Green Vacation Travel
By Air

When traveling by air, there are many things to consider and ways to reduce the environmental impact. Having a better understanding of the impact is vital to making an intelligent decision for your green vacation travel. From choosing the airline, to the aircraft to the specific route, the decisions made all impact the environment.

1) Are you flying non-stop? One of the largest costs of flying in terms of CO2 emmissions and jet fuel consumption is taking off and landing. If your flight is non-stop, you are greatly working to reduce this cost.

2) How old is your plane? Often you can find out the type of plane that you will be flying. With the increased costs of fuel over the years, newer planes are designed to be much more efficient. Planes such as the Boeing 777 are much more efficient than older aircraft such as the MD80 or 747.

3) Is your plane full? This should go without saying, but if you are flying on a full flight it tends to be more efficient in terms of passenger miles than a half-empty aircraft. Of course that may mean that you can't stretch as much.

4) Is your airline dedicated to be green? Beyond the aircraft itself, many airlines have been working to reduce their carbon footprint. This includes recycling programs, ground maintenance equipment, reducing idling times and airconditioning, making air routes more efficient and many other methods.

5) Is this trip really necessary? The best way to save fuel is to not go. Barring that, bring along the least that you need to get along. Packing a lot of luggage adds weight to the aircraft and increases the fuel required.

6) Why fly first class? First class seats take up more space and reduce the total number of passengers carried. If everyone flew economy class, there would be less flights needed.

7) Is your flight efficient? Avoiding situations where there might be a delay will save fuel on the ground. So having a flight that stops along the way at a place that might have delays, that's a problem. Also, stopping at a place that has bad weather (Chicago in winter, for example) requires deicing and other techniques that aren't environmentally friendly. And if you are flying from a warm climate to a warm climate and having to go through Chicago (just an example), you are de-icing unnecessarily and are also flying hundreds of miles out of your way, wasting even more fuel.

8) Can I be more green upon arrival to reduce my carbon footprint? For example, do you really need a car at your destination or can you utilize a shared ride service or mass transportation. There are ways that you can greatly reduce your carbon footprint after arrival to reduce the overall impact of the trip.

More information and the latest news stories about green aviation can be found at GreenAirOnline.com.

Feel free to browse this website to find additional information about your green vacation travel choices. Not only ways of reducing the impact of your trip, but also alternatives for the purpose. From Ecotravel to Volunteer Vacations, there are choices that you can make that can expose you to a new world or even benefit the environment.