Articles Tagged with: eco-friendly airlines

Even the most environmentally aware of travellers cannot help but feel somewhat torn between sacrificing luxury and pampering in return for their green credentials. However, Cathay Pacific are trying to help make the choice easier by providing its passengers with eco-friendly products whilst on board its planes.

The complimentary travel packs provided to fliers are exclusively designed by one of the top labels in France, agnes b, but as well as being a designer name, the contents are also sourced sustainably. Those travelling in business class will be treated to a goodie bag filled with not only top of the range products, but also stylishly designed, with the women’s version either light blue or black, adorned with polka dots, whilst the men’s offering comes in a choice of either grey or a dark blue, decorated with a lizard print.

However, the designer look to the bag is just the superficial benefit – the real gem is the eco-friendly content, an unusual concept for an airline to wholeheartedly embrace. Inside the travel bags, passengers will find amongst other luxuries, both a shoehorn and toothbrush made from a combination of cellulose and corn starch, products which are entirely recyclable and biodegradable. The materials also use far less energy and resources during the manufacturing process.

One of the people responsible for selecting the product range at Cathay Pacific, Alex McGowan, described the airline as ‘socially and environmentally’ aware and said that the firm was seeking to source sustainable options wherever possible. There are plenty of firms on the market also offering green travel accessories, so that taking supplies on holiday doesn’t mean having to compromise on eco-friendly principles.

For those who cannot bear to be without their MP3 player, smartphone or other digital device but hate the energy that the equipment uses, a new tool not only makes the usage greener but makes it easily transportable. The Solarmonkey absorbs energy from sunlight and is sufficient to provide enough charge to any number of items, making it suitable for being anyone on the go.

For backpackers who hate to take a cold shower, solar power can also provide a warmer morning wake-up. A heat-sensitive bag uses the sun to warm the water and also incorporates a cord to hang the equipment from, as well as a shower head to regulate the flow. Finally, to keep fellow travellers happy, a natural deodorant is available made from salts derived from a mineral spring. The stone has been ground to a powder and is suitable for transport aboard an airplane and is naturally hypoallergenic.

Photo Credit: HikingArtist.com

If you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint and ensure that you also take eco-friendly vacations, you may be searching for the perfect sustainable getaway in far off lands. However, have you stopped to think about the best way to get there? Cheaptickets.com has come up with a list of the top five eco-friendly airlines, so that you don’t have to feel guilty about hopping a jet plane, so you don’t feel like you have to repent after every flight. The aviation industry is also doing its part to lower its carbon wingprint, including producing new aircraft that are significantly quieter and 70 percent more fuel efficient than 40 years ago, and 20 percent better than 10 years ago. Did you know that aviation produces only 2 percent of the world’s human-made emissions of carbon dioxide, or that air transport accounts for only 3 percent of CO2 emissions in the European Union, compared with almost 40 percent for the energy industries? In addition, estimates are that more than 95 percent of a plane can be recycled, either for spare parts or melting down and repurposing the metal. As the aviation industry conditions to seek out new ways to fly Green skies, both Boeing and Airbus are creating a new generation of planes that have fuel consumptions of three liters per 100 passenger kilometers, which is more efficient than a compact car. So what are cheaptickets.com top 5 Green Airlines?

1. Continental Airlines: Aircraft efficiency has improved by 80 percent between the 1960s and 1990s.

1. British Airways: With its latest deal with the Solena Group, the airline will produce 16 million gallons of eco-friendly bio fuel derived from waste products by 2014.

1. Southwest Airlines: Has invested $175 million towards Required Navigational Performance, the next generation of avionics technology that allows planes to reduce fuel usage by optimizing flight paths.

1. Virgin Atlantic: Richard Branson’s airline is one of the few carriers to commit to recycling on board waste, and Branson has pledged more than £2 billion to fight global warming over the next decade.

1. Qatar Airways: The airline ran the first commercial passenger powered by natural gas derived fuel.