Explore the world, and help make flying more sustainable
We’re aware of the impact aviation has on the climate and are taking concrete measures to help reduce the emissions produced by air travel. With Miles & More, you too can be part of this development by contributing to the reduction of future flights’ climate impact. Your contribution will help promote the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) across the Lufthansa Group network within six months of your booking, while also supporting selected climate protection projects. Supporting our initiatives to lower air travel emissions is good for your Miles & More account and frequent flyer status, too.
Earn additional miles
Make a CO₂-saving contribution, and earn 4 miles for every EUR 1 spent. With frequent flyer status, you’ll even earn up to 6 miles for every EUR 1 spent.1 And when you choose a Green Fare, you’ll get up to 20% miles extra.
Achieve frequent flyer status faster
When you contribute to lowering future emissions in aviation, you’ll also benefit on your journey towards frequent flyer status: every CO₂-saving contribution will bring you one step closer to frequent flyer status. Support the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and 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
The Lufthansa Group’s commitment
he Lufthansa Group is aware of the impact of aviation and takes its responsibility for effective climate protection seriously. To promote lower-emission air travel, the Lufthansa Group is implementing a wide range of measures. Key measures include continuously modernising the fleet, using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and improving operational efficiency. We invest billions every year in new, significantly more fuel-efficient aircraft, and we work closely with partners to scale up key technologies. Explore the wide range of initiatives available for more sustainable flying.
A simple guide
To help you navigate the world of more sustainable travel, here are some simple explanations of key terms.
What is a CO₂-saving contribution?
To help make travel more sustainable, the Lufthansa Group gives passengers the option of contributing to the reduction of future flights’ climate impact. This is achieved through the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in Lufthansa Group flight operations within six months of booking. In addition, supporting selected climate protection projects helps to remove CO₂ or avoid CO₂ emissions. In total, your contribution corresponds to the estimated CO₂ emissions of your flight. Besides CO₂ emissions, flying impacts the climate in other ways.
How are CO₂ emissions calculated?
Determining the flight-related CO₂ emissions per passenger
When kerosene is burned in engines, it produces carbon dioxide, better known as CO₂: a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. The Lufthansa Group offers travellers the opportunity to contribute to CO₂ savings, promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and support selected climate protection projects.
CO₂ emissions per passenger are estimated using various variables. In order to ensure that figure is as accurate as possible, the Lufthansa Group uses a data-based model that was developed in collaboration with the climate action organisation myclimate and is able to draw on a large database of historical flight data. The variables used to calculate CO₂ emissions per passenger include the selected route, the average fuel consumption on that route, the travel class and seat occupancy.
Non-CO₂ effects are not taken into account
When kerosene is burned in engines, it doesn’t just emit the greenhouse gas CO₂; it also produces other emissions such as water vapour, nitrogen oxides and very fine soot particles. These emissions are known as non-CO₂ emissions.
According to current scientific evidence, the overall impact of aviation on global warming isn’t just limited to CO₂ emissions: non-CO₂ emissions can also affect the climate. This mainly concerns long-lasting contrails, which form on a very small number of flights under very specific climatic conditions. Depending on the conditions under which they form, these contrails can have a warming or cooling effect on the atmosphere. Since their exact impact on the climate hasn’t yet been sufficiently researched, the Lufthansa Group doesn’t currently calculate any non-CO₂ effects in addition to the CO₂ emissions per passenger. The Lufthansa Group is actively engaged in research that aims to improve understanding of non-CO₂ climate effects, and is also developing feasible processes to prevent them from occurring in future, if possible.
How does SAF result in CO₂ savings?
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from renewable energy sources, such as used cooking oils and fats, or from agricultural waste. While SAF causes CO₂ emissions similar to those produced by conventional kerosene, its greenhouse gas emissions are at least 80% lower over the entire life cycle. To make a CO₂ saving contribution, we calculate the fuel needed based on the estimated CO₂ emissions and ensure that exactly this amount of SAF goes into future Lufthansa Group flight operations.
The SAF used in Lufthansa Group offers is purchased in addition to the 2% SAF quota required under EU regulations. The costs of this quota are already accounted for in the ticket price via an environmental surcharge. The additional SAF is then incorporated into Lufthansa Group flight operations within six months of the respective flight. The eligible SAF used by the Lufthansa Group is partially co-financed by the EU Emissions Trading System.
The raw materials used to produce SAF do not conflict with food or animal feed and are subject to strict sustainability criteria. These criteria are set out in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and the RefuelEU Aviation Regulation and are verified by independent auditors.
SAF currently accounts for less than 1% of aviation fuel used worldwide and costs about three to five times as much as fossil fuel. The Lufthansa Group is involved in numerous projects to make SAF available in larger quantities as quickly as possible.
How are CO₂ savings achieved through high-quality climate protection projects?
The Lufthansa Group promotes climate protection projects around the world in collaboration with myclimate, First Climate, Ceezer and senken. This includes, for example, projects in regenerative agriculture (known as carbon farming) in Germany, the use of energy-saving cookers in African countries or the conversion of biomass into a charcoal-like product known as biochar. The Lufthansa Group also supports the rollout of new technologies that filter CO₂ directly from the surrounding air and store it in geological reservoirs for centuries.
All these projects deliver benefits, either by avoiding CO₂ emissions or by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere over the long term. Since these projects have complex ecological and social interdependences, the precise extent of their CO₂-saving effect will naturally vary. By selecting projects that have been carefully reviewed by external parties, we aim to ensure that your support contributes to climate protection. Climate protection projects outside of Europe are certified to the highest international standards, earning either Gold Standard or Puro.Earth certification. The efficacy and quality of local European climate protection projects are ensured by national standards such as Carbon Standards International (CSI) or ISO 14064.
What are Green Fares?
Green Fares can be booked with almost all Lufthansa Group airlines and include a contribution towards two CO₂-saving measures. This contribution supports the increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), equivalent to 20% of your flight’s estimated CO₂ emissions on continental flights and 10% on intercontinental flights. The corresponding amount of SAF will be supplied to the Lufthansa Group network within six months of your booking and won’t necessarily be used on your specific flight. Your contribution also supports selected climate protection projects outside the Lufthansa Group supply chain, equivalent to 80% of your flight’s estimated CO₂ emissions on continental flights and 90% on intercontinental flights. Besides CO₂ emissions, flying impacts the climate in other ways.
What is a CO₂-saving package?
CO₂-saving packages allow you to contribute to reducing the impact of future flights on the climate while earning additional Miles and Points. You can choose from several packages. They differ in the proportion allocated to the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), as well as 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 booked retroactively via the Miles & More app or our website. The number of additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points depends on the package you select and the proportion of CO₂ saving achieved via SAF. The number of additional HON Circle Points is limited to a maximum of 20%.
The number of miles you earn per package is calculated as follows: if you’re a Miles & More member, but not a Frequent Traveller, Senator or HON Circle Member, the price of the respective CO₂-saving package (excluding VAT) is always 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 Discover Airlines, Eurowings, Luxair and all other Miles & More airline partners.
The offer entitling you to additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points only applies to CO₂-saving packages that include a percentage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) use. The Green Fare or CO₂-saving package description will tell you whether it includes SAF. With each package, the additional Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points are calculated based on the package selected and the proportion allocated to CO₂ saving via SAF (e.g. a package with 20% CO₂ saving via SAF = 20% more Points, Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points). The maximum CO₂ saving that can be achieved via SAF is 80%; with Eurowings, the maximum is 50%. You’ll earn additional Points on flights with Lufthansa Group airlines, co-issuing airline partners and Star Alliance airlines. Additional Qualifying Points and HON Circle Points can only be earned on flights with Lufthansa Group airlines and co-issuing airline partners. Irrespective of the package selected, the number of additional HON Circle Points is limited to a maximum of 20%. Additional HON Circle Points can only be earned in Business Class 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 CO₂-saving package when booking your flight or until just before departure.
For past flights, you can book CO₂-saving packages in the Miles & More app or at miles-and-more.com. You can do this for any flight from the current calendar year that is displayed in the app or at 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, ITA Airways, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City 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 available for bookings to and from Japan. The additional Points, Qualifying Points, HON Circle Points and Miles (+10% or +20%) for booking a Green Fare do not apply to travel with Austrian AIRail, Lufthansa Express Rail or SWISS Air Rail.