The high cost of cheap air travel

Last month when American Airlines flew its pampered pentad of passengers from Chicago to London, the carbon footprint left by burning 22,000 gallons of fuel during a virtually empty flight more resembled a carbon foot in Mother Nature's ass.

Environmentalists flew, presumably fossil fuel-free, through the roof. Defenders of the industry loudly countered by pointing out the harsh pragmatics of airline scheduling. Others, sensing opportunity, derided the likes of Al Gore and similar activists for hypocritically jet-setting across the globe to deliver messages of environmental responsibility.

American Airlines, which lost about $60,000 on the much-maligned voyage, won’t have to worry about such fiascos starting at the end of this month. On March 30, the Open Skies agreement takes effect, allowing any US and EU airline to make transatlantic flights between all destinations on both sides of the pond. London’s Heathrow airport will be opened for full competition from foreign carriers with an expected monthly increase of 524 flights to the States as well as 5,853 new trips throughout Europe. Until mankind builds the first trans-oceanic bike path, we’re going to have untold millions more tons of CO2 floating around the friendly skies.

It’s only fitting that AA’s now infamous flight arrived in England. After Saturday lager consumption outside football grounds, “binge flying” may be Britain’s most common over-indulgence. Compared to the US, air travel in England (and much of Europe) has become extremely inexpensive, inviting dwellers of lower tax brackets to globetrot with the frequency of their more affluent countrymen. Critics, however, have been slow to vilify this new breed of passenger to avoid ugly allegations of classism, and also because, quite rightly, if someone wants to pop over to Paris or Pago Pago for a spell that’s his or her prerogative now isn’t it?

More safely blameworthy are the low-balling airlines themselves that inspire such wanderlust, though particular vitriol is reserved for that status-conscious percentage of Brits who routinely embark on “breakneck breaks”—jetting in excess of seven hours for a mere weekend getaway. It happened over 3.7 million times last year, and is projected only to continue onward and upward, pun entirely intended, thanks so much. While there’s some disagreement over levels of atmospheric impact, aviation does account for 13% of Britain’s carbon emissions (up 6% from last year). These trends don’t bode well for Gordon Brown’s ambition of a 60% emissions cut by mid century (or the ice caps, humankind, etc).

Sadly, it seems like Britain’s only tactics for discouraging air travel are impotent threats of taxation and sissified pleas for environmental conscience. Really wanna keep people from flying, Britain? Take some notes: our airfare remains grossly, stubbornly overpriced; nightmarish security lines aren’t easing up; we’ve projected a well-reciprocated xenophobia upon the rest of the world; less than a quarter of Americans even own a passport; horrifying safety reports keep emerging; and with gems like Snakes on a Plane, Red Eye and Soul Plane Hollywood continually churns out inadvertent anti-air travel propaganda. Got it? Now, to give you some pointers on ruining the economy….