Air France and KLM have launched several initiatives that allow Flying Blue members to earn XPs (their version of elite qualifying miles) for various charitable activities.
Members earn 1 XP for every 2,000 miles or 10 euros donated (the latter is a better option).
You can access Flying Blue’s page for sustainability here and earning XPs here
From Flying Blue:
If you choose to travel responsibly or participate in good cause projects by making conscious use of your Miles, you will get rewarded with XP. Eligible activities include:
– Your Miles donations to charities that support causes such as: providing quality education, preserving sea life, reducing poverty, etc.;
– Your participation in reforestation projects via Air France’s Trip and Tree and KLM’s CO2ZERO programmes (possible with your Miles);
– Your purchase of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to help Air France and KLM achieve a better energy mix, reduce their CO2 footprint and get closer to their decarbonisation targets
For every 2000 Miles spent, you get rewarded with 1 XP.
You can also contribute with cash to reforestation projects or the purchase of SAF and be rewarded with XP. Participation in reforestation and the purchase of SAF are available as an option in ‘My Reservation’/My Trip section of airfrance.com and klm.com and during check-in for commercial and reward tickets.
Example:
You will be offered four options to reduce or absorb CO2 emissions corresponding to your KLM AMS-YEG flight in economy:
– Reforestation: pay €10 or 2000 Miles – you will gain 1 XP
– Reforestation and Sustainable Aviation Fuel: pay €19 – you will gain 2 XP
– Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Reforestation: pay €33 – you will gain 4 XP
– Sustainable Aviation Fuel: pay €469 – you will gain 47 XP
Conclusion
I think that this is a great way for someone to get a small number of XPs they need to retain or reach a higher tier. I wish all airlines would do something like this. It is a win-win for all parties.
Here are the frequently asked questions by Air France – KLM Flying Blue:
1. Where can I donate Miles to charities?
Members can donate Miles here (https://www.flyingblue.com/en/mileshub/donate/charities). Whenever you choose to donate Miles to a charity, these Miles are automatically transferred from your account to the NGO.
Miles donations represent much-needed support to help charities purchase flight tickets serving multiple objectives, such as accompanying sick children on flights when they require necessary surgical operations that cannot be performed near their home (Médecins sans Frontières/Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque).
2. Which sustainable options can I currently purchase with my Miles?
For now, you can only use your Miles for the reforestation option. You pay for it via the Air France and KLM websites and during check-in. This option is labelled “Environment” at airfrance.com or “CO2ZERO” at klm.com and can be found in My Reservation and My Trip next to other extra options. On the product page, you can choose from four different options that include and combine reforestation and SAF.
From January 2022, you can voluntarily contribute to the purchase of additional SAF with cash. Later in 2022, you can also use your Miles to pay for the other options, such as SAF and the ones combining SAF contribution and reforestation.
3. Which choice is more sustainable: contributing to sustainable aviation fuel or CO2 compensation by planting trees?
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is the most effective option to make a change for aviation as it reduces the emissions by at least 75% over the whole product lifecycle. Reforestation has an indirect effect as this is an action outside of the aviation industry. Therefore, contributing to sustainable fuel is a better choice to make your flight more sustainable.
SAF is a clean substitute for fossil kerosene. It is produced from sustainable resources, such as waste oils from biological origin (for example used cooking oil). Because of the different sources, sustainable fuel is cleaner, reduces emissions and has a lower fine-particle emission. The SAF used by Air France and KLM is certified, completely safe and does not compete with food and agriculture.
With reforestation, customers pay a small contribution to compensate (part of) the flight’s impact on the environment. This does not affect the direct emissions of the flight itself but helps by planting trees that reabsorb the CO2 emitted by the flight.
If you choose reforestation with KLM’s CO2ZERO programme, you contribute to the ‘CO2OL Tropical Mix’ reforestation initiative in Panama. The quality of the selected CO2 reduction projects is certified by Gold Standard. KLM does not receive any share of the donation; it is fully used to restore forests and promote sustainable development.
AF Trip and Tree is a programme created by Air France with the association A Tree for You. It offers Air France customers the opportunity to make a donation to support a reforestation project. Trip and Tree projects are based on a strict selection process with a scientific selection committee. They must fulfil multi-benefits such as supporting local communities, protecting biodiversity, regulating water cycles, and enriching soils.
4. How do I benefit from making conscious choices about my Miles?
You are already rewarded with XP (Experience Points) for your Miles donations to charities. Starting from 9 June 2022, you will gain XP for your voluntary contributions to SAF and reforestation, regardless of whether you pay with Miles or cash. As with tickets and most paid options, you will earn Miles for every euro spent. More innovative ways to gain XP by making sustainable choices will follow.
5. I do not fly as much as I used to. How can XP for sustainable choices help me maintain my status?
In addition to regular or special XP promotions involving flying (such as maintaining your surplus XP at the beginning of a new qualification period, the double XP bonus from July to December 2021, or the 50% XP bonus from January to June 2022), making sustainable choices now also provides you with additional ways to earn XP without flying. Since March 2022, you also gain XP for Miles donations to partner NGOs (1 XP for every 2,000 Miles spent). Starting from 9 June 2022, you will also gain XP for voluntarily contributing to SAF and reforestation projects.
