Jackie Thompson: August 2006 Archives

Despite aviation's role as villain of the piece on the global environmental stage, it seems there have never been more ways for concerned travellers to offset the carbon dioxide emissions from their air travel.

Two of the latest schemes on the scene come from such diverse sources as a global online travel agency and a small Welsh farm. Expedia has announced a partnership with TerraPass, a scheme through which, every time an airline passenger booking an airline ticket buys a TerraPass, their money funds renewable energy projects.

And where does the money go? TerraPass says it channels its resources to get the maximum environmental benefit from every dollar. They fund three types of leading-edge projects: clean energy such as wind and biodiesel; biomass such as dairy farm methane; and industrial efficiency.

These projects, says TerraPass, result in verified reductions in greenhouse gas pollution, thereby offsetting emissions from aircraft. There are a number of levels of carbon dioxide that can be offset, from a payment of $9.95 to offset 2,500lb (1,130kg) CO2 (about 6,000 miles or 9,700km travel) up to $1499.95, which will offset 500,000 lb (about 1 million miles, according to TerraPass). A range of free gifts are offered as an extra incentive - a traveller paying the largest donation will receive a suitably environmentally friendly folding bicycle.

At the other end of the scale, Treeflights is a recently launched scheme through which a air travellers can pay for a tree to be planted on a Welsh hillside every time they fly. This tree, in the course of its lifetime, will absorb the CO2 produced by the journey, mitigating against the environmentally destructive effects of the flight.

Travellers who donate money to plant a tree (｣10, $19, or one tree one-way and ｣20 or two trees for a return trip) can visit the plantations in Wales whenever they like to see where their money has gone. So far this is just a sapling of an idea, but if it takes root Treeflights will be branching out at three designated planting sites in Mid-Wales.

Boeing's recent announcement that it has decided to shut down its Connexion unit, which offers internet access in-flight via passenger laptops, has, not surprisingly, been less than enthusiastically received by its airline customers.
The manufacturer has said it was disappointed with the level of demand for the product and intends to "work with customers on an orderly phase-out of the Connexion by Boeing service".
There are currently 11 airlines flying with Connexion, with carriers from Asia at the technological sharp end in having their aircraft fitted with the high-speed broadband service. Asian airlines offering Connexion include South Korea's Asiana Airlines and Korean Air; Taiwan's China Airlines; All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines in Japan; and Singapore Airlines.
German flag carrier Lufthansa is Connexion's biggest customer with 62 of its 80 long-haul aircraft now equipped with the service. The airline says: "Boeing has assured us that the service will continue until the end of the year."
Lufthansa remains interested in the service and does not rule out looking at other possible partners to enable it to continue to offer it, but admits there does not seem to be an answer at the moment.
Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines have both expressed their disappointment, and there have been mutterings about the possibility of claiming compensation for the withdrawal of the service.
So the question that now remains is; Whither in-flight entertainment? Perhaps it is in the realm of mobile phone and Blackberry use that there is real value to be had. In-flight mobile telephony service provider OnAir is set to announce three more airline triallists over the next two months, following Air France, BMI and TAP Portugal's commitment to offer the service from early next year.
Chief executive George Cooper says the company is preparing to announce three more airline commitments soon, all of which will cover European short-haul operations.
Rival provider AeroMobile says it is now working with three undisclosed carriers in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific. Two of these are planning fleet-wide deployment on long-haul aircraft, while the other will start with a trial to gauge demand. AeroMobile expects two of these airlines to be offering the system this year.

The UK's Bank of Scotland clearly does not subscribe to the belief that the term "long-haul low-cost" is an oxymoron. It has paid C$12 million ($10.7 million) for a 7.5% stake in Canada's Zoom, a transatlantic carrier with big plans that so far has copied the low-cost model in many respects.

Launched in 2002, all bookings with the carrier are online or through call centres, distribution costs are low and Zoom flies only point-to-point without interlining. There the low-cost model gets a little blurry, however. With sector lengths of nine or 10 hours on flights between Canada and the UK travellers need some creature comforts. Despite its low-cost tag, Zoom provides a full service meal, complimentary drinks, a reasonable seat pitch and has a two-class configuration.
The injection of the Bank of Scotland cash will enable Zoom to create a UK-based subsidiary. This is likely to be based at London's Gatwick Airport and operate services from London to non-Canadian destinations. The likely start-up date for operations is May 2007 and, according to Zoom chairman Hugh Boyle, while routes are still under discussion, India and the USA are probable target markets.
As Zoom UK plans to take to the skies, however, three other carriers are also set to take the long-haul low-cost challenge - Australia's Qantas Airways and Virgin Blue and Hong Kong start-up Oasis Hong Kong Airlines. Oasis has now acquired some aircraft and has announced a launch date of September, although this date has already been delayed several times. It intends to fly between Hong Kong and London Gatwick. Qantas will be next when its wholly owned Jetstar launches longer-haul flights in November. Jetstar International will fly sectors up to 10 hours long from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to six destinations in South-East Asia, Japan and Hawaii.
Virgin Blue's long-haul low-cost plans are due to take off by February 2008 and compete with Qantas on lucrative transpacific US routes. It will also have the opportunity to connect traffic with its potential US ally, Virgin America, when that carrier finally gets off the ground.