A report to the British Committee on Climate Change is calling for the end of frequent flyer programs because they “incentivize excessive flying.” The 83-page report completed by Imperial College London is asking the United Kingdom to reconsider many of their current habits in order to reach “Net Zero” carbon emissions.

A report commissioned by the United Kingdom Committee on Climate Change is suggesting airlines do away with loyalty programs, as they could be considered detrimental to the environment. The 83-page report, titled Behaviour Change, Public Engagement and Net Zero and written by Dr. Richard Carmichael of Imperial College London, makes several suggestions on how Britons can reduce their carbon footprint—including reconsidering air travel.

The report considers multiple avenues of combating climate change, from shifting to environmentally-sustainable diets to changing domestic heating. A four-page section of the report focuses on aviation, and how frequent flyers are contributing to continued carbon emissions.

A Call to Abolish Schemes That Incentivize Excessive Flying

“If averaged across all households, UK aviation now makes up around 12% of a household’s carbon footprint,” Dr. Carmichael writes in the report. “However, emissions from flying vary enormously between households.”

In the report, researchers note that one household’s carbon footprint is around 8.1 tons. However, two people flying from Los Angeles to London leave a carbon footprint based on their class of service. Researchers estimate flyers in economy have a 5.7-ton carbon footprint, while the number expands to over 9 tons for those in premium economy.

“The emissions from one return ticket from London to New York are roughly equivalent to that of heating a typical home in the EU for a whole year,” Dr. Carmichael concludes.

Moreover, the report suggests a small majority of flyers take up most of the available seats. Every year, half of Britons won’t fly, while 15 percent of the British population occupy around 70 percent of flights. Accordingly, the report calls for a “Frequent Flyer Levy,” which would progressively increase with every flight purchased.

“The greatest beneficiaries of aviation’s generous tax treatment in the UK…are therefore those who pollute most and could most easily afford to pay more,” the report reads. “The norm of unlimited flying being acceptable needs to be challenged and, as a very highly-polluting luxury, it is suitable to taxation.”

But adding a “Frequent Flyer Levy” isn’t the only suggestion the report makes. It also calls for the abolishment of “air miles and frequent flyer loyalty schemes that incentivize excessive flying.” The study notes a now-overturned Norwegian law that banned flyers from collecting loyalty miles from domestic flights.

“Evidence also suggests that frequent flyers engage in additional flights to maintain their privileged traveler status (so-called ‘mileage runs’ or ‘status runs’) and that frequent flying is related to status and social identity,” the report says, citing a 2014 report written by Stefan Gössling and Scott Cohen. “Introducing restrictions to ‘all-you-can-fly’ passes and loyalty schemes which offer air miles would remove incentives to excessive or stimulated flying.”

The study also suggests airline marketing change to explain the carbon footprint from flight. The report asks carriers to show “emissions information expressed in terms that are meaningful to consumers.” For example, an airline marketing a flight within the United Kingdom could show how much of a carbon footprint the passenger would leave as a result of choosing flight over other travel methods or compared to their average yearly carbon footprint.

“As Someone Who Doesn’t Have Status, I Find the Idea Ridiculous”

FlyerTalkers are immediately hostile to the idea, noting on the forums airlines will continue to fly regardless of the carbon footprint left behind. Even if domestic flights were banned from collecting miles and loyalty status, flyers say aviation demand will continue to grow.

“Why doesn’t the [British] Government close Rolls Royce instead, as they make many things that affect the environment?” FlyerTalker garykung offers as an alternative to the suggestion.

“Even as someone who doesn’t have status I find the idea ridiculous,” writes HIDDY. “The aircraft will still fly even without tier point runners on them.”

“Banning [frequent flyer programs] in the UK (for example) would likely result in folks simply flipping their “loyalty alignment” to [American Airlines over British Airways] or [Delta Air Lines or Air France-KLM Flying Blue over Virgin Atlantic],” notes GrayAnderson. “Unless the government wants to take a serious stab at telling foreign airlines what to do.”

A Better Idea?

Other FlyerTalkers are taking to the forum to suggest more practical ideas. One includes reducing the number of connections any given flight may have, in order to reduce the number of unnecessary flights.

“Without going to extremes I hope there are some ways to optimize flying,” writes azepine00. “Countless connecting flights are booked because they are priced much lower than non-stops at least here in US.”

The UK Committee on Climate Change is “an independent, statutory body” established by Britain’s Climate Change Act 2008, which serves to advise the government on “reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preparing for climate change.” The group classifies the report as “supporting research,” and has not announced if they will suggest policy based on the findings. Instead, the committee notes the commissioned report is written to understand “…the potential for people to make choices that can contribute to reducing emissions, and what this means for policy.”