When you hear the world "upgrade" while making travel arrangements, it usually means that you'll be flying first class or getting a hotel room with a better view. Sometimes a complimentary upgrade can make your day, but as one of the Brightest Green Blog writers points out, it can often be completely unnecessary - and be a big waste.

I hired a car recently and was told on arrival that because I had booked online that they were upgrading me. Great, thought I, perhaps I’ll get to try a Prius. As a single occupant driving for 4 hours, I really didn’t need room other than for me and my hand-luggage, hence why I’d reserved the smallest car I could find. Instead, I was presented with a 5-door sedan instead of the little mini I’d booked. When I explained that I really didn’t need or want all of that car my polite refusals were met with slight disbelief that I wasn’t chuffed with my upgrade. After looking at me like an ungrateful idiot, I was told that the computer had automatically booked this new car and I had no choice, so I should just appreciate it and get lost.

This mentality is all too common. Does an upgrade really have to mean you get something bigger? How many people in the world still think, despite the crisis that we face, that this kind of upgrade is a good thing?

On flights, people and organisations spend many multiples of economy fares to fly people around. Has anyone noticed that these classes of travel take up double, or triple the room of a economy seat? Therefore a first class passenger, as well as spending a fortune on the ticket, is also responsible for many times the amount of carbon emitted. Perhaps my logic is flawed, but that’s how it seems to me.

Paying an additional few thousands of pounds for 10 or so hours in slight discomfort still confuses me. So, while we’re cost cutting, why don’t we carbon-cut as well and send people economy and give them an extra day off work, or a day to recover at the other end in a nice, responsible, hotel if they really feel that economy is so much more damaging to the soul than a perfectly comfortable seat in the back.

Visit the Brightest Green Blog for more opinions and ideas.

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