What is the point of air miles? For harried executives, they are one of the few things that justify a globe-trotting existence, a chance to make amends to the family with a free holiday flight. For airlines, they are a valuable marketing tool that helps to secure customers’ loyalty. For environmental activists, they are a thoughtless but serious injury to the health of the planet which should be banned.
That final view has now been given some intellectual backing in an independent report by Imperial College London for the UK’s Committee on Climate Change. The report argues air miles schemes should be banned as they encourage excessive flying. It recommends instead an escalating “air miles levy” to discourage people from flying too much, with the income invested in low-carbon technology. According to the report, occasional flyers or family holidaymakers would not be penalised. The move would affect the 15 per cent of the population responsible for an estimated 70 per cent of UK flights.
It is an eye-catching proposal. Frequent flyer schemes have become both a lucrative business and a draw for travellers since the launch of the first in 1979. There is evidence of people abusing the system: taking more flights simply to maintain their status as “privileged travellers”. So-called “mileage runs” are a common way to increase points to retain access to privileges.