AIBU to ask how many of you are seriously revising whether (or how often) you fly again?

[Thelowquietsea]

We don't fly often (one flight a year tops, mostly to Europe) but reducing my air travel is one of the few differences I can make towards climate change.

And yet, I'm celebrating a big birthday this year. I had an idea to take myself to a retreat quite far away, and now it's 'booking' time, I can't quite bring myself to do it. Especially in light of Australia's tragedy. I'm really torn.

How many of you are making serious sacrifices in this area?

8 to 12 return trips a year. Mostly for pleasure more than work.
I also work in aviation.
I don't think I will be making any changes soon.

Yes. Haven't flown for four years and were traveling by ferry and Eurostar this year. Not intending to fly if we can get somewhere by other means and we're happy to holiday in the UK and near bits of Europe.

Making it personal choice is never going to have enough impact. Flying either needs to be so expensive that only the super rich can do it or it needs to be rationed somehow (v unlikely). Or radically different technology has to be developed. 100 years ago nobody 'needed' to fly to see family or for work but pandora's box is well and truly open now.

I've rarely flown and my children never have but I must admit that is mainly due to money and dh being a very nervous flyer.

Not flying isn’t a “big sacrifice” when you only fly once a year tops and might have to celebrate a “big birthday” some other way.

It would be a “big sacrifice” if it were necessary for your job, or to care for elderly relatives.

YANBU to consider not flying but YABU to call it a big sacrifice when it obviously isn’t to you and it is so few anyway it makes next to no difference in your carbon footprint.

I've only flown once in my adult life and I intend to keep it that way.

We have cut right back on our flights

I haven't been on a plane for 15 years, I'm way ahead on this one.

We are using the train to get across Europe this summer.

I have a lifetime average of one flight every ten years, so far. I don’t have any plans to reduce that.

I do my bit: recycle, minimal one car use between us, no children, reduced meat consumption, low energy use etc. However should I stop my one holiday to usually somewhere in Europe a year, when others HAVE to fly for work numerous times a week or month. Why is tech not being utilised?

Until huge companies and governments take action I can't see how us doing a little is really enough now.

Fly loads, would travel more if I could, no plans to change.

You know the planes do still fly if you don't buy a ticket right? sad (not trying to be mean but I hate to see people feeling guilty over something they have zero control over)

Even if the planes still fly, planes with fewer passengers use less fuel because they are lighter.

Airlines can't afford to fly empty planes for long. They will cut the number of flights or use smaller, less polluting planes, to suit reduced passenger numbers

I don’t fly very much, but I do not think flying needs to be cut down. It’s only 2% of carbon emissions. Well below other transport sectors. Just shifting to electric/hydrogen cars in next decade will more than offset that. We don’t need to eliminate carbon emissions entirely, so why stress over the 2% when there are much larger contributors to tackle?

No. I fly a lot, mainly for work but a few times a year for pleasure.

I do look at other ways to reduce my carbon emission. I’m virtually dairy free now - and not replacing it with a factory produced, equally bad for the environment alternative but by rarely having breakfast cereal or and drinking my coffee black. As a family we have also reduced meat consumption and only eat meat twice a week. Me and DH have also decided to car share so as a household we have one car and make better use of public transport... those are just a few of the ways I’ve tried to reduce our family carbon. I’m no angel, but I try in ways I can. Saying no to flights would mean I needed a new job though!

I've always tried to live in an environmentally friendly way, since I was a teen, but this year I feel differently. I've never thought about flying before, i haven't ever had the funds to fly often until recently, but I've travelled a bit and never felt guilty before. This year we're not going to fly, we want to go to the states in 2021, but not this year. We are lucky to be in the south of the UK, so train travel to Europe is doable, we're going to go to Paris and Barcelona by train, it will be more expensive than flying, but hopefully more comfortable and rewarding.
People saying the planes will still fly, well actually they'll only fly while people buy tickets, routes are quickly cut if demand reduces.
I feel differently about plastic this year too, never thought about the waste produced by Christmas crackers before for example, but it felt wrong to buy them this year so I didn't.

I don't think we've got much chance of preventing more disasters, but I want to feel I've done what I can. I do drive to work and i live in a village where I have to drive more than I'd like, but at the moment I'm not moving.

It frustrates me that we've known about climate change for so long, I remember studying it in GCSE science in the early 90s, and yet we've got to this point.

Until huge companies and governments take action I can't see how us doing a little is really enough now.

If it helps, my firm of 15000+ employees is aiming to be carbon neutral by the end of the year (including some carbon offsetting) and significantly reducing carbon emissions over the next few years, including massively reducing flights. Some big firms are doing this.

I hate flying but if the need arises I won't think twice about it.

I haven't flown for ages for many reasons inc. poverty etc but personally I wouldn't give a fuck.

Just go on to Flight Radar24 and get back to me.

www.flightradar24.com/14.54,64.77/2

Enjoy your birthday. People with far more responsibility for the situation than you have can take this on their shoulders. Have you ever built a coal fired power station? Run an oil pipeline through a rainforest? No? Well get on the plane and stop feeling guilty.

I am honestly sick to death of this constant environmental hectoring.

250 people on a flight is quite economical by the way. 250 separate cards travelling thousands of miles isnt great either. Especially when newer aircraft engines are reducing emissions MASSIVELY.

I get annoyed by private jets personally. Like lewis hamilton (apparently) flying his dogs round the world in his private jet
www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7122295/amp/Lewis-Hamilton-flies-pet-DOGS-world-private-jet-boasting-going-vegan.html

@aroundtheworldyet

So, you don't care what happens to the planet because you don't have children? I mean, I wouldn't go throwing any "you selfish bastards" stones in this particular glass house. You aren't sounding so selfless yourself

My job relies on people getting flights.
I also fly with my job. Next week im going to Germany for 24 hours. Then on to france for 24 hours.

I dont think ill be cutting down. There are far bigger issues than me flying around Europe once a month. Like the billions of billion tonne of waste China produces.

@BeatriceTheBeast
Oh my dear,
I care massively. That’s why I don’t have children.

Do you know what having children is to the environment versus my flights for work???