Searching for a Greener Flight? The new Directflights.com Site can now Find the Most Carbon-Friendly and Cheapest Flights

LONDON, January 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Price comparison site, Directflights.com (http://www.directflights.com/), has developed a flight search mechanism which allows holidaymakers to search not only for the cheapest deal but for the most carbon-friendly flights, all at the touch of a button.

The site compares up-to-the minute, live prices for cheap flights, hotels, holidays and car rental, searching over 500 airlines and 250,000 hotels to find the best available deals. Using the latest technology, results are delivered quickly and clearly in an easy-to-read grid. As well as being listed by price, flights can also be shown with their individual carbon rating, allowing customers to see immediately which flight has the lowest carbon emissions, resulting in the overall lowest impact on the environment.

The Carbon-Friendly Flight Search has been developed as a joint initiative with the Carbon Consultancy (http://www.thecarbonconsultancy.co.uk/index.shtm). Each flight on Directflights.com is awarded a carbon rating from 1 - 10. The improved tool now features more airlines than ever, providing more choice for travellers, whether they are looking for a last minute getaway or to book in advance.

Rob Stross, Managing Director of Directflights.com, said: "Our site is all about choice. If a consumer wants the cheapest flight then we will find that for them, saving both time and money. However, our Carbon-Friendly Flight Search option really empowers consumers, giving them the information they need to make a considered purchase and enabling them to opt for airlines whose flights have a lower impact on the environment. We expect this facility to be extremely popular in 2011 as consumers search for the best prices and balance this with the most ethical flight options."

Hugo Kimber from the Carbon Consultancy said: "We are delighted to be working with Directflights.com. The Carbon-Friendly Flight Search option will be an asset to consumers and will help promote and raise awareness of the most carbon-efficient airlines."

FLIGHT EXAMPLE

A return flight from London to New York in June 2011 with Virgin Atlantic costs from GBP376, and is the most carbon-friendly flight. This low-cost flight is only GBP41 more expensive than the cheapest but less environmentally friendly flight.

To book or check out the carbon-friendly ratings for popular cities and holiday destinations for 2011 visit http://www.Directflights.com.

Notes to editors:

How the Carbon Ratings are Calculated

Until airlines provide exact fuel consumption against flown passengers it is not possible to make a choice based upon actual efficiency per plane per airline. The Carbon Friendly Flight Search uses the published long haul fleets of individual airlines, EU aircraft fuel consumption data, and UK government fuel to emissions conversion values to assess each plane's overall emissions footprint.

The total plane footprint is then divided by the published manufacturer's 2 class seating configuration for long haul and 1 class seating for short haul, to provide an optimised emissions estimate per available seat/per plane value. All the relevant aircraft in an airline fleet and their seat values are multiplied to create a fleet value, with a separate analysis for short haul and long haul fleets. The flight selection is assessed for distance to determine short haul and long haul fleet selection. The total short/long haul fleet value is divided by the number of planes of each type, to give you a weighted average of seat value across a fleet.

The results are then organised into ratings to provide an indication of the most carbon friendly airline choices. This means that the carbon rating of the airline links to both the statistical probability of the plane types used and aircraft performance.