Green Air Travel is part of our Back to School: Green Travel Basics Series.

Let’s face it flying is just plain bad for the environment. But there are plenty of ways to green your air travel.

Our Top 8 Tips for Green Air Travel

Take a Non Stop Flight

We’ve said it before, but we’ll say it again. When you take a non stop flight there are fewer carbon emissions. Here are the best search engines for non stop flights.

Search for Tickets Using Search Green Travel

We created Search Green Travel as a way to give back to the environment. Every time you search through this link, 50% of profits from ad revenue are donated to environmental organizations.

Bring a Snack

Not only do you save a few bucks, but by packing a snack in a small tupperware container you’re reducing waste. Plus, you’ll likely find a reason to reuse your tupperware while traveling to cut down on more waste.

Bring a Water Bottle

Something like 80% of plastic bottles end up in landfills. The best thing you can do is bring a stainless steel water bottle.

Use Electronic Tickets

Electronic tickets cut down on paper waste. Plus they’re convenient.

Pack Light

When you take less stuff, less fuel is needed to move it. We have a great guide to packing light, check it out.

Take Public Transportation to and from the Airport

Sure, taking a cab or driving your car is easy, but to make your air travel greener take public transportation.

Don’t Eat at Airport Food Courts

Have you ever noticed that almost all airport restaurants use disposable plates, napkins, silverware, etc? Avoid the food courts and you’ll avoid excess trash.

photo credit: glass window

There you have it, green air travel is still a bit of an oxymoron, but you can take a few easy steps to be a more responsible traveler when flying by plane.