Cap on individual plane travel

[Undesired Walrus]

A cap on plane travel for airlines has been talked about, but that would presumably just jack up the price of travel.

What do you think of a cap on the amount a single individual can fly per annum?

By the way, this is in relation to AGW, if you thought I just wanted to deny travel for kicks.

 

[Puppycow]

Why not just have a carbon tax? I don't like arbitrary rationing. The price of a plane ticket (or anything) should reflect the true cost including externalities. That's it. Any further artificial distortion of the market is undesirable.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

A carbon tax on the airlines? What stops them from raising the costs though?

 

[Francesca R]

What do you think of a cap on the amount a single individual can fly per annum?

So you mean if my company lobbies the right folks in the Department of Flight Permits, Ministry of We Know Best, I can still fly as much as I want and we can still risk cooking the planet?

Yeah OK. Cheaper than paying for it I am sure.

 

[Rasmus]

A cap on plane travel for airlines has been talked about, but that would presumably just jack up the price of travel.

What do you think of a cap on the amount a single individual can fly per annum?

By the way, this is in relation to AGW, if you thought I just wanted to deny travel for kicks.

How much do you think is a reasonable amount for me to fly, and why?

 

[Puppycow]

A carbon tax on the airlines? What stops them from raising the costs though?

Nothing. Raising the cost is the point of it.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

I don't understand, sorry. Can you explain?

 

[Puppycow]

It's Econ 101. If the cost of plane tickets goes up, fewer people will fly and more will either find other ways to travel or cut down on unnecessary travel. The point of a carbon tax is to make carbon-emitting things more expensive so that people will consume less of them and find/use non-carbon-emitting alternatives.

 

[Undesired Walrus]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

 

[Roboramma]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

That's no more unfair to the poorest % of the population than any rise in prices. Is it unfair that the poorest % of the population can't afford to fly first class?

 

[Arcade22]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

So what?

 

[JoeTheJuggler]

Just out of curiosity, is the carbon footprint of air travel significantly higher than travel by bus?

I imagine the intent of the proposal is to encourage travel by train rather than air. If that's so it would be more efficient to build, support and promote the rail infrastructure (something pretty weak in the U.S.).

 

[Francesca R]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

Carbon tax is not particularly designed to be redistributive. It would be desinged to correct for the externally imposed cost of burning carbon.

 

[gambling_cruiser]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

The poorest can't afford air travel anyway.
e.g. poor people of South Los Angeles dream of travel to Las Vegas, but can't afford the gas for the five hours drive.

 

[Rasmus]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

Yes. Being poor is tough that way.

But why would you assume that your method would be any more fair?

Economies of scale mean prices would go up with a cap as well: what would an airline do? As of now, they offer flights as cheap as possible to get as many people on board as they can.

If anyone can only fly so much, there is a limited amount of passengers - so you'd milk them for all you can. Chances are, they *have* to take that flight, anyway.

Even if not ... I suspect only a few people fly for the sake of flying. I fly to get to places cheaply and quickly. Rich people could still afford to travel. They could afford the time and whatever it takes to make the trip, be that a car or a boat. Wether that is better for the environment I wouldn't know.

A cap will hit thise who don't have a lot of money: They take flights they might not need and they might not have any alternatives.

 

[psychictv]

I think a cap is silly. Plane flight is roughly comparable to car use in it's Co2 emissions per-passenger-mile. Therefore I think it makes far more sense to focus on improving the efficiency of passenger vehicles.

There are other factors that can reduce the efficiency of plane travel such as stopovers and flights that aren't full, so maybe there is a way to discourage those practices through additional taxes or something.

 

[geni]

I think a cap is silly. Plane flight is roughly comparable to car use in it's Co2 emissions per-passenger-mile. Therefore I think it makes far more sense to focus on improving the efficiency of passenger vehicles.

As a general rule most people don't drive from say london to Budapest.

 

[I Ratant]

Wouldn't that unfairly hit the poorest % of the population though?

.
We only fly when the state gives us the orange jump suits and the shackles on contracted flights, not those the general public uses.

 

[Darth Rotor]

A cap on plane travel for airlines has been talked about, but that would presumably just jack up the price of travel.

What do you think of a cap on the amount a single individual can fly per annum?

What a poor idea. The need is immensely variable.

DR

 

[Francesca R]

What about a secondary market for plane tickets? Could call it Cap, Trade'n'fly.

(OOps, might loosen up things a little for terrorism too)