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Have you ever casually picked the Business Class option when reserving a seat online? Many a time I’ve done it just to see if it is at all within range of my budget. Each time, I’ve laughed and quickly hit the back button to choose Coach. We all know the hassles or potential nightmares of flying Coach class — and apparently the airlines do as well — hence the reason for the steep cost.

Fortunately, there are new carriers entering the market that are setup to service Business Class travelers exclusively — and at a reduced cost to the professional that demands such comforts. Even better, one new airline, Silverjet, is offsetting the emissions of each flight back and forth across the Atlantic. From the release,

” Included within all ticket prices is a mandatory carbon offset contribution, giving fliers the opportunity to reinvest “Carbon Points” into a number of climate friendly projects around the world. The program has been set up in partnership with leading climate change consultants The CarbonNeutral Company and it has been developed in accordance with the CarbonNeutral protocol, the leading standard and quality mark for action on climate change.”

How’s that for a difference? According to this source, air travel is by far the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases. The air travel industry is now growing by more than 7% a year. Having the carriers involved recognize and take responsibility for such emissions would help curb potential factors related to climate change. Some of the projects supported by Silverjet include:

>>Jamaican energy efficient project – subsidises the cost of energy efficient lightbulbs to encourage use. Benefits to the island include less dependence on depleted oil reserves and less power cuts, which in turn promotes the prime industry – tourism

>>New Zealand wind farm – one of the few gold standard carbon offset projects worldwide, this provides an alternative to non-sustainable power sources

>>US methane – methane is 23 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, and it leaks from many disused mines. This project captures methane and ‘flares’ it which converts methane into CO2.

So, kudos to Silverjet for taking the first step among “luxury” carriers in owning up to your impact on the planet. Now, be proud of such an achievement! Your website, beyond a little, almost hidden sentence on the main page, does very little to point out your green shades. Talk it up! We’d love to see others in the industry find inspiration for similar programs.