at the airport, you can tell the airline that your companion won't be flying, as a courtesy;
    – Giorgio
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 14:48
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    @Songwoon they will cancel the booking on the seat of your companion, so people who pick their seat (or get their seat assigned) after that happens will be able to select it. Of course, if you have an aisle or window seat, the other one is a "middle" seat, and there are already bookings on the next seat(s), then that seat is not very desirable. Depending on how full the flight is and how late people pick their seats, it may remain free. If on the other hand you have a "middle" seat and the "cancelled seat" is an aisle or window, it will probably be rebooked quickly.
    – jcaron
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 14:49
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    @Songwoon , note that 'non-refundable' does not mean the money is lost - it means only you will not get it back in cash. It can typically be applied to another (future) flight of the same person.
    – Aganju
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 16:24
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    Following on @jcaron's comment, if you are in the middle seat and your companion is in the aisle or window seat, you might want to try swapping your seat assignments before cancelling your companion's reservation.
    – phoog
    Commented Nov 28, 2018 at 18:37

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What if I still check in the second person - do i get an empty seat next to me, as i initially reserved the seat?

Not necessarily. Your boarding pass will say that you must board by a certain number of minutes before departure. Anybody who has not boarded at that time has their reservation cancelled, and their seat can be given away to a standby passenger. So you could end up with a standby passenger sitting next to you.

Will Lufthansa figure out that the second person did not board the airplane for the first leg towards Munich, and invalidate the second seat on the long-haul to Asia?

Yes, they will.

Will Lufthansa also invalidate the return ticket, if the 2nd person didn't even fly to Asia?

Yes, they will.

Could this cause myself any trouble?

Not really, though you will probably hear a lot of urgent announcements telling your companion to hurry up and board.

since the tickets are not refundable, i would at least like to make the most out of it.

Even for a non-refundable ticket, you can usually recover some value if you formally cancel ahead of time. You may be able to get the taxes and airport fees refunded, and for many types of tickets, you can apply part of the fare you paid to a future flight for the same person on the same airline (minus a "cancellation fee" or "change fee"). Read the fine print on your ticket, or call the airline. The airline wants to give you incentives to do this, because it gives them a better chance of being able to sell that seat again.

So it is probably a better idea to formally cancel your companion's ticket instead of checking them in and having them "no show".

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