Lufthansa airline launches NFT loyalty program on Polygon

Lufthansa, one of the largest airline groups in Europe, has launched its nonfungible token (NFT) loyalty program on the Polygon Network. The program will allow passengers to turn their trips into NFTs that can unlock rewards like miles and business lounge vouchers. 

On Aug. 31, Lufthansa announced the Uptrip mobile application, a project by Lufthansa Innovation Hub, the airline group’s digital innovation unit and Miles & More, the airlines’ frequent flyer program.

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According to the announcement, airline passengers can scan their boarding passes using the app and exchange them with NFT trading cards. Within the app, users must connect their crypto wallets to mint and transfer their Uptrip NFTs. Once passengers complete specific NFT collections, they will be eligible for rewards such as flight upgrades, airport lounge access, frequent flyer status or award miles. 

Kristian Weymar, an executive at Lufthansa Innovation Hub, said in the announcement that Web3 is in its early stages as users are curious but still hesitate to dive in. Weymar highlighted that the project attempts to make Web3 accessible to their customers.

According to Christopher Siegloch, the head of program development at Miles & More, there has been a lot of interest in Uptrip. The announcement noted that there are over 20,000 sign-ups and 200,000 NFT trading cards minted.

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Earlier this year, Lufthansa expressed interest in integrating Web3 technologies into its business. On May 12, Lufthansa Group’s Johannes Walter told Cointelegraph in an interview that decentralization and tokenization will bring about opportunities for new business models.

Meanwhile, other players in the airline industry have also been announcing their intent to implement Web3 in their businesses. In 2022, the United Arab Emirates’ largest airline company Emirates also announced its plans to accept Bitcoin payments and launch NFTs.

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