To think soon it won’t be socially acceptable to fly

[Pigletspal]

I’m sad because I’ve been saving up for 6 years to go on holiday. I want to go to South America and Southeast Asia next year. I’ve also just got a job with a decent wage and I have been looking forward to much to making holidays a regular thing.

But they’re about to get more expensive aren’t they?

And suddenly I feel guilty about wanting to fly. One of my friends has already said that she will be going on “one last” foreign holiday and then stopping due to climate change.

And I really want to save the planet too. I’m just sad that it’s all going this way.
Am I overreacting or shall I get used to the idea my travelling days are numbered?

I some circles it's already seen as socially unacceptable to fly so much. But most people i know do fly often (mostly business, like me) and out of those most of them use some kind of carbon offestting scheme.

A lot of us have always had an eye on our eco-footprint though - a lot of people forget, for eg, that the USA was the first country to ban CFCs in aerosols. So a lot of quite small measures have been implemented already, and there will be more and more, and i disagree with PP that it's a fad that will die out, it has been a major concern of industrialised nations for a long time and the key to it all is how to get the developing nations to adopt the cleaner alternatives as quickly as possible - not to deny them their own industrial revolutions/development.

Do what you can - it's all anyone can do. But for sure, flights are going to be really expensive because capacity is much reduced at least for the next few years.

Hopefully it will stop some of the ridiculous 'flying over for the day' type business flights which happen daily all over the world.

Having one or two holiday flights, sitting in economy will have less of an impact that flying business/first class for a day.

I do other things to be eco/green - electric car, reduced plastic use, etc. All small things but they add up when enough people change over. I do, however, fly for holidays and I will continue to do so. I am hoping to fly on holiday at some point later this year, all being well.

I think you are more concerned about the cost than the environment.

I will be flying on a very long haul flight just as soon as all this is over. I can't wait.

The revenue from business travel is crucial for airlines, they’ll do all they can to get that going again. And as for increased fares the market for leisure travellers will only bear what it will bear.

I think most of us want air travel to diminish as long as it doesn’t affect us too much.

Hopefully it will stop some of the ridiculous 'flying over for the day' type business flights which happen daily all over the world.

From your mouth (keyboard) to my boss' ears!

Who knows?
Maybe some individuals will change their flying habits out of concern for climate change.
Not sure about businesses though.
I do not think that there will be a collective moral re-awakening about it though.
Yes, perhaps the cost of flying will go up significantly but I don’t think it will become prohibitively expensive so that only the rich could afford it.
People will simply save up more towards it and plan travelling accordingly.

You don't need to fly across the globe to go on holiday, though.

No, but I want consistent warmth, especially in our water time.
It benefits my joints massively and a week in some dry sun in our colder/wetter months can help to reduce my pain levels for a while after too.

I don't mind a bit of rain - it rains in plenty of the hot countries I have visited. But I don't want cold, grey and overcast weather where you can't just slip on some shorts and a t shirts to enjoy new sites.

I visit places in the UK too, but sometimes you can't beat a week of hot dry weather!

Hopefully it's just less for everyone. It's like eating meat. Everyone just needs to do a bit less. The people who do it all aren't actually sacrificing anything as it was never part of their life. They're the same people who put non-recyclable plastic in the recycling bin and think they're God's gift when it would have been environmentally better to put it in the trash. 🙄

Not flying at all wouldnt happen. You've also go to realise how much of the world relies on tourism. It's a fine balance.

But I agree that sadly it'll be the poor that can't afford to travel at all.

You are allowed to feel sad op. It's your feelings not your actions that derermine things.

Also let's see what your friend really does.

I've not been on a plane since my honeymoon in 2001.
I am disabled, low income, 2 children also with disabilities.
I had researched carefully and planned a modest trip to Malta (I have Maltese family there who would help me with the kids at that end).
I cannot afford it yet, but was hoping this year or next (kids are 13 and 16 now and have never been abroad and it would be good for them)
I am aware that jetting around is bad for the environment but I thought that 1 trip in all that time for educational / meeting family purposes would be okay if I could cobble the cash together.

It looks like my plans are torpedoed in a number of ways. Ah, well! :(

BarbaraofSeville my circumstances are much the same as yours so I won’t repeat all the excellent points you made.

What I would add is that the place I go to every year is almost entirely dependent on tourism. It was badly affected by the hurricane in 2017 and people were desperate for tourists to come back afterwards as they are their livelihood. I don’t think they would agree that flights should stop.

I will be travelling again as soon as we are able. There are many other ways to offset your carbon footprint and the privilege of being able to see the world while we are still fit and able is one I certainly intend to take advantage of. I will probably travel slower though, and perhaps less often, spending more time at the destination.

I will be happy to see the back of business flights where you fly into Frankfurt in the morning for a two hour meeting and then back to London the same evening — so unnecessary.

I have a friend who used to work for an airline, she flew here there and everywhere for holidays - long hall and numerous city breaks for years.
at the time I was not very well off and seldom ad a holiday at all. Now she has retired she has become very preachy and sanctimonious about everything eco and climate related. To hear her going on you feel like a criminal even thinking of one flight a year.

I will carry on, but use the train where I can, probably for next European holiday, give some thought ti seeing more of this country but I'll still have my major expedition every 3 years to some far flung place once it is safe to do so and if I can afford it.

Half of my family live in Europe - lovely though it would be to drive/ferry/drive to see them, it all takes time and I have a limited amount of annual leave (like most people, I would have thought), so I will still be flying to visit them, to maximise the days I am there.
I don't fly for business, only for pleasure and only a couple of times a year, if that.

We're going to reduce to less frequent but more meaningful trips. I love the world, I want to see it and feel it Britain is a tiny island with not a lot of change of scenery, I cant face the idea of never seeing Africa again or the northern lights.
But we'll reduce the 4hr flights to some hotel with a pool and go to cornwall instead.
I think business travel will reduce massively, and flights will go up so there will be less flying.

It's like eating meat, it's more important that the many reduce their consumption, than the few stopping entirely. I am vegan so I think I make up for my shortfall in travelling.
Like the idea of carbon offsetting, think we'll do that next time.

Also, very evident in africa, tourism is very important for many economies.

as soon as its allowed im off to Japan & new York - booked them both for this year April & Christmas - but will re-book once allowed! nothing you can do but wait until we get the go ahead - if it's more expensive I don't really care - I had the money to go now saved up- so i'm just gonna save a bit more so the increased price wouldn't matter all that much!

People can't afford to live where they were born.

I've heard that about Cornwall.....

I hope not. I have not been able to travel much at all for over a decade, and am only just getting to the point where I can afford it! I have so much to see! So, I will be taking one plane a year, but I walk more than drive when most people would choose to drive, plus I had no car at all for years, so I feel like it's offset a bit.

I am not stopping my regular travel. O know that's bad but I love my 4 or 5 holidays abroad a year. They are what I work for. However, business travel needs to change. All these zoom meetings have proven this. My mum flies from one end of the county to the other 3 times a month for 1 single meeting! Also, I have made lots of other adjustments to my lifestyle to try and counter the holidays (massively reduced meat consumption, tried to reduce plastic to almost 0, reusable sanitary products etc.) Also, FWIW I think holidays will stay relatively cheap. Every holiday company will be desperate for customers, especially as people will still be afraid to travel. Competition will drive price down. Looking at end of this year/early next year the costs are low)

Not in our circles it won't be.
We planning on moving state so if family wanna see us and not drive for 5 days, then they fly. We would fly down to see them, it's easier and faster.
We actually don't know anyone who thinks flying some big evil.

Holidays in the UK just won’t cut it for us, sorry.

We’ll be back to flying long haul as soon as we possibly can.

My husband flys a lot for work. I can see that lessening somewhat.

Oh, yeah, and I mean I hope I wont be priced out, I couldn't give a monkeys about what is socially acceptable! Only on MN do people think like this

@Iflyaway yes it's a huge problem in Devon, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly. The Isles of Scilly have such high poverty rates compared to the rest of the country, because almost everything is geared to tourists. The shops are too expensive, houses are bought to rent out (at extortionate rates), and more and more locals are being driven into poverty or being forced to leave, because of tourism.

But hey, tourists spend money and they're reliant on it so that makes mass tourism ok...

We really need to rein in our expectations for holidays and understand the difference between "want" and "need".

Im torn. In one way Im almost relieved that air travel will be less of a choice in future . This may be through price or simply availability due to airlines folding. I hate all of the unnecessary rigmarole of flying. The queues,the security checks, the packing of cabin bags, the waiting around, being herded into tiny spaces . And all to be somewhere different for a few days.
I go to visit family abroad and I dont mind all of the above as its part of the price I have to pay for moving away. Plus I stay for several weeks at a time when its a family visit.
But on the other hand I am attracted (well, was attracted) to the adverts for a glimpse into a culturally different place. To sample a new cuisine or buy unusual homewares . And at a price I can easily afford. There and back in a weekend! I yearn to live that life.

See. Told you I was torn and I guess a lot of people are like me. Hate the reality but yearn for the advert.

also some good deals to be had at the moment for holidays for next year - so not necessarily going to get more expensive - i booked flights return to Cancun for next April for £355 return!