Pax Sentinel - Lufthansa Rebrands Green Fares After Court Finds Claims Misleading

Lufthansa has replaced its "Green Fares" product with "Impact Fares" following a German court's determination that the airline's environmental claims could mislead passengers. The airline introduced the new fare option on October 25, 2026, after the March 2025 ruling became legally binding. The court found that Lufthansa could not adequately quantify the emissions generated by individual flights or explain its calculation of associated climate damage. This invalidated the suggestion that passengers could achieve climate-neutral travel by purchasing the previous "Green Fares," according to a report by Aviation A2Z. Under the former "Green Fares" system, passengers contributed to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and climate protection projects. However, the court highlighted that SAF accounted for only 10 percent of the emissions offset on long-haul flights, raising questions about the broader climate-neutrality message. Impact Fares Introduction The newly introduced "Impact Fares" place greater emphasis on supporting sustainability measures rather than guaranteeing a climate-neutral journey. Passengers opting for these fares contribute to the additional use of SAF across the Lufthansa Group's network and support selected climate protection projects outside the company's direct value chain. A Lufthansa spokesperson stated that the new name emphasizes customers' contributions to aviation sustainability and reflects updated regulatory requirements for environmental communication. This change marks a shift in how the airline presents its environmental initiatives, moving away from explicit claims of climate neutrality for individual flights. History of Greenwashing Claims This court decision follows a documented pattern of regulatory challenges and public criticism regarding Lufthansa's environmental marketing. In March 2023, the United Kingdom's Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled against a Lufthansa advertisement featuring the slogan "Connecting the world. Protecting its future." The regulator found that the ad implied Lufthansa's approach protected the planet's future, a claim the airline could not substantiate. Austrian Airlines, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, also faced legal action in 2023 concerning claims of "climate-neutral flying." These instances align with earlier findings by Pax Sentinel, which reported on how a German appeals court in July 2026 ruled that Lufthansa's advertisements promoting carbon reductions through SAF were fundamentally misleading. This prior ruling noted that campaigns falsely suggested alternative fuel was directly used on advertised flights, matching our detailed reporting on how [regulators prohibit deceptive sustainability marketing and target "green lying"](/en/article/5RsoVt98_green-lying-regulators-prohibit-deceptive-sustainability-marketing) across the airline's network. Separately, the European consumer organization BEUC filed complaints against 17 airlines, including multiple carriers within the Lufthansa Group, for misleading environmental claims. Pax Sentinel previously reported on these complaints, noting how the industry often uses greenwashing to justify price increases, as documented in an article regarding [Lufthansa Group's implementation of global environmental surcharges amid allegations of greenwashing](/en/article/uTkv0YLE_lufthansa-group-implements-global-environmental-surcharges-amid-allegations-of-greenwashing). These combined regulatory actions and consumer group criticisms highlight the ongoing scrutiny of airlines' environmental marketing practices.