Brooke Bumgarner and Ben Allen round up airline loyalty schemes that let you donate unwanted miles to good causes

Airlines are providing loyal customers with the chance to donate their miles to charity. From sending aid to war-torn countries to fighting blindness and child poverty, your travel can help to make a difference. Whether you have no time to redeem them or just want to give something back, here are ten airlines and their charity partners that accept air mile donations.

1. Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Médecins Sans Frontières

The Flying Blue scheme encourages donations to a number of affiliated charities, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The organisation sends medical teams to parts of the world in need of emergency aid – areas struggling with epidemics, armed conflicts, natural disasters or famine. MSF’s workers are currently providing medical assistance in countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and Yemen.

  • Other charities supported: World Wildlife Fund, the French Red Cross, Gawad Kalinga, Aviation Sans Frontières, Geres, Close the Gap.
  • flyingblue.com

2. Etihad Guest and Swiss Red Cross – Help for Syrian Refugees

Etihad’s Guest scheme sponsors ten charities, including the Swiss Red Cross initiative to help refugees of the Syrian civil war. Donated miles are used to supply necessities such as blankets, sanitary products and mattresses in Jordan and Turkey, while money is given monthly to 2,000 Syrian families in Jordan.

  • Other charities: Nepal Earthquake Relief, Yemen We Care, Children’s Health Fund, Aiducation International, Swiss Red Cross Help for Ebola Victims.
  • etihadguest.com

3. Emirates Skywards and Sightsavers

Skywards members can donate to Sightsavers, which works to cure avoidable blindness in developing regions. Miles not only help people to receive treatment but also link international hospitals with those in need. Sightsavers works in more than 30 countries, providing medicine, surgery and examinations, and attempting to strengthen health systems. Since 2007, Skywards members have given more than 50 million miles.

  • Other charities: Engineers without Borders USA, Facing the World, Oxonian Heart Foundation, Outreach to Africa, Water for Prosperity, Australian Doctors for Africa.
  • emirates.com/skywards

4. AAdvantage and Miles of Hope

American Airlines has created five charities, to which AAdvantage members can donate miles, or give cash to receive miles. Miles of Hope helps to provide food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, education and employment to vulnerable populations, as well as assisting those facing hardship. AA also runs Puppies in Flight, providing transport for young dogs to reach new owners or undergo assistance dog training.

  • Other charities: Miles for Kids in Need, Miles for all Who Serve, Miles for the Cure.
  • aa.com/donate

5. Delta Skymiles and Unicef

Through Delta Air Lines’ SkyWish initiative, Skymiles members can donate to organisations by region. More than 30 charities are sponsored, and up to five can benefit at one time. In Europe, one key recipient is Unicef, which works to improve children’s lives in 190 countries, providing shelter, protection from disasters, nutrition and family support.

Since 2000, Skymiles have gone towards travel for Unicef staff, event sponsorship and marketing. In a single year, donations helped Unicef’s US branch to cut costs equivalent to 500,000 doses of the polio vaccine.

  • Other charities: American Cancer Society, the Salvation Army, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Canine Assistants, Habitat for Humanity, Make a Wish Foundation.
  • delta.com/skymiles

6. United Mileage Plus and Make a Wish

Organisations that benefit from United’s Mileage Plus programme include the Make a Wish Foundation International, which seeks to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, some 70 per cent of which involve travel. Flyers’ contributions have helped to bring happiness to 280,000 children.

  • Other charities: Special Olympics, American Red Cross, Conservation International, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, Feeding America, Healing the Children.
  • unitedmileageplus.com

7. Miles and More and Help Alliance

Lufthansa’s Miles and More scheme supports the Help Alliance, set up by Lufthansa employees in 1999. More than 40 aid initiatives are now assisted by staff every year, primarily focused on children in the developing world.

The website says: “5,000 miles will provide 50 children in Africa with a substantial meal. 10,000 miles will feed ten children in Asia for a month and 20,000 miles will allow two children in South America to enjoy a nutritional diet for a month.” Recent projects include building a well in Mali and vocational training for orphans in Lithuania.

8. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Free the Children

Virgin Atlantic works with Free the Children, which rescues children from poverty and promotes long-term change. It aims to teach young people that together they can improve the world that they live in through education and development programmes, and has helped more than a million children in 45 countries.

Donations are used for sustainability projects, empowerment programmes and leadership training. Flying Club members can give a minimum of 1,000 miles to fund volunteer travel.

9. Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and Chance for Children – Great East Japan Earthquake

JAL Mileage Bank members can donate to several causes, including Chance for Children, set up to help youngsters affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. Donations for each initiative are accepted for a certain period of time – Chance for Children ends on March 20. Miles are donated in 3,000-mile units; JAL will match the cash equivalent (1 mile equals ¥1).

  • Other charities: Kopernik, Save the Children Japan, Children’s Forest Programme.
  • jal.co.jp

10. Asia Miles and Care Society

Cathay Pacific’s and Dragonair’s Asia Miles scheme supports the Care Society, a charity focused on the health and happiness of the elderly. Donations are used to reunite family members following serious illness or personal tragedy, and to support volunteers including health, rehabilitation and reconstruction professionals working in areas hit by natural disasters.

  • Other charities: Oxfam, Orbis, Hong Kong Red Cross and Unicef.
  • asiamiles.com