Creating change together – by making flying more sustainable
Sustainability matters to us all. As a loyalty programme, we support the Lufthansa Group’s goal of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. With Miles & More, you can help make this change by offsetting the carbon emissions of your flights. After all, more sustainable travel isn’t just good for the planet, it’s good for your mileage account and frequent flyer status too.
Earn more miles
Help make flying more sustainable, and get a thank-you from us. Every time you offset a flight’s carbon emissions, you’ll earn 4 miles for every EUR 1 spent. If you have frequent flyer status, you’ll even get up to 6 miles per EUR 1 spent.1 And if you select a Green Fare when you fly, you’ll earn up to 20% more miles.
Achieve frequent flyer status faster
When you help make flying more sustainable, you benefit too. Every time you offset a flight’s carbon emissions, you’ll take a step closer to frequent flyer status. Support the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and you’ll get up to 80% more Points and Qualifying Points.2 In Business Class or First Class, you’ll earn up to 20% more HON Circle Points.2
MakeChangeFly: the Lufthansa Group’s commitment
Be it via sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from biogenic waste or innovative next-generation SAF made using solar power, the Lufthansa Group is actively shaping the future development of the aviation industry. The Group’s ambitious goal is to achieve a neutral carbon footprint by 2050 via carbon reduction and compensation measures. Explore the wide range of initiatives available for more sustainable flying.
A simple guide
To help you navigate the world of sustainable travel, here are some simple explanations of key terms.
What is carbon offsetting?
To allow you to travel more sustainably, the Lufthansa Group gives you the option of offsetting your proportional share of the carbon emissions for your flight. Those carbon emissions can be partly reduced via the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The remainder is offset via contributions to high-quality climate protection projects from the Lufthansa Group’s portfolio of climate protection projects. The Lufthansa Group pledges to implement offsetting or reduction measures corresponding to those carbon emissions no later than six months after your flight.
How are carbon emissions calculated?
Calculating the flight-related carbon emissions per passenger
The Lufthansa Group offers travellers the opportunity to reduce their proportional share of a flight’s carbon emissions via the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or to offset them by contributing to high-quality climate protection projects.
The per passenger carbon emissions are calculated based on a number of variables. In order to ensure that figure is as accurate as possible, the Lufthansa Group uses a calculator that was developed in collaboration with climate action organisation myclimate and which draws on a large database of historical flight data. The variables used to calculate carbon emissions per passenger include the route chosen, the average fuel consumption along this route, the travel class and the seat occupancy rate.
Non-carbon effects not taken into account
It’s not just greenhouse gas CO₂ that’s emitted when engines burn kerosene; other emissions such as water vapour, nitrogen oxides and very fine soot particles are also produced. These emissions are called non-carbon or non-CO₂ emissions.
According to the latest science, the overall impact of aviation on global warming isn’t limited to the effect of carbon emissions; non-CO₂ emissions can also affect the climate. This relates primarily to long-lasting vapour trails, which occur on a very low number of flights in very specific climatic conditions. These trails can have a warming or cooling effect on the atmosphere, depending on the conditions in which they occur.
As their precise impact on the climate has not yet been sufficiently researched, the Lufthansa Group doesn’t currently calculate non-carbon effects on top of the carbon emissions per passenger.
The Lufthansa Group is actively engaged in research that aims to improve understanding of non-carbon climate effects, and is also developing practicable processes to prevent them from occurring in the first place.
How does SAF reduce CO₂?
Sustainable aviation fuel is used to reduce flight-related carbon emissions. Rather than being derived from fossil fuels, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from renewable energy sources such as used cooking oils or agricultural waste. Compared to conventional kerosene, SAF cuts greenhouse gas emissions across the value chain by at least 80%, and therefore directly reduces flight-related carbon emissions.
The raw material sourcing for the Lufthansa Group’s SAF doesn’t conflict with human or animal food production. In addition, those materials are subject to strict sustainability criteria that have been assessed by independent auditors. All sustainable aviation fuel used by the Lufthansa Group meets the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive 2 (RED II). The SAF included in the Lufthansa Group’s customer offers is purchased in addition to regulatory obligations, such as the Lufthansa Group’s European SAF quota, and used in the Group’s flight operations within six months of the corresponding flight.
How is carbon offset via high-quality climate protection projects?
The Group’s carbon offsetting works by collaborating with providers myclimate, ClimatePartner, SQUAKE and climate Austria to support high-quality climate protection projects around the world, thereby compensating for flight-related carbon emissions. These include the ecological restoration of moors in Germany, the provision of energy-saving cookers to people in African countries, and technical solutions such as storing CO₂ in concrete or in pyrolysis-based fertiliser known as biochar. All these projects deliver long-term benefits, either by reducing carbon emissions or removing them from the atmosphere. Climate protection projects outside of Europe are certified to the highest international standards, earning either “Gold Standard” or “Plan Vivo” certification. The impact and quality of local European climate protection projects are guaranteed by domestic quality standards such as “MoorFutures” certification or the CH VER guidelines.
What are Green Fares?
Green Fares are fares that can be booked with almost all Lufthansa Group airlines and already include the complete offsetting of flight-related carbon emissions. This offsetting takes the form of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use and contributions to the Lufthansa Group’s high-quality climate protection projects.
What is a carbon-offsetting package?
Carbon-offsetting packages allow you to offset the calculated carbon emissions for your flight while earning additional miles and Points. Various offsetting packages are available. These differ in the proportion allocated to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use and in your contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. These packages can be selected when you book your flight, added until just before departure or added retroactively via the Miles & More app or our website. The number of additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points depends on the offsetting package you select and the proportion of carbon reduction achieved via SAF. The number of additional HON Circle Points is limited to a maximum of +20%.
If you’re a Miles & More member but not a Frequent Traveller, Senator or HON Circle Member, the price of the respective carbon-offsetting package (without VAT) will always be multiplied by a factor of 4. For members with frequent flyer status, the factor depends on the airline operating the flight. The factor is 6 if the flight is operated by Air Canada, Air Dolomiti, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, ITA Airways, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City, SWISS or United Airlines. The factor is 5 for Eurowings and all other Miles & More airline partners.
The offer entitling you to additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points only applies to carbon offsetting that includes a percentage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use. The Green Fare or carbon-offsetting package description will tell you whether it includes SAF. For carbon-offsetting packages, the additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points are calculated based on the carbon-offsetting package selected and the proportion allocated to carbon reduction via SAF (e.g. an offsetting package with 20% carbon reduction via SAF = +20% Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points). The maximum amount that can be allocated to carbon reduction via SAF use is 80%; with Eurowings PlanetBlu, the maximum is 50%. You’ll earn additional Points on flights with Lufthansa Group airlines, co-issuing airline partners and Star Alliance airlines. You can only earn additional Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points on flights with Lufthansa Group airlines and co-issuing airline partners. Irrespective of the carbon-offsetting package selected, the number of additional HON Circle Points is limited to a maximum of +20% HON Circle Points. Additional HON Circle Points can only be earned in Business and First Class. After your flight, the additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points will be credited to your Miles & More account for the year in which the flight took place.
On the Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa and SWISS websites, you can add a carbon-offsetting package when booking your flight or until just before departure.
In the Miles & More app or at www.miles-and-more.com, these carbon-offsetting packages can be added retroactively to compensate for flight-related carbon emissions. You can retroactively offset carbon emissions for any flight from the current calendar year that is displayed in the app or at www.miles-and-more.com.
Green Fares are available in all travel classes on nearly all flights operated by Air Dolomiti, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City, Lufthansa CityLine and SWISS. If you book a Green Fare for flights within Europe or between Europe and North Africa, you’ll earn 20% more miles, Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points. If you book a Green Fare for intercontinental flights, you’ll earn 10% more miles, Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points. You can only earn HON Circle Points on your flights with Business Green and First Green fares. Green Fares are not available for bookings to and from Japan and China, or for departures from North and Central America.