All of those hard-earned air miles may be banned in the UK very soon in order to fight climate change. This is just one of the many recommendations the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) is suggesting in its latest reports.
It’s no secret, the airline industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gases, and that is not going to change anytime soon. The proposal’s aim is to reduce the amount of trips families are taking by plane.
Instead, this will hopefully make vacationers reconsider their plans and choose something more local. Which of course, can have a tremendous impact on tourism as a whole.
What Are Air Miles?
Air miles are a reward program set up by airlines that encourage frequent fliers to take extra flights. By doing so, it preserves their status as a “privileged traveler” and thus should be banned, according to the report.
These fliers get special perks like being a priority for boarding, discounts and more.
In fact, it is so common, these flights have been dubbed “milage runs” because the sole purpose of the flight is to top off the rewards. Instead, the report wants airlines to rework the system or ban it.
What’s the Replacement?
Instead of rewarding frequent fliers for flying, they propose to base it solely off of milage. This means that longer flights will be more rewarding for passengers and it will discourage “milage runs” because shorter flights will be worth less.
While this may sound bad to encourage longer flights, ending “milage runs” is actually a pretty big deal. This will result in fewer planes in the air overall, which is pretty important.
Airlines Are Trying
Even without the government stepping in, airlines are starting to think green. International Airlines Group (IAG) has made pledges to offset all carbon emissions by 2050, replace older aircraft with newer ones, and research sustainable jet fuel.
Even without government intervention, the private sector is moving towards greener practices.
