Offset carbon dioxide emissions for eco-friendly flying Hybrid planes? Not yet, but steps are being taken in the right direction. The first online travel booking site to offer travelers the option to purchase carbon offsets, Expedia customers can now help to reduce carbon dioxide measures that lead to greenhouse gas emissions through the sites teammate, TerraPass.
| "A typical flight from New York to Los Angeles creates about 2,000 lbs. per passenger of carbon dioxide (CO2)..." |
Airline travel currently accounts for about 13 percent of U.S.- transportation-based emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas responsible for global warming. To help address this, Expedia now makes it simple for environmentally conscious travelers to purchase a TerraPass from Expedia as part of their trip. A small fee applies to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are proportional to the emissions created by their flight.
Travelers can choose from three levels of TerraPass to purchase during the process of booking a flight or package, or as a stand-alone component. Prior to checkout, Expedia customers will be offered a chance to purchase a TerraPass that funds enough clean energy to balance out the CO2 emissions caused by their flights.
For example, a typical flight from New York to Los Angeles creates about 2,000 lbs. per passenger of carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal greenhouse gas. Pricing starts at $5.99 to offset about 1,000 lbs of CO2, the approximate amount per passenger emitted by a 2,200 mile round-trip flight. A TerraPass to cover cross-country and international flights is $16.99 for up to 6,500 flight miles, and $29.99 for up to 13,000 flight miles.
Want to flaunt your good deeds?
Travelers who purchase a TerraPass for cross-country or international flights will receive a luggage tag that indicates their contribution to green travel. Travelers who purchase a TerraPass for short-haul flights will receive a decal.
Best of all, Expedia offers TerraPass at cost - so every penny will go toward greenhouse gas reduction efforts.
"Expedia is dedicated to promoting responsible tourism, and we're proud to extend environmentally conscious options to our travelers," said Steven McArthur, President of Expedia. "We are committed to making a positive impact on travel and tourism through industry advocacy, destination support and the promotion of responsible tourism. Offering TerraPass carbon offsets is just one way we invite our customers to join us in this endeavor."
For more information, click here.
(Source: Expedia)
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