Journalists at major Danish newspaper Politken will no longer be able to travel by plane for domestic assignments in an effort to reduce the broadsheet’s climate impact, according to reports.
In addition, restrictions are being placed on the company’s international air travel, with the paper’s staff permitted to travel by plane outside Denmark’s borders only when absolutely necessary and if such journeys are offset by contributions to credible climate initiatives, reports the Associated Press.
Politiken’s editor-in-chief Christian Jensen made the announcement on Sunday, explaining the paper’s travel section is also being revamped to focus on domestic, Nordic, and northern European destinations which are easily reachable by public transport.
The paper has recently launched its own online climate calculator enabling users to work out the average carbon impact of their air and road travel.
Headquartered in Copenhagen and founded in 1884, Politiken is one of Denmark’s three main newspapers along with Berlingske and Jyllands-Posten.
In comments reported by AP, Jensen said opinion polls in the country showed climate change was now the top issue for voters ahead of the upcoming general election in Denmark, which is set to take place in June.
Last year the Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen set out plans to ban the sale of conventional petrol and diesel cars from 2030
Greenhouse gas emissions in the United States appear to be on the rise again after years of decline. The Rhodium Group this week released preliminary estimates showing carbon dioxide emissions overall surged 3.4 percent in 2018, with the transportation sector leading the way as the largest source of emissions for the third year in a row.
Interestingly, the bump in transportation emissions didn’t come from cars. Car travel increased compared to 2017, but gasoline consumption decreased. That’s in part because overall fuel economy in passenger cars is improving as engines become more efficient and electric cars become more popular.
Instead, emissions from trucking and air travel helped contribute to the overall increase: Demand for both diesel and jet fuel increased about 3 percent in 2018.
Emissions relating to air travel are on the rise in the United States. Rhodium Group
On the one hand, this shows just how hard it is to bring down greenhouse gas emissions when the US economy is growing — growth was 3 percent in 2018. With that came more manufacturing, more power use, more travel, and, yes, more greenhouse gases.
But it’s also a clear sign of just how difficult it is to decarbonize the airline industry, for which surprisingly few low-carbon technologies or fuels have been developed so far. That said, there are steps airlines can take to modestly reduce their impact on the environment. And on this front, a recent report from the German nonprofit atmosfair shows that US-based airlines have fared poorly compared to air carriers in other countries, failing to take climate change as seriously as some of their competitors abroad.
Demand for air travel is surging just when our window to limit catastrophic global warming is closing
In 2018, the total number of air passengers increased in the US, with some periods of the year experiencing all-time high air travel volumes. Around the world, airlines carried 4.3 billion passengers in 2018, an increase of 38 million compared to the year before. Aviation accounts for about 2 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, and that share is poised to grow.
The International Civil Aviation Organization anticipates that by 2020, global international aviation emissions are projected will be 70 percent greater than in 2005. By the middle of the century, they are slated to increase by upward of 700 percent. Every round-trip trans-Atlantic flight emits enough carbon dioxide to melt 30 square feet of Arctic sea ice.
But the planet needs to cut its emissions from today by more than half to get on a path to limiting global warming this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The world may only have until 2030 to reach that milestone.
However, it’s a bit tricky for conscientious fliers to figure out just how much they’re contributing to climate change.
“Car drivers are used to easy and absolute climate efficiency indicators: grams [of] CO2 per kilometer or gallons per mile,” according to a December report from atmosfair. “This is not the case for aircraft: Every plane has to take off [and] climb out to a minimum altitude, regardless of how far it goes after that.”
Since planes take a huge amount of energy just to get off the ground, shorter flights actually have a larger CO2 footprint per passenger per mile than longer ones, so their overall carbon intensity can be higher.
Fuel consumption in liters per passenger for an Airbus A340 relative to distance traveled. atmosfair
One also has to factor in the age of the aircraft, the type of aircraft, and the distance traveled. And aircraft emit more than carbon dioxide: They spew particles, nitrogen oxides, and sulfates. These compounds also trap heat and have an outsized effect on warming when they’re emitted at cruising altitude.
Aircraft emit a variety of compounds that can influence the climate. atmosfair
Accounting for all these factors, atmosfair indexed 125 of the world’s airlines. The rankings are also subdivided in to short-, medium-, and long-haul flights. The methodology accounts for meteorological conditions on routes, passenger load, cargo load, aircraft type, engines, and efficiency ground operations. Airlines are then awarded efficiency points and are then ranked.
US air carriers have a lot of room for improvement in cutting their carbon emissions
The overall highest-ranked airline, according to atmosfair, was United Kingdom-based TUI Airways because of their efficient aircraft and high occupancy rates.
Airlines ranked by emissions efficiency in 2018. atmosfair
The highest-rated US-based airline was Alaska Airlines, coming in at 22. The highest-ranked US legacy carrier is United Airlines, ranking 50th. All US air carriers slipped in the rankings compared to the year before, except for American Airlines, which ranked 58, rising from 66 in 2017. For country home to some of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, this is a dismal showing.
American Airlines’ fleet includes a combination of newer aircraft like the Boeing 737-800 and older, less efficient aircraft like the MD-80. The company has average to below-average occupancy on their shorter flights. “American Airlines still earns points compared to the previous year due to high occupancy on long-haul flights in combination with more efficient aircrafts,” according to the report. The company is aiming to retire its entire MD-80 fleet this year.
A big challenge for cutting emissions from aviation is that cleaner technology is still in its infancy. Fuel is the single-largest expense for airlines, so they have an incentive to use less fuel per passenger. That’s part of the appeal of new fuel-efficient aircraft like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A350. But airlines make money filling seats, so they want to encourage more air travel.
Right now, we have almost no alternative that can match jet fuel’s energy density — no battery is going to get an airliner across the Atlantic. The engines themselves are pretty much at their upper limit for fuel economy and performance, so there’s little room for improvement there.
There is talk of electric aircraft and hydrogen-powered engines, but those flights are decades away. Airlines are now experimenting with biofuels that can be carbon-neutral. The big hurdle right now is price, but if oil prices rise and if production costs come down, biofuels could become a viable way to decarbonize air travel. Manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing are studying new wing designs that save fuel and hybrid systems, like electric motors for taxiing aircraft on the ground. The US Department of Energy and the military meanwhile are researching biofuels.
Regulations to limit carbon dioxide emissions from air travel would be a major step to spur more research on this front. The European Union has implemented some carbon rules for aircraft, but in the United States, the Trump administration is moving as far as possible from regulating greenhouse gases. That means the problem is likely to get worse before it gets better.
They also have historically very high turnover rates. And so I think it’s reasonable to expect that, the longer this goes on, you might see even more turnover.
We have heard reports from the union that some of these people might be tempted to quit and get other jobs, so they can get pay. We haven’t seen evidence of widespread cases of people quitting. And, in fact, it’s a little counterproductive. They’re — both the House and Senate have passed measures to give them back pay. So, if they hang in there, they will get their money.
The Visa and United Airlines app, United MileagePlus X, is getting an upgrade, allowing members of the program the opportunity to earn awards miles on their everyday purchases, Visa announced on Thursday (Jan. 10).
The loyalty program inside the app, called United Visa Rewards, is powered by the Visa Commerce Network, Visa’s specific loyalty platform. It is available to United Chase Visa cardholders who live in the United States. Once they have enrolled their eligible card through the app, members can peruse all of the enhanced mileage-related offerings from different merchants in the program.
Everything happens in real time – once someone makes a qualifying purchase, they will get a notification inside the app. Members who enroll by March 31 can earn 1,000 miles by adding an eligible card.
The Visa Commerce Network, which was introduced in 2016, allows merchants to connect with customers online in in the app, increasing loyalty and pushing sales. Also, cardholders who use Uber can get rewards through Visa Local Offers with Uber, saving on upcoming rides when they dine or shop.
The Visa Commerce Network is available through commerce APIs developed on Visa’s network, the company said.
Honda also recently teamed up with Visa to offer a payment in the car program. Called the Honda Dream Drive prototype, it’s being billed as the “next generation of infotainment, commerce, services and rewards.”
In a press release on Tuesday (Jan. 8), Olabisi Boyle, vice president of IoT at Visa, said that “by continuing our partnership with Honda, a leader in automotive innovation, we are furthering the development of in-car commerce solutions that focus on security, safety and convenience for the driver. Combining Visa’s payment expertise and Honda’s expansive platform, we are one step closer to transforming the car into a new epicenter for commerce.”
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While it’s impacting our company to some degree, more importantly our customers, it’s also impacting others in the industry beyond TSA – you’ve got CBP, you’ve got FAA, you’ve got certification of aircraft across the industry. And then of course, there’s people beyond our industry that are also going to be affected.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced healthy but moderating global passenger traffic results for November 2018. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 6.2 percent compared to November 2017, a slight deceleration from 6.3 percent growth in October. Capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.8 percent over the year-ago period, and load factor dipped 0.4 percentage point to 80.0 percent. It was only the third time in two years that load factor fell on a year-to-year basis.
“Traffic is solid. But there are clear signs that growth is moderating in line with the slowing global economy. We still expect 6 percent demand growth this year. But trade tensions, protective tariffs and Brexit are all uncertainties that overhang the industry,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director general and CEO.
International Passenger Markets
November international passenger demand rose 6.6 percent compared to the year earlier period, up from 6.2 percent in October. All regions showed growth, led by carriers in Europe. Total capacity climbed 6.7 percent, and load factor dipped 0.1 percentage point to 78.4 percent.
Luxury Travel Advisor’s ULTRA Summit
European carriers saw demand increase by 9.0 percent in November 2018, which was a nine-month high. Given the mixed signs on the economic backdrop in the region it is unclear whether this pace of growth can be sustained. Capacity climbed 9.1 percent and load factor slipped 0.1 percentage point to 82.1 percent, the highest load factor among the regions.
Asia-Pacific airlines’ November traffic climbed 6.0 percent compared to the year-ago period, up from 5.7 percent growth in October. Capacity also rose 6.0% and load factor was flat at 79.1 percent. Growth is underpinned by rising living standards and continuing expansion of options for travelers.
Middle East carriers had a 2.8 percent demand increase, which was the lowest among the regions for a third consecutive month. Capacity rose 5.6 percent and load factor slipped 1.9 percentage points to 69.0 percent.
North American airlines’ traffic climbed 6.1 percent, in November, up from 5.7 percent in October and well ahead of the five-year average rate of 4.0 percent. Capacity rose 3.8 percent and load factor edged up 1.7 percentage points to 80.6 percent. Demand is supported by comparatively strong momentum in the U.S. economy.
Latin American airlines’ November traffic climbed 5.8 percent compared to November 2017, which was an increase from 5.2 percent growth recorded in October. Despite the increase, growth has slowed on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Capacity rose 6.6 percent and load factor slipped 0.6 percentage point to 80.6 percent.
African airlines experienced a 5.7 percent rise in demand compared to November 2017, down from 6.4 percent in October but higher than the five-year average of 5.8 percent. Growth is occurring despite challenges in the continent’s largest economies, Nigeria and South Africa. Capacity rose 3.9 percent and load factor climbed 1.2 percentage points to 68.9 percent.
Domestic Passenger Markets
Domestic travel demand rose 5.6 percent in November 2018 compared to the same month in 2017, its slowest pace in 11 months and down from 6.5 percent in October. All markets except Australia showed growth. Domestic capacity climbed 6.9 percent, and load factor dropped 1.0 percentage point to 82.8 percent.
India’s domestic traffic rose 13.3 percent in November compared to November 2017, marking the 51st consecutive month of double-digit domestic growth. However, it was also the slowest increase in 16 months.
Brazil’s domestic traffic rose to a four-month high of 5.3 percent in November, against a fragile economic backdrop.
U.S. airport security workers and air traffic controllers working without pay warned that security and safety could be compromised if a government shutdown continues beyond Friday, when some workers will miss their first paychecks.
On the 19th day of a partial government shutdown caused by a dispute over funding President Donald Trump wants for a border wall, the president stormed out of talks with Democratic congressional leaders, complaining the meeting was “a total waste of time.”
As the effects of the shutdown began to ripple out, the Trump administration insisted that air travel staffing was adequate and travelers had not faced unusual delays.
TSA workers quitting
But union officials said some Transport Security Administration (TSA) officers, who carry out security screening in airports, had quit because of the shutdown and others were considering quitting.
“The loss of (TSA) officers, while we’re already shorthanded, will create a massive security risk for American travelers since we don’t have enough trainees in the pipeline or the ability to process new hires,” American Federation of Government Employees TSA Council President Hydrick Thomas said.
“If this keeps up there are problems that will arise — least of which would be increased wait times for travelers.”
Aviation unions, airport and airline officials and lawmakers will hold a rally Thursday outside Congress urging an end to the shutdown.
TSA says delays within reason
TSA spokesman Michael Bilello said the organization was hiring officers and working on contingency plans in case the shutdown lasted beyond Friday, when officers would miss their first paycheck since the shutdown began Dec. 22.
“There has been no degradation in security effectiveness and average wait times are well within TSA standards,” he said.
He added that there had been no spike in employees quitting and that Tuesday 5 percent of officers took unscheduled leave, up just slightly from 3.9 percent the same day last year.
It screened 1.73 million passengers and 99.9 percent of passengers waited less than 30 minutes, the TSA said.
But U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson, chairman of the House Homeland Security committee, questioned how long adequate staffing at airports could continue.
“TSA officers are among the lowest paid federal employees, with many living paycheck-to-paycheck,” Thompson wrote. “It is only reasonable to expect officer call outs and resignations to increase the longer the shutdown lasts, since no employee can be expected to work indefinitely without pay.”
Bill and Theresa Striffler talk to a reporter at their home in Brick, N.J., Jan. 9, 2019. Bill Striffler, an air traffic controller and the president of the Newark Airport National Air Traffic Controllers Association, is facing his first pay day without a pay check.
Airports urge end to shutdown
Airports Council International-North America, which represents U.S. airports, urged Trump and congressional leaders in a letter to quickly reopen the government.
“TSA staffing shortages brought on by this shutdown are likely to further increase checkpoint wait times and may even lead to the complete closure of some checkpoints,” the group said.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) noted that the number of controllers was already at a 30-year low, with 18 percent of controllers eligible to retire.
If a significant number of controllers missed work, the Federal Aviation Administration could be forced to extend the amount of time between takeoffs and landings, which could delay travel, it said.
NATCA President Paul Rinaldi said controllers often must work overtime and six-day weeks at short-staffed locations.
“If the staffing shortage gets worse, we will see reduced capacity in the National Airspace System, meaning more flight delays,” Rinaldi said.
May sets Brexit deal vote for week of January 14 AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Disruptions to air travel are possible if Britain leaves the European Union in March without a deal, the head of the leading association for airlines around the world warned Thursday.
Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of International Air Transport Association, said the risk to traffic flow is partly under control after the announcement of contingency plans.
However, he voiced concerns about the possibility of some disruption that could involve flight adjustments and cancellations in the period after a so-called “no-deal” Brexit because current guidelines relating to air travel between Britain and the EU reflect 2018 traffic levels. Passenger traffic is projected to grow 5.5 percent in Europe this year.
“I am not concerned that there will be a major disruption, but I am concerned that there will be disruptions in the coming weeks, in the coming months because it has not been calibrated properly,” de Juniac told reporters in Dubai.
With less than three months to Brexit day on March 29, Britain has yet to agree on terms for its withdrawal from the EU, raising fears that the country could leave the bloc without a deal to ease the transition to a new future relationship – a scenario that could see serious dislocations to trade.
Even if a deal is secured, Brexit will involve the country leaving around 750 international treaties, among them arrangements governing the EU’s aviation market. The British government has said that following Brexit it wants arrangements with other countries to allow air travel to continue unimpeded.
U.K. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling told the House of Commons on Thursday that there would be no disruption to flights in the event of a no-deal Brexit. The Civil Aviation Authority was working on creating a “properly functional British alternative,” he said.
IATA, which represents some 290 airlines, relies on open borders, de Juniac said.
“When you close these borders, it’s not good news for us,” he said.
A study commissioned by IATA on the effects of Brexit stressed that Britain has the largest aviation industry in Europe with around 80 percent of all North Atlantic traffic passing through British or Irish airspace.
CHICAGO, Jan. 10, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Today, United Airlines is introducing the relaunch of the United MileagePlus X app, which offers United MileagePlus® members a unique opportunity to earn award miles for everyday purchases. The app has been refreshed to integrate additional programs to make it even easier for members to accumulate miles. Additionally, the app features the launch of United Visa Rewards with offers from merchants like Sam’s Club®, Wayfair®, and StubHubTM, offering UnitedSM Chase Visa Cardmembers even more ways to earn miles.
App enhancements
MileagePlus DiningSM: The existing MileagePlus Dining program has been integrated into the MileagePlus X app. With seamless enrollment and showcasing nearby restaurants, members’ ability to choose where to dine and earn miles is now in the palm of their hand.
MileagePlus Shopping: The longstanding shopping program is now available through the MileagePlus X app, and offers members the ability to shop and earn miles on the go at more than 900 retailers.
United Visa Rewards: This new program is powered by Visa Commerce Network, which allows enrolled individuals to receive valuable offers within MileagePlus X thanks to the power of the Visa payments network. United Visa Rewards is available exclusively to United Chase Visa Cardmembers in the U.S. who are now able to enroll their eligible card into the program via the app. From there, they can view active enhanced mileage earning offers from participating merchants. Once program participants make a qualifying purchase with a participating merchant, they will receive a near real-time reward notification within the app. As a special launch offer, from now until March 31, 2019, United Chase Visa Cardmembers can earn 1,000 bonus award miles by simply enrolling their eligible credit card for the first time into the program.1
“We are excited to launch the new MileagePlus X app, which allows MileagePlus members to earn and redeem award miles in real time for their everyday purchases at hundreds of merchants across the U.S, matching the increased benefits our UnitedSM Explorer Cardmembers received with the new credit card last summer,” said Luc Bondar, president of MileagePlus Holdings and vice president of loyalty at United Airlines. “As mobile payments become more commonplace, it was a natural tie for United to update the features, enable members to make purchases and earn and use miles on the go.”
“Visa and United have been working together for over 20 years,” said Terry Angelos, SVP, loyalty offers, Visa. “As digitally-savvy individuals continue to help shape the future of digital commerce, Visa continues to work with United and Chase to bring new ways to reward consumers for their loyalty. At the same time, participating merchants will benefit from Visa Commerce Network’s ability to deliver custom solutions that will help increase their customer base and loyalty, ultimately helping them continue to grow their business.”
Through the MileagePlus X app, members can purchase eGift Cards from hundreds of restaurants and retailers. One of the savviest ways to take advantage of this feature is to buy an eGift Card in the amount of the purchase price while at checkout at a participating merchant. In addition, primary United Chase Cardmembers earn a 25% bonus on miles earned from MileagePlus on eGift Card purchases made through the app. Customers can find eGift Cards from a variety of categories such as shopping, dining, transportation, lodging, music, and more.
About MileagePlus®
MileagePlus® is United’s industry-leading loyalty program. With a wide network of partners through which members may earn and redeem miles. MileagePlus members earn award miles by flying United, United Express, Star Alliance airlines or other airline partners, and by purchasing products or services from partners around the globe. Members enjoy a host of options for using those award miles, including award travel, hotel stays, car rentals and merchandise. For the 15th consecutive year, Global Traveler voted United’s MileagePlus® loyalty program the best overall frequent-flyer program in the world.
About United
United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,800 flights a day to 353 airports across five continents. In 2018, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 158 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 770 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express carriers operate 559 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.
