Lufthansa Group flight tickets will be up to 72 euros more expensive! The reason is a new environmental surcharge (Environmental Cost Surcharge), which will be charged on new bookings from June 26, 2024 for all departures from January 1, 2025.
The "Environmental Cost Surcharge" will be levied for all departures from countries in the European Union, Great Britain, Norway and Switzerland from January 1, 2025. All airlines in the Lufthansa Group are affected, including Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, SWISS, Air Dolomiti, Discover Airlines, Edelweiss, Lufthansa City Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine.
This environmental surcharge is a response to the increasing environmental regulatory requirements affecting the aviation industry. These include the European Union's Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending regulation, also known as "ReFuelEU Aviation", as well as adjustments to the European Emissions Trading System (ETS) and other environmental regulatory measures. These regulations aim to reduce the environmental impact of aviation and require the industry to act more sustainably.
The surcharge is calculated per flight segment and automatically displayed in the price details in the last step of the booking process. The amount of the surcharge varies depending on the flight distance and travel class. For short and medium-haul flights, the surcharge per segment is between one and five euros. For long-haul flights, the fee is between six and twelve euros. In Business Class, up to 36 euros can be charged and in First Class up to 72 euros.
With this measure, the Lufthansa Group is covering the additional costs that arise from complying with the new environmental regulations. The income from the Environmental Cost Surcharge is intended to help finance more environmentally friendly fuels and offset the emissions caused by flight operations.
For passengers, this means an increase in flight prices, but the Lufthansa Group makes it clear that this measure is necessary to promote environmental sustainability in the aviation industry. The introduction of the surcharge is a further step by the Lufthansa Group to make its contribution to achieving global climate goals and reducing the company's ecological footprint.
Critics say the additional fee increases ticket prices at a time when the cost of air travel is already rising. Supporters argue that such measures are essential to mitigate the long-term environmental impact of air travel and encourage innovation in sustainable aviation technologies.