Aviation

Aviation typically makes up the largest proportion of a holiday’s carbon emissions. In fact, a single long-haul flight can generate more carbon emissions than any other activity you do in a given year.

That’s why Travalyst is striving to make it easier for you to see and understand the impact of your travel decisions at the time of booking.

Consumer demand

According to research by Trip.com, 78.7% of respondents agree that sustainable travel is vital and 74.9% are likely to book sustainable travel options in the future.

However, a third (32.9%) state that there is a lack of sustainable options, while more than a quarter (25.4%) say sustainable travel options aren’t clearly labelled.

In other words, many of us want to make more responsible tourism choices but don’t know where to start.

That’s where Travalyst comes in.

The right information – at the right time

We’re harnessing the collective power of our partners to give you access to clear, consistent and credible sustainability information.

Across a number of platforms, including Booking.com, Expedia.com, Google Flights, and Skyscanner, you can now see the same emissions estimates when you search for flights; you can then select a flight with lower-than-typical carbon emissions, reducing the carbon footprint of your trip. We also work with partners such as Travelport who power travel agents; so if you prefer to visit a high street travel agent, you can ask them about lower emitting options for your journey too.

Over time, our goal is to make this information available everywhere, no matter how you book your travel. We’ll also be working to expand current reporting to include a broader view of sustainability in aviation, beyond carbon emissions.

Detail on how the emissions model works is available here.

What that looks like

Here are some examples of what you will see when you search for a flight on our partners’ platforms:

At this stage, the model used is the same across platforms but how the individual partner chooses to display the results (whether by a flag, numbers only, or other) is determined by that partner.

In the longer term

This is just one small step for aviation. In the longer term, decarbonisation of the industry will need increased investment, policy change and significant technological innovation – all of which we’re seeking to accelerate through collaboration.

What you can do now

• Aim to cut back your carbon footprint when you travel by tracking how much you fly and picking the lowest impact options where possible.
• Consider alternatives to flying, such as trains and coaches. Google Search will now show you train journey alternatives for your journey if available, and Skyscanner allows you to filter car rental options by low emissions vehicles.
• When choosing air travel, opt to pay the extra to offset your carbon emissions. While we acknowledge that offsetting is not a solution, it can help keep emissions down while we work on wider systemic change. Several of our partners including Trip.com and Amadeus have partnered with CHOOOSE, a climate tech company to offset emissions through carbon removals, offsets and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Carbon removal and SAF are generally more expensive, but they represent far more effective ways to reduce aviation’s environmental impact.