Lufthansa’s Green Fares push passengers to offset flight emissions for a price
Lufthansa is introducing new Green Fares to encourage more passengers to offset their flight emissions. The option will be available from February 15 on routes to Europe and North Africa. Currently, only a tiny fraction of travellers—around 0.1%—choose to offset their carbon footprint.
The airline's Green Fares will nearly double the standard price but include additional benefits. Passengers will enjoy free rebooking and extra checked baggage. Both economy and business class tickets will be available, with prices adjusting based on demand.
The scheme offsets 20% of emissions using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and the remaining 80% through verified climate projects. Corporate customers will also receive certificates confirming their CO₂ reductions from the SAF portion of their flights. Trials in Scandinavia saw around 2% of passengers opting for similar schemes—far higher than the usual uptake. Lufthansa now aims to convince at least one in twenty travellers to pick the greener option. Critics, however, argue that offsetting lets people avoid deeper lifestyle changes, even if it supports broader climate efforts.
Green Fares will be exclusively available on Lufthansa and its subsidiaries' flights. The initiative begins mid-February, targeting a noticeable shift in passenger behaviour. Whether uptake will match Scandinavian trials—or exceed the current 0.1%—remains to be seen.
