Taking off Travel blog

It’s Monday – did you get the result you wanted at last night’s SuperBowl? Whether you’re heading for the parade or looking to put it all behind you, check out our round-up of the latest travel news.

Travelers From Memphis Frustrated by High Air Fares

A WMCTV report suggests that high air fare prices out of Memphis International Airport are costing the city in more than one way. The report says there are fewer conventions in the city, business travel has been reduced and some 35% of locals are driving to other airports to pick up cheaper flights. There has been a 9% increase in air fares in the last year alone, which Scott Brockman COO of the Memphis Airport Authority blames on the airlines. Well, we can’t do anything about the cost of the flights, but we can provide discount airport parking at Memphis International Airport – check it out!

Business Travelers Want More Luxury

If you were planning on attending London’s Business Travel Show this week, let’s hope you made it in before flights got canceled at Heathrow. A survey of 1,000 business travelers showed that some business travelers are ready to get fancy with their trips, with a desire to see onboard cinemas, flying casinos, a hairdressing salon and double beds on the new super jumbos. Other business travelers have focused on practicality with 69% wanting more leg room, 54% wanting Wi-Fi and 28% wanting showers. See more on the Business Travel Show survey here.

National Green Week

This week is National Green Week. This is the week when schools and students around the nation work to reduce waste and live a more sustainable lifestyle. It’s all part of the lead-up to Earth Day on April 22 when the world goes green. If you’re wondering how you can do your bit this week as you travel check out our tips on having a green vacation and our totally green eco-tourism resources, and don’t forget that you can do your bit to cut down on wasted paper by getting email updates of our latest airport parking offers.

Carbon Neutral Aircraft Progress

Finally, could carbon neutral aircraft finally be here? Not quite yet, but NASA is starting to test prototypes being developed as part of its subsonic fixed wing program. The program not only looks at the reduction of drag, weight, energy consumption, emissions and noise in aircraft but it developing new ways of bringing these together. A number of aircraft manufacturers form part of the team.

Image: marsmet543

When I first started traveling, we gave very little thought to the effect of travel on the places we visited. That has changed. Along with eco-friendly travel, people are talking about sustainable travel and responsible travel. But what exactly is it, and does it mean we can’t have fun any more? Not at all.

What Is Responsible Travel?

A simple way of looking at responsible travel is that we should be aware of the impact of our travel choices. The ResponsibleTravel.org site describes it this way:

With the opportunity to travel, however, comes a new responsibility to all travelers to ensure that their activities do not upset or destroy the very cultures and environments we choose to visit.

Lonely Planet has a great article on the topic which says it is ‘assessing our impact on the environment and local cultures and economies – and acting to make that impact as positive as possible.’ Read more »

These days the rising cost of oil, steady erosion of natural resources and climate change are on everyone’s mind. The travel industry has taken notice. In response to growing flocks of truly eco-sensitive tourists, hotels, airplane manufacturers like Boeing, Mexican destination-villagers, and even the United States Government are getting into the show.

Make no mistake. These days “green” equates to cash-on-table for the travel industry, while at the same time tourism-operators do right by savvy customers. It’s pretty dang chic’ to treat Mother Earth with respect whilst out and about frolicking in the surf. Read more »