Lufthansa Launches NFT Loyalty Program "Uptrip" On Polygon Network

Lufthansa, one of the largest airline groups in Europe, has launched a nonfungible token-based loyalty program (NFT) on the Polygon Network. This program will allow passengers to turn their journey into an NFT that can open multiple rewards, such as miles and vouchers access to business waiting rooms.

On August 31, Lufthansa announced the Uptrip mobile app, a project from the Lufthansa Innovation Hub, a digital innovation unit from the airline group, in collaboration with Miles & More, the airline's frequent flyer program.

🛫Lufthansa's @Uptrip_app loyalty program is building #onPolygon to turn flights into rewards👉🏽Collect NFT trading cards for every flight and claim rewardsLearn more about the new Miles & More and @LHInnovationHub experience: https://t.co/MjQihK8xUx pic.twitter.com/JfUEoUJxNR

— Polygon (Labs) (@0xPolygonLabs) August 31, 2023

🛫Lufthansa's @Uptrip_app loyalty program is building #onPolygon to turn flights into rewards👉🏽Collect NFT trading cards for every flight and claim rewardsLearn more about the new Miles & More and @LHInnovationHub experience: https://t.co/MjQihK8xUx pic.twitter.com/JfUEoUJxNR

According to the announcement, airline passengers can scan their plane tickets using the app and exchange them for NFT trading cards. Within the app, users must connect their crypto wallets to print and transfer their Uptrip NFTs.

Once passengers complete a certain NFT collection, they will be eligible to receive rewards, such as upgrades to flight classes, airport lounge access, frequent flighter status, or milestone awards.

Kristian Weymar, an executive at the Lufthansa Innovation Hub, said in the announcement that Web3 is still in its early stages as users feel curious but still hesitant to get fully involved. Weymar highlighted that the project aims to make Web3 accessible to their customers.

According to Christopher Siegloch, head of program development at Miles & More, there has been a lot of interest in Uptrip. The announcement notes that there have been more than 20,000 registrations and 200,000 printed NFT trading cards.

Earlier this year, Lufthansa expressed interest in in integrating Web3 technology into its business. On May 12, Johannes Walter of the Lufthansa Group notified Cointelegraph in an interview that decentralization and tokenization would bring opportunities for new business models.

Meanwhile, other players in the aviation industry have also announced their intention to implement Web3 in their business. In 2022, the largest airline company in the United Arab Emirates, Emirates, also announced its plans to accept payments with Bitcoin and launch NFT.