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France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

theguardian.com

21–30 of 31 posts

Re: France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

#21
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is there a barrier to integrating the rail network with the airports for seamless transfers? I've long thought how nice it would be to fly from London to Oakland, then get straight on Amtrak to Sacramento. I do this already but baggage can be annoying.

In the case of France, there are some low hanging fruits. The two main airports in Paris, which are also the country's main hubs, are connected to the train network. But to transfer from most of Paris's train stations to the airport train, you have to navigate a maze of tunnels and staircases, and bus and metro lines. I would seriously have to think about how to transfer from Montparnasse to CDG, and I've lived there…

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Re: France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

#22
post #20
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the problem is that the full social cost of burning fuel is not captured by the price, then tax the fuel itself. No-brainer.

There's an upper limit to how much you can influence using that lever, at which point it's cheaper for them to just overfill the planes and make a border hop to another country without similar fuel taxes. I don't believe any country charges import tax on fuel already in vehicle fuel tanks.

That’s an interesting evasion, but it seems no more difficult to tax on the burn or estimated burn than it is to tax the flight itself. I guess my point is to keep it simple and tax the actual problem at the root of it rather than the related activities. There has to be market incentive for innovation in providing the service without causing the problem. That is the only way I see of moving toward environmental sustainability.

Re: France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

#25
post #20
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the problem is that the full social cost of burning fuel is not captured by the price, then tax the fuel itself. No-brainer.

There's an upper limit to how much you can influence using that lever, at which point it's cheaper for them to just overfill the planes and make a border hop to another country without similar fuel taxes. I don't believe any country charges import tax on fuel already in vehicle fuel tanks.

>> I don't believe any country charges import tax on fuel already in vehicle fuel tanks.

They do. Entering the EU you can only have 600 litres(400 if entering through Finland) of fuel in your tanks, anything above that must have a duty paid on it. Obviously it's only a limit relevant for trucking, but yes, there is a limit.

https://truckfocus.pl/nowosci/53145/wwoz-paliwa-zza-wschodni...

Re: France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

#27
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lufthansa also sells tickets to connecting train rides to flights and as far as I know, they take the responsibility for delays (which is common occurrence with Deutsche Bahn unfortunately). I'm not 100% sure though. Still, as you've said, it makes more sense to book a connecting flight than a train ride, because of the ease of checking in.

Not just Lufthansa. I’ve done it with Emirates’ rail and fly option too from Berlin to Frankfurt.

As far as I understand, this (as offered by many airline) is "just" a discounted rail ticket and the airline will not assume any responsibility on delays. The Lufthansa offer goes beyond that: the trains have an LH flight number, and you get a single ticket. They rebook you in case of delays and there is a dedicated luggage droppoff/collection point right at Frankfurt airport train station.

Re: France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

#29
post #26
post #24

...works for a small country

Can as well work for parts of the US East Coast and US West Coast :-)

Just 35 hours from Seattle to Los Angeles. And we've already established that high speed rail from San Francisco to Los Angeles is beyond our capacity as a civilization.

Re: France to ban some domestic flights where train available due to climate measure

#30
post #11

Seems like an additional tax on flights where a train is available would be a more sensible measure; especially if the tax revenue were earmarked for climate change mitigation.

> especially if the tax revenue were earmarked for climate change mitigation.

You meant bureaucrat's pension funds right?

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