NOVEMBER 18-24, 2009 UCW 23
WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM
The Travel Industry Goes Green
E/The Environmental Magazine
I'm a travel agent and our firm has several clients wanting to go with green ven-
dors, including for travel (airline or rental car) and lodging. Our company is supportive
so would like to know which airlines, hotels and car rental agencies are going affordably
green?
— Carol Biggar, via e-mail
Just like every other industry, going green has
become a mantra among airlines, car rental compa-
nies and even hotel chains. The fuel crunch of a
few years ago forced all the airlines into belt-tight-
ening mode and the results — lower fuel consump-
tion and fewer emissions — are good news for
the environment.
Boeing, one of the world's leading aircraft mak-
ers, is doing its part: Its new 787 is some 20 percent
more fuel efficient than other big passenger planes.
Beyond saving fuel — which also reduces emis-
sions — airlines are instituting in-flight recycling
initiatives, incorporating carbon-neutral biofuels,
and going paperless to reduce waste. Continental,
British Airways, Singapore Air, American Airlines,
JetBlue, Southwest and Virgin are among the lead-
ers in the industry-wide effort to go green, but most
airlines have made huge strides in recent years to
lower their carbon footprints overall.
With regard to lodging, going green isn't just
for youth hostels and campgrounds anymore. In
a recent survey, upwards of two-thirds of U.S. hotels said they had energy-efficient
lights and had implemented towel- and linen-reuse programs — up from just over half
five years ago. According to Budget Travel magazine, Accor/Motel6, Intercontinental,
Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, Hyatt, Best Western and Wyndham/Super8 have all made
huge strides in energy and water conservation, recycling and green design over the last
few years. Beyond the chains, many independent hotels have taken up the green baton;
you'll likely find one or more at your destination via the website of the Green
Hotels Association.
As for rental car companies, just about all of them offer large selections of fuel
efficient cars these days, if for no other reason than to meet the demands of both
business and vacationing customers not interested in spending lots of money on gas.
Hertz, Avis, Budget and Enterprise each have large fleets of hybrid and/or flex-fuel
(ethanol) cars for rent at hundreds of airport and in-town locations around the U.S.
Advantage Rent-a-Car has pledged to turn 100 percent
of its rental fleet "green" by 2010. For now, renting a
hybrid still typically costs $5-15 more per day than an
equivalent conventional car, but as rental car compa-
nies bring more of the vehicles online, prices should
start to reach parity. And if you're driving a long way
in the car, you may just make up the difference in fuel
savings. Travelers to the Bay Area should keep in mind
that San Francisco International Airport offers a $15
credit for renting a hybrid from any of the rental car
companies operating there.
Traveling by any means other than foot, bicycle or
paddle always takes some toll on the environment, but
those who watch their carbon footprints — and stay
abreast of which vendors offer the greenest courses of
action — can keep their impacts to a minimum. Stay
tuned to websites like Go Green Travel Green for the
latest info on what airlines, hotels, car rental companies
and other travel-related businesses are doing to green
up their industry.
CONTACTS: Budget Travel magazine, www.
budgettravel.com; Green Hotels Association, www.greenhotels.com; Go Green Travel
Green, www.gogreentravelgreen.com.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box
5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.
emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order
information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.
Boeing's new 787, which is some 20 percent more fuel effi-
cient than other big passenger planes. Photo credit: Andrew W.
Sieber, courtesy Flickr.
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