Airfare is better indicator of passenger carbon emissions

Class of travel not always the a way to measure Footprint

- LOUISE BOYLE

The price of an airline ticket is a more effective measure of a passenger's carbon footprint than class of travel, a new study has found. Travel emissions calculators typically assume that sitting in first class, for example – which takes up more space on the plane than an economy seat – therefore results in being responsible for more emissions.

However, when fares are included in calculations, it shows which travellers contribute the most to airline revenue and enables them to operate, according to a study led by University College London (UCL) that was published yesterday. Generally, it still tracks that premium seats are more expensive – but not always. Many late bookings in economy cost as much as, or more than, premium seats, researchers discovered.