Lufthansa German Airlines 401(k) Review & Grade
Voluntary Investment Plan for Employees of Lufthansa
Uniondale, NYTransportation & Warehousing1,816 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$5,022Employer $ per active participant
$7,623Employee $ saved per active participant
0.07%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$353.8MNet plan assets, end of year
$137,947Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity46.5 / 5093th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost20.4 / 2581th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving13.4 / 1589th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
Total score90 / 100 · Grade A
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Transportation & Warehousing plans with 500–2,499 active participants (392 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 93th |
| Lower admin cost | 81th |
| Employee saving | 89th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 37% |
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Red flags from the filing
No red flags were reported on this filing's compliance questions.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Lufthansa German Airlines put in about $5,022 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($1,070). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $9,117,102 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $13,839,401 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $2,176,780 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $234,336 |
| Investment advisory & management fees | $37,309 |
| Other admin expenses | $15,237 |
| Benefits paid out | $26,653,718 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $312.1M / $353.8M |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 1,773 / 1,858 |
| Participants with account balances | 2,565 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Green Hasson & Janks LLP |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and S | $139,350 reported compensation |
| GGF, LLP | $42,440 reported compensation |
| Captrust | $35,485 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20251010152822NAL0004748643001, received 2025-10-10, EIN 13-1789847, plan #334, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.