Lufthansa renames Green Fares as Impact Fares after court defeat

Lufthansa Group is renaming its Green Fares as Impact Fares, following a greenwashing lawsuit it lost to the NGO Environmental Action Germany. According to One Mile at a Time, the change affects travellers booking this fare type on Lufthansa and the group's route network, and the perks of the fare stay the same.

What is changing

Green Fares were introduced in 2023. One Mile at a Time describes them as fares that combine a carbon offsetting element with added flexibility, bonus miles and status qualification. Lufthansa says the new name reflects "new regulatory requirements for environmental communication" and places stronger emphasis on the customer's contribution to sustainability in aviation.

One Mile at a Time reports that the airline presents the fare as a way for passengers to support the additional use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) across the group's network, and to contribute to selected climate protection projects outside the company's value chain.

How the fare is described

Lufthansa explains that for each Impact Fare booked, it deploys an additional amount of SAF in its flight operation within six months of departure. The split depends on the route, according to the report:

• Flights within Europe: the SAF volume is based on 20% of the estimated flight-related CO2 emissions, with climate protection projects based on the remaining 80%.
• Intercontinental routes: the ratio is 10% SAF to 90% climate projects.

Passengers also receive bonus miles and more flexible rebooking options, as with the previous Green Fares.

The lawsuit behind the rename

One Mile at a Time says Environmental Action Germany won its case in March 2025, on grounds that the fares misled consumers with sustainability claims. According to the report, the court found that customers were left unaware of how much climate compensation the airline provided relative to the flight booked. It also found that the SAF element made it appear that customers were directly offsetting their own flights.

The NGO said the court "confirms our criticism" of how the airline presented the fares. The outlet notes that more than 18 months have passed since that ruling and suggests that court and appeal processes explain the delay, though Lufthansa's own statement refers only to regulatory requirements and does not mention the lawsuit. The same outlet also recalls that in 2022 UK regulators took issue with a Lufthansa advertisement over environmental messaging.

What this means for travellers

• Look for "Impact Fare" rather than "Green Fare" when booking Lufthansa Group flights.
• One Mile at a Time reports that the perks are unchanged, including bonus miles and more flexible rebooking.
• The fare does not make a flight climate-neutral. Lufthansa's description says the money funds additional SAF use and separate climate projects, in proportions that differ between European and intercontinental routes.
• The sources do not state any price change, or the date from which the new name appears in all booking channels.

Sources: One Mile at a Time.