Additional charge with green tariff: only 3 out of 100 passengers pay more for climate

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Since last August it has been possible to book a green tariff with Switzerland. For an additional fee, you can fly “Economy Green” or “Business Green” and save a little bit of the climate. The tariff is valid for destinations in Europe since February.

With Economy, the additional cost for a return flight amounts to 40 to 50 francs compared to the “Economy Classic” tariff, when various European flights are queried in the coming weeks. An example: for a flight from Zurich to Berlin at the end of May, you would pay 20 francs more with the Green fare than with the Economy Classic flight. The difference with the “Economy Light” tariff is even greater, while the “Economy Flexible” tariff is more expensive than the Green tariff. The surcharge in business class is usually 50 francs.

Only some of them are subject to additional charge

That seems like too much for most air travelers: “About 3 out of 100 passengers in total are willing to contribute to climate protection,” writes a Swiss spokesperson for “Tages-Anzeiger”. The numbers are even lower for the green tariff. That’s because 3 percent also includes individuals who voluntarily pay for sustainable fuel or climate protection projects anywhere in the reservation process.

The embarrassment of flight still remains: “Man continues to treat himself with air travel – but with pangs of conscience,” Florian Eggli, 45, a tourism lecturer at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU), recently told Blick. Spending additional money on climate seems like an option for very few.

One problem: Even the green tariff is not offered if you book through a travel portal or agency. When booking directly on the Swiss website, one out of ten people chooses the green tariff, thus contributing to sustainability.

Green fuel and climate protection projects

So what actually happens when you book the Green fare? Climate protection projects are financed with the bulk of the revenue – 80 percent. As a result CO₂-Emissions are compensated.

The remaining one-fifth of revenue goes into sustainable aviation fuel: “Sustainable Aviation Fuel,” or SAF for short. With this, emissions are up to 80 percent lower than with conventional kerosene. Since SAF is less available than kerosene, the fuel is also significantly more expensive. According to the report, Switzerland also does not have a supply chain for eco-fuels. “We refuel SAF in Vienna and Frankfurt for both reasons,” explains the Swiss spokesperson.

A plane taking off in Zurich always emits the same amount of CO.₂ off – green tariff or not. However, if more air passengers meet the green tariff, more eco-fuels are used on another Swiss flight from Vienna or Frankfurt.

Source :Blick