SAS is rewarding passengers with loyalty points if they purchase biofuel in a bid to improve the use of sustainable aviation fuels.
Those traveling with the Scandinavian airline can already purchase 20-minute blocks of biofuel when booking. But SAS announced on December 14, 2021 that members of its EuroBonus loyalty scheme will now receive 500 EuroBonus points for each 20-minute block of biofuel they buy.
“Through making it more beneficial to buy biofuel with your booking, SAS wants to increase the usage of this non-profit service,” Karl Sandlund, Chief Commercial Officer, explained in a press statement.
“Sustainable aviation fuels are a bridge toward zero-emission aviation and SAS works to pioneer a more large-scale and commercial production and supply,” Sandlund said.
Airlines are turning to sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as a way to reduce their emissions, although production remains low. Many are also offering customers the chance to pay for carbon offsets when they book tickets, but executives, such as Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary have said that uptake is low.
“People want low fare air travel and they want someone else to pay for the environmental cost,” O’Leary told an online interview with Eurocontrol on November 23, 2021.
SAS said in its statement on December 14, 2021 that it continues to carbon offset all EuroBonus members’ flights with SAS free of charge.
SAS set out the details of the biofuel policy as follows:
- Travelers can purchase 20-minute blocks of biofuel in their booking
- Price per block: 10 USD/10 EUR/100 SEK/100 NOK/70 DKK
- Biofuel is one type of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel)
- SAS makes no profit on the purchase and this is only adding to the amount of biofuel that SAS is already committed to buy
- The amount of biofuel a traveler buys will not necessarily be used on the actual flight the traveler has bought a ticket for, but it will be used to replace fossil fuel to the equivalent amount in SAS’ operations as soon as possible and latest within 12 months.