Air New Zealand sets new standards in building a green airline brand of the future

On September 12, 2008, Air New Zealand flew from Auckland to San Francisco in what 270 passengers believed was just a regular flight. But just before take-off, they were informed that they were part of an experiment to fly green.
By the end of the flight, the experiment cut waiting time, trimmed flying time, saved 1,200 gallons of fuel, eliminated 30,000 pounds of harmful carbon emissions and took a quieter landing approach at San Francisco International Airport, according to the LA Times.

Flying “Green” to lower costs
In an era when airlines are struggling with high costs, Air New Zealand demonstrated to that there is no need to ruin already floundering airline brands by nickel-and-diming customers in order to increase profits. Flying green saves substantially more costs compared to increasing profits by measures like charging a baggage fee. In fact, cost savings from less fuel consumption might just be passed to the customer by some airlines in the future.

Moreover, building an environmentally friendly brand resonates better with customers better too. In December, Air New Zealand plans to fly a Boeing 747 jumbo …