In the US, the inflight magazine has gone the way of the dodo. Delta, Southwest, and American Airlines all stopped publishing their magazines in 2020 and 2021, while the last print issue of Hemispheres, United Airlines’ magazine, was published in September 2024 after a 32-year run. The only remaining inflight publication in the country is Hawaiian Airlines’ Hana Hou, and rumor has it that it’s hanging by a thread. In Germany, however, the inflight magazine is still going strong.
Photos: Morgane Croissant
You Can Buy Upcycled Airplane Parts On Your Next Flight With Germany's Flagship Carrier
In the seat pockets of every aircraft operated by German Carrier Lufthansa, you’ll find an issue of Worldshop, a shopping magazine. While you won’t find inspirational travel narratives, gorgeous photo essays, or beautiful advertisements for Lufthansa’s destinations within the pages of Worldshop, what you will find is over 6,000 items from over 400 brands, all of which are for sale.
Worldshop is essentially a catalog that offers a large variety of items, some of which are travel or aviation-focused like Lufthansa-branded suitcases, packing cubes, AirTags, model airplanes, or even Playmobil sets featuring pilots and flight attendants. Some aren’t at all, however. There is tableware, dog beds, and even food processors available for purchase, too.
While on a recent 90-minute flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Nantes, France, I picked up the current issue of Worldshop and leafed through its glossy pages. There was no WiFi on board, I hadn’t downloaded any Netflix content on my phone, and I was much too tired to dive into my book, so Worldshop turned out to be a welcome distraction. What instantly caught my attention was not the well-priced Ooni pizza oven or the many fancy pocket umbrellas for sale, however, but the prominent Upcycling Collections.
Worldshop’s Upcycling Collections consists of a selection of limited-edition items made from aviation materials from various European airlines, including Lufthansa, Austrian and SWISS! You’ll find furniture, key rings, toiletry bags, and more, made from airplane parts, including “aircraft skin, headrest covers and uniforms,” Worldshop explains on its website.
Photos: Morgane Croissant
Some of the unusual items for sale include a Lufthansa drinks trolley priced at €2,398 (over $2,500), a pencilcase made of an old life jacket for €22 ($23), and a sofa-fuselage combo priced at €2,899 (over $3,000). Simply put, you can sit in the airplane and pass the time by buying bits of it.
If something from Worldshop, whether from the Upcycling Collections or the rest of the catalog, catches your eye, you can purchase it during your flight. All you need to do is inform one of the flight attendants and they’ll take care of the order. You can redeem Miles & More award miles for your purchase, use your credit card, or use a combination of the two.
Unlike with SkyMall, the inflight catalog full of bizarre items that was so ubiquitous in US airlines back in the 90s, your goods won’t be waiting for you at luggage claim, but they should be delivered straight to your home.
While it’s more fun to leaf through the magazine during your flight, there are also seven Worldshop stores in airports throughout Germany and Austria where you can browse to pass the time, and maybe buy some airplane parts. 