The Lufthansa Group, the parent company of one of the world’s largest airlines, has launched an NFT-based loyalty program called Uptrip. This program is open to all of the group’s airlines, including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and Swiss International Air Lines.
The Uptrip program was developed by the Lufthansa Innovation Group and operates on the Polygon blockchain network. The core idea of the program is simple and engaging: passengers collect digital trading cards as they travel with any of the participating airlines.
The Uptrip program was a hit during its initial testing phase, with over 20,000 participants collecting over 200,000 digital trading cards. Each card is unique and represents a specific travel experience, such as the location visited, the aircraft used, or even the holiday celebrated.
- Cities: Salt Lake City, Lisbon, Bogotá, Frankfurt, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Xangai, Mombasa, Singapore, …
- Airplanes: Airbus A320, Boeing 747, Embraer 190, …
- Specials: Fly on New Year’s Eve, Cross the North Pole, …
Users who collect all the cards under a specific theme will be rewarded with exclusive benefits, such as free in-flight Wi-Fi and access to airport lounges. Uptrip is also planning to add a trading feature that will allow users to exchange cards with each other to complete their collections. In addition, users can redeem their cards for airline miles and other rewards.
The use of NFTs in the airline industry is becoming more popular. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, is a good example of this. In July, they launched NFTs called Mission Impossible Livery tokens. This shows that airlines are not just using NFTs as collectibles, but are also exploring how they can be used to improve the overall customer experience and engagement.
In March, Argentinian budget airline Flybondi partnered with NFT ticketing company TravelX to launch Ticket 3.0, a new system that issues e-tickets as NFTs. This integration of Web3 technology into Flybondi’s ticketing operations is designed to reshape how passengers interact with air travel.
The airline industry is constantly evolving, and blockchain and NFT technology are two of the most promising new technologies that could revolutionize the way we travel. Lufthansa and other airlines are at the forefront of this innovation, and they are committed to using these technologies to create new and exciting experiences for their customers.
