How to choose flights more environmentally friendly based on adding stopovers versus (ultra-)long-haul? [closed]

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Background information

Wikipedia says the following on fight distance in relation to fuel consumption overall:

For long-haul flights, the airplane needs to carry additional fuel, leading to higher fuel consumption. Above a certain distance it becomes more fuel-efficient to make a halfway stop to refuel despite the energy losses in descent and climb. For example, a Boeing 777-300 reaches the tipping point at 3,000 nautical miles (5,600 km). It is more fuel-efficient to make a non-stop flight below this distance and to make a stop when covering a longer total distance.

I have heard more about this, and this seems to be the reason that ultra long-haul flights aren't as available as they could be and when they are available they are more expensive (because they are the fastest needing no extra time to stop).

Question

How can a traveler use this knowledge to choose flights more efficiently? Let's say I don't care that much about a longer travel time and don't mind a stopover, how can I compare two flights in terms of fuel usage?

Let's say I'm comparing AMS-BKK and AMS-DOH-BKK (or LHR-SYD to make the issue even more relevant). The first is a direct flight and it's quite a long distance, so it might benefit from a stopover somewhere. Doha is a stopover that divides the route into two equal (almost) legs, so it might be more efficient. On the other hand, Doha isn't on the flight path AMS-BKK, meaning you'll have to travel some extra distance overall (based on the triangle inequality principle).

How can I, as a passenger with internet access and some knowledge (but not all the knowledge that airlines have), compare the fuel use of those two (or any other two) options?

There are of course other factors, for instance, different planes may have different fuel consumption characteristics so some may be more or less efficient on different ranges. Another factor might be that the number of people per flight counts, for example if you're flying alone in the plane then all fuel is spent for you, whereas in a full A380 passenger jet you 'share' the fuel burden among all passangers

Therefore, answers will probably have to use approximations and maybe some assumption, that's fine (though please indicate which approximations or assumptions are used). Answers could consist of (online) tools or rules of thumb (e.g. a comparison based only on the distances of the different legs).



Best Answer

This is not doable ahead of the time because of the wind. While airlines somewhat care about the wind as it can disrupt their schedules, on the larger scheme of things it doesn't affect them that much because if a flight from A to B consumes more fuel because of a headwind then the return flight will consume less because of the tailwind. And they know a lot more on the day of the flight on how much to fuel to fill the birds with than you can know months ahead when booking how the wind will be on one route or the other.

If you want to be environemnt friendly then buy local and convince others to buy local. Ships are responsible for about 20% of all pollution. A single cargo ship easily pollutes as much as fifty million cars. If you manage to decrease demand so much to take one of those off the seas, that's a huge win. And since almost all that pollution happens out of sight thus out of mind, there's little political will ending it so it's up to us to vote with our wallets.




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What is the difference between stopover and connecting flight?

The main difference between a stopover and layover is length of time. Stopover rules vary by airline, but are essentially longer layovers \u2014 at least 24 hours in length. Layovers, meanwhile, are connections less than a day in length depending on if you're flying domestically or internationally.

What is the most environmentally friendly airline?

The 6 Most Sustainable Airlines for Flying Green in 2022
  • KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
  • Alaska Airlines.
  • Xiamen Airlines.
  • Cathay Pacific.
  • Delta Air Lines.
  • American Airlines.
  • Summary.


Which of the following airlines has the least environmental impact?

The lowest emission airlines
  • EasyJet.
  • Alaska Air.
  • Quantas.
  • United.
  • JetBlue.
  • Southwest.
  • LATAM.
  • Lufthansa.


How can we make air travel more efficient?

Minimising your air travel and carbon offsetting your flights are not the only ways to reduce your 'carbon footprint' and take action against climate change.
  • Avoid food waste.
  • Choose energy efficient heating.
  • Choose energy efficient lighting.
  • Insulate your home.




  • Booking Connections \u0026 Stopovers | Use the 23:59 Rule to Visit More Places




    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Amina Filkins, Kampus Production, Sam Lion, Sam Lion