news, deals and rewards British Airways Automatically Offsets Carbon Emissions
In fall 2019 the Red Sea Development Co. awarded Fosters + Partners a design contract to develop a new international airport in Saudi Arabia, one officials anticipate will serve up to 1 million passengers per year by 2030. With a focus on sustainability, Fosters + Partners will work with subconsultant WSP Global to complete an “airport for the future,” set to open in 2022. The ecofriendly design will pay homage to the surrounding natural landscapes and fit into the design vision of The Red Sea Project, an adjacent resort also scheduled to open in 2022. Touted as the world’s most ambitious tourism and hospitality project, the Red Sea Project will comprise an archipelago of 90 islands featuring dormant volcanoes, deserts, mountains and rich culture and will be served by the new Red Sea Airport. During the first phase of completion, the resort will open 14 hotels on five of the islands, as well as commercial and leisure operations. By the time of its final completion, estimated in 2030, the resort will span 22 islands. theredsea.sa fosterandpartners.com
WANT MORE NEWS ON THE GO? SIGN UP FOR GT NEWSLETTERS Global Traveler’s weekly newsletters keep you up to date with info on the go. Sign up for newsletters at globaltravelerusa.com/newsletter.
14
eFlyer USA
eFlyer Asia
GT ’s independently run weekly travel email newsletter written for executive business travelers.
GT ’s independently run weekly travel email newsletter written for the Asian travel market.
globaltravelerusa.com
APRIL 2020
britishairways.com
TripIt Checks Your Carbon Footprint
One of the best ways to help combat climate change is to find alternative ways to travel (such as bus or train), but when a flight is the only available option, you can now check your flight’s effect on the environment, which may increase or lessen your guilt. A new feature from the mobile app TripIt lets you enter your flight details to view your carbon footprint based on that flight or based on multiple flights over time. Using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol to calculate the figures, TripIt also relies on data such as flight distance, cabin class and other environment elements such as weather to provide information about a given journey’s carbon footprint. Once they add a trip to the app, users can toggle to the flight detail screen and click Carbon Footprint. This page not only displays information about the carbon emissions of a particular flight but also provides a list of ways travelers can offset these emissions on their own. tripit.com ghgprotocol.org
PHOTOS: © FOSTER + PARTNERS, © BRITISH AIRWAYS, © TRIPIT
Design Contract for New Saudi Arabia Airport
It’s no secret air travel is bad for the environment, so airlines have begun to take action against the harmful contributions to the atmosphere. Since Jan. 1 British Airways automatically pays to offset carbon emissions for all passengers on domestic flights. This is often an option travelers can select when booking a flight on other airlines, but now British Airways passengers will enjoy this benefit regardless of whether they opt in. British Airways currently only offers this service for 75 domestic flights departing from London daily, but customers who travel internationally with the airline can still opt to pay to offset their carbon emissions on an individual basis. The price to offset carbon emissions for a short flight can cost $3–5, while the cost for long-haul flights can be up to $25. Based on calculations, for 75 daily flights each with 150 passengers, British Airways covers quite a tab per day.
