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Current Events - October 2008
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More baggage carried on board as checked-bag fees become the norm
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently released data showing checked-bag fees have produced significant revenue since they were implemented last spring. With the majority of airlines now requiring travelers to pay such fees, travelers are increasingly taking more and more on board with them. So much more in fact that those boarding last are finding overhead bins stuffed and are required to gate check legitimate carry-ons.
Boarding behavior changes include travelers rushing to board first and placing carry-ons in overhead bins as close to the entry as possible rather than taking them to the area of their assigned seats. Passengers are also attempting to bring oversized luggage on board.
U.S. airlines have implemented and modified various fees for the first and/or second checked bag throughout 2008. An overview of such baggage policies can be found on the CWT Web site. Such policies are subject to change at any time, and travelers should check with their airlines for the most current policies.
Sources: atwonline.com, USA TODAY
Green initiatives taking off at airports across the country
U.S. airports are including environmentally responsible practices more and more because of social awareness, new technologies, high fuel prices, and future cost savings. Initiatives include using alternative energy, recycling, giving hybrid vehicles preferred parking, and seeking LEED—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design—certification (a third-party verification that a project is environmentally responsible…h ealthy place to live and work).
The first LEED-certified terminal is Boston’s Logan International, which has installed 20 wind turbines, each of which is expected to generate about 100,000 kilowatt-hours per year, on the roof of its headquarters. Approximately 20 percent of the building materials in Terminal A were locally manufactured.
A sampling of green projects and airports adopting them include the following.
Cleaner vehicles: Mineta San Jose reports having fully converted all of its 34 shuttles to run on compressed natural gas, eliminating the use of more than 1.3 million gallons of diesel fuel since 2003.
Green buildings: Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson is in the process of a restroom upgrade to conserve water. New toilets that use 1.28 gallons of water per flush versus the 1.6 gallons used by existing toilets will help to create a 13 percent reduction in airport water usage.
Recycling: Denver will begin a composting trial for biodegradable wastes in January. It currently has 22 trash collection and recycling practices—last year it collected more than 104,000 pounds of cooking oil that was reused for biodiesel fuel and manufacturing pet foods.
Airfields: Boston Logan will be the first U.S. airport to reduce toxic emissions by using runway asphalt heated at temperatures up to 75 degrees lower than is required for usual “hot mix” asphalt.
Airlines: According to the Air Transport Association (ATA) 2008 Economic Report, U.S. airlines reduced 2.5 billion metric tons of CO2 from 1978 to 2007—the equivalent of removing 18.7 million cars from the road over 29 years.
For direct links to the many, many aviation related sustainable initiatives underway or planned, go to sustainableaviation.org.
Sources: abcnews.go.com, environmentalleader.com, USA TODAY, sustainableaviation.org
