To think we need to increase taxes on flights. If you fly more you pay more.

[ThereWillBeAdequateFood]

Just that really. I think something like 70% of all flights are taken by 30% of people.

I think we need to move to a system where the tax increases the more you fly. Something like (per year)

10% tax for the first 1000 miles
20% tax for the next 1000 miles
30% tax for the next 1000 miles
40% tax for the next 1000 miles (etc).

AIBU? Should we tax flights more?

Sushi did 20,000 miles in December alone.

I bet most of that wasn't really necessary. Emails, conference calls, video calls, and phone calls probably could have prevented a lot of that business mileage.

Nope. Sorry.

I have no intention of cutting down air travel. I like visiting other places and will continue to do so.

The biggest threat to the environment is human population - so tax having children first, control the population, and the ones that are left can enjoy themselves.

Money will surely fix the climate.

Cost is a fairly predictable driver of behaviour change.

I’m one who flies to see family long haul once a year. If it was further taxed; then I would make what economies I could because it’s a priority for me.

But I’m not blind to the impacts. One thing we’ve agreed to do as a family is make sure that’s our only flight each year, and any other travel is done by train (preferably) or by car.

This summer we’re interrailing with the kids to Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. We’ve discovered it has the added benefit of the kids going free, so even with 5 day passes and reservations for sleeper trains it’s still cheaper than flying all of us to France or Italy in the school holidays.

I think a graduated frequent flyer tax is probably fairest.

Stop having children

Globally or in the UK? If we talking the UK then we will need more immigrants. If we don't want anymore children or immigrants that older people will need to accept to paying more as state pensions & a free NHS won't be possible if there is no tax payers. Look how well the means tested BBC license idea went down...

@Juliette20 extremely expensive, takes forever and with 4 children? No thank you. If it was cheaper I'd be tempted. Not at those prices.

It was conferences... so theoretically yes
But being in the room was kind of necessary.

I do think most of the travel I do is unnecessary though. also i really don't like travelling for work

You've got to realise that by taxing flights less people will fly, which may solve some of the environmental issues but will put a lot of people of out jobs. I don't think adding taxes to flights will work - the rich will be able to fly and many families won't be able to go abroad any more.

extremely expensive, takes forever and with 4 children? No thank you. If it was cheaper I'd be tempted. Not at those prices.*
*
And there's the problem. Four children and not willing to make any change to improve the environment they will eventually inherit.

Noone, but noone, needs a holiday abroad in the sun.

You might want one a lot, but that's not the same thing.

Do complete away with income tax & instead tax the services individuals use, with an extra levy for environmental issues such as old card etc

That would place an unfair burden on the poor, who have next to no choice about what they use, and currently pay no direct taxes..

And with old cars, it's questionable whether that would make a huge saving when taking the whole life of a vehicle into account.

The environmental cost of building new cars and extracting the raw materials is massive, and someone doing 5k miles a year in
an old, but Euro6 compliant, car may well be doing less damage than someone doing 20k miles and getting a new car every 3 years.

Even with electric cars, mining for the lithium used in batteries is hugely damaging to the environment.

It's so hard to make sure that the choices you make are the best ones. You could die of old age while you research the best option.

@nakedavengeragain we're a blended family.

Why should people like the Beckhams get to continue flying to second homes in LA for Halloween just because they’re rich. The planet doesn’t discriminate between the rich and poor. They should be restricted re the damage they cause with their air miles. Those less well off who do a fraction of air miles shouldn’t be made to bare the brunt of it. They cause less of it.

nakedavenger

tax all you like but my point is it doesn't change behaviour and flights are a drop in the ocean compared to population increase

It might well change behaviour. Again I agree with you about population increase (same as I agreed on cows).

In developed countries the birth rate is often below replacement levels. Education and access to contraception seems to be the way forward to reduce future overpopulation.

extremely expensive, takes forever and with 4 children? No thank you. If it was cheaper I'd be tempted. Not at those prices.

Which prices?

We’ve found it much cheaper than flying overall, but our kids are both under 11, and we don’t tend to book air travel as soon as flights are released. Train travel outside the UK is pretty reasonable.

we're a blended family.

does that make you care less re the environment they inherit?

@JassyRadlett oh yes it is once in the continent but not the Eurostar. We fly budget airlines. Very very cheaply.
My son wouldn't cope with a long time on trains as he has ASD. We have to do what's best for all Of us all round.

@helpneedshoes no but that's why we have 4 children 🙄

No.

The 1% who jet all over the world to their various homes will likely be insulted from problems related to climate change & wont suffer in the same way as the rest of us. They all be hiding out in their New Zealand bunkers!

@soembarrassing19 not sure why that's relevant 🙄

@helpneedshoes it was implied I had too many children

Fair enough. The Interrail tickets have been a revelation for us - you only pay a flat reservation fee (£26) on the Eurostar regardless of the service you take.

But I’ve always found Eurostar to be pretty good if booked in advance - I don’t think I’ve ever paid more than £49 one way for an adult, except for the direct service to Avignon which was £59 from memory.

But I understand there are other non-cost factors for you.

@JassyRadlett I will have to have a look into that. We have Disneyland Paris booked
For chrustmas next year and we're going to drive. Thank you

it was implied I had too many children

I thought it implied that you had children & still didn't care about the environment they would inherit?