Expedia Becomes First Online Travel Agency to Offer Environmentally
Conscious Travelers a Quantifiable Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program to
Balance Out the Global Warming Impact of Their Flights
BELLEVUE, Wash., Aug. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Expedia.com(R), the
world's leading online travel provider, today became the first online
travel agency to offer travelers the ability to purchase carbon offsets --
carbon dioxide reduction measures used to help cancel out the greenhouse
gas emissions that lead to global warming. Expedia(R) is offering the
service through TerraPass, the leading retailer of greenhouse gas reduction
projects in the U.S.
"Expedia is dedicated to promoting responsible tourism, and we're proud
to extend environmentally conscious options to our travelers," said Steven
McArthur, President, Expedia(R) North America Leisure Travel Group. "We are
committed to making a positive impact on travel and tourism through
industry advocacy, destination support and the promotion of responsible
tourism. Offering TerraPass carbon offsets is just one way we invite our
customers to join us in this endeavor."
Airline travel currently accounts for about 13 percent of U.S.-
transportation-based emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse
gas responsible for global warming. To help address this, Expedia is
partnering with TerraPass to make it simple for environmentally conscious
travelers to be carbon-balanced travelers by purchasing a TerraPass from
Expedia as part of their trip.
Expedia travelers can now pay a small fee to sponsor a measured,
verified reduction in greenhouse gas emissions directly proportional to the
emissions created by their plane flight. TerraPass funds domestic clean
energy projects, such as wind farms, innovative "cow power" methane capture
plants on American dairies, and the retirement of carbon offsets on the
Chicago Climate Exchange.
"Expedia is the pioneer for responsible tourism in the travel industry,
and TerraPass is a pioneer in the market for simple, affordable tools to
fight climate change," said Tom Arnold, Chief Environmental Officer,
TerraPass. "One year ago Expedia formed the World Heritage Alliance in
partnership with the United Nations Foundation to support sustainable
tourism to World Heritage sites. We're thrilled to join with Expedia in
this latest initiative to raise awareness of simple options for
environmentally friendly travel."
"The voluntary market for greenhouse gas reductions has tremendous
potential and this is an innovative initiative enabling consumers to reduce
their greenhouse gas impact. It is a market we want to support and help to
develop by providing certainty for consumers through our verification
process," said Lars Kvale, Center for Resource Solutions measurement and
verification services analyst.
Expedia.com travelers can choose from three levels of TerraPass to
purchase during the process of booking a flight or package, or as a
standalone component on Expedia's Activities page
(http://www.expedia.com/activities). Prior to checkout, Expedia customers will be
offered a chance to purchase a TerraPass that funds enough clean energy to
balance out the CO2 emissions caused by their flights.
For example, a typical flight from New York to Los Angeles creates
about 2,000 lbs. per passenger of carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal
greenhouse gas. Pricing starts at $5.99 to offset about 1,000 lbs of CO2,
the approximate amount per passenger emitted by a 2,200 mile round-trip
flight. A TerraPass to cover cross-country and international flights is
$16.99 for up to 6,500 flight miles, and $29.99 for up to 13,000 flight
miles. Travelers who purchase a TerraPass for cross-country or
international flights will receive a luggage tag that indicates their
contribution to green travel. Travelers who purchase a TerraPass for
short-haul flights will receive a decal.
Expedia is offering TerraPass to its customers at cost, so all proceeds
will go towards TerraPass' greenhouse gas reduction efforts. All TerraPass
sales and support of clean energy projects are independently audited by the
Center for Resource Solutions, a San Francisco non-profit that runs market
surveillance and certification programs in the green power industry. For
more information, visit http://www.expedia.com/activities and search in any
destination, or click on this link:
http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll?qscr=tsdt&stat=5&ofid=6779 .
About Expedia.com
Expedia.com(R) is the world's leading online travel provider, helping
more than 25 million travelers per month easily plan and book travel.
Expedia.com ( http://www.expedia.com/ ) aims to provide personalized
service, the latest technology and the widest selection of vacation
packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and in-destination
activities, attractions, and services. With the Expedia(R) Best Price
Guarantee, Expedia.com promises to offer to its customers the best rates
available online for all types of travel, making it the most comprehensive
customer guarantee in online travel. Expedia.com is an operating company of
Expedia, Inc. (Nasdaq: EXPE).
About TerraPass
TerraPass is the leading consumer retailer of greenhouse gas reduction
programs in the U.S. Thousands of individuals and businesses use TerraPass
to balance out the global warming impact of their flying and driving.
Collectively, TerraPass members have funded the reduction of over 150
million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. TerraPass funds clean energy
and conservation projects throughout the U.S., including wind farms and
biomass energy. All TerraPass greenhouse gas reductions are verified by an
independent auditor, the non-profit Center for Resources Solutions, creator
of the Green-e renewable energy certification program. For more information
on projects TerraPass funds, visit http://www.terrapass.com .
NOTE: Expedia, Expedia.com, Enjoy Your Trip, and the Airplane logo are
either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S.
and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned
herein may be the property of their respective owners.
CST: 2029030-40
SOURCE Expedia, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.expedia.com
http://www.terrapass.com
CONTACT:
Katie Deines of Expedia.com, +1-425-679-4317,
or press@expedia.com
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