January 2025 Newsletter
- January 30, 2025
- Posted by: Jamadvice
- Category: 2025

Editorial
The Greenwash
Beer producer Carlsberg used to have a slogan dating back to 1973 which proudly stated it was “Probably the best lager in the world”. Whether it was or not, in those days, was never challenged and many a person, of a certain generation, will forever associate the slogan with Carlsberg. The Carlsberg brand ran for an eternity on that slogan despite people eventually wising up to the reality as marketing and advertising became part of the daily staple. It was simply a mantra quoted so often and seen so often on football shirts, people believed it and arguably if you say or hear something often enough; you also start to believe it. For travel, enter the expression ‘’Carbon Offsetting and/or climate change” and you create a whole new marketing opportunity. Especially if you are an airline and also increasingly, a hotel chain, who now tells everyone you are green, the greenest, the most green environmentally conscious company in Europe, even on the planet and you are saving the world. Yes, the message is an easy one to get out and no-one dare challenge you.
Last year, the European Union challenged 20 airlines for making potentially misleading claims about their green credentials, claims that CO2 emissions caused by flights could be offset either by climate projects or using sustainable fuels, for which consumers could contribute by paying additional fees. The actual list of challenges the EU made to airlines are interesting as each and every traveller can identify with them:-
- Creating the incorrect impression that paying an additional fee to finance climate projects with less environmental impact or to support the use of alternative aviation fuels can reduce or fully counterbalance the CO2 emissions;
- Using the term “Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) without clearly justifying the environmental impact of such fuels: –
- Using the term green, sustainable or responsible in an absolute way or use other implicit green claims;
- Claiming that the airline is moving towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions without clear and verifiable commitments, targets nor independent monitoring system;
- Presenting consumers with a calculator for CO2 emissions of a specific flight without providing sufficient scientific proof on whether such calculations are reliable and without providing information on the elements used for such calculation.
- Presenting consumers with a comparison of flights regarding their CO2 emissions without providing sufficient and accurate information on the elements the comparisons are based on.
In short, it can best be summarised that whatever you read about CO2, Carbon Offsetting claims and the social benevolence of using SAF to power aeroplanes: treat it with a pinch of salt. Years ago, Betamax and VHS vied for dominance in the video cassette game, now the fight is between the multitude of tools that claim to represent a true reflection of anything carbon and which therefore are capable of helping to save the world: their disciples are their clients i.e. airlines and hotels.
If only a standardised and publicly available, easily understood methodology was available to calculate emissions, then all would be clear and transparent; though cynically this is probably the last things airlines want as it deprives them of a marketing message and increased revenue potential.
Last year the EU unveiled the FEL (European Flight Emissions Label) which is aimed to harmonise the disarray around flight emissions. A part of the rationale was that a clear and consistent single measure would help consumers choose between airlines depending on their emissions. This is a significant shift in the move towards utopia as we always thought price was the most influential deciding factor (SIC).
So, whilst the FEL is a great idea in theory, the next battle is less the battle of two ways to play a video cassette and more like which of the hundreds of crypto to choose. So which currency do you use as a measure Litecoin, Cardano or XRP? Likewise which carbon measure of the many out there do you adopt? The case is further complicated by the fact that all the various tools of methodology are all currently being fast tracked in their development: the last one standing wins. What is also interesting to observe is that the measure or standard (DEFRA) many airlines like to cite in figures currently, is the Betamax equivalent in the game! We all know what happened to Betamax.
So, the next time you open the Wizz Air app and see the slogan “Fly The Greenest” ask yourself how they make such a claim. The next time you see a suggestion from an airline that you buy a “Green Fare’’ ie one that’s more expensive than others, ask yourself how the airline uses the money from the premium you paid for that Green Fare and how do they know how many people on the flight did the same and will they use your revenue for the “special” fuel on your flight? Lufthansa have proudly sold green fares for some time now and are rolling them out further. They claim that (quote) “the use of alternative aviation fuel within Europe and Africa reduces CO2 emissions by 20 percent and the remaining 80% is offset through climate protection projects”. A perfect example of what the EU is trying to gain control of. It is as if the airline industry turns a blind eye unless it can see the financial benefit of a certain action. The message used to be “plant a tree” to save the world or at least pay extra to allow a tree to be planted. Nowadays planting a tree is old fashioned and people’s conscience feels a thousand percent better if they pay the extra for “CO2 friendly fares” and then they can feel assured they have done their own little bit to re-shape and save the world, a box has been ticked and who cares if the rest is a load of bull.
Mark Thomas
Managing Director
Jamadvice Travel | BCD Bulgaria
Fall Out
It’s not just the Russians you have to worry about when it comes to threats to bring down commercial aircraft – a nod to the Russians shooting down an Azerbaijan Plane during the Christmas period though they don’t have the culture to admit it – but Elon Musk’s SpaceX also wreaked havoc in January when an explosion on a Starship test flight sent rocket debris into the sky over the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The result was that flights in the area had to be “slowed” down or diverted or even temporarily re-routed until the rocket debris disappeared into the ocean.
One or Two Aisles
The face of Long-Haul travel has evolved over the decades with many adding that this is “for the worse”. Such forms of travel were once lavish and the exclusivity of the rich, but that exclusivity has long gone and travelling around the globe is almost as easy as visiting the country next door; in some cases its easier. Traditionally flights to Long Haul destinations have always been undertaken on larger planes with twin aisles. That may well be about to change.
The Airbus A321 XLR (extra-long range) has now been certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency to operate 4700 nautical miles non-stop (5400 miles or 8690kms) which is the equivalent of flying from New York to Istanbul or London to Vancouver and in so doing may mark a significant milestone in the world of travel. This is because smaller planes are often more cost efficient to operate than larger planes, at least on certain routes that are not considered high footfall trunk routes. Just as a point of reference, an A321 is often the type of machine used by Wizz Air for flights out of Sofia. Of course, one aspect of such planes that differentiates these plans from larger ones is: they have a single aisle.
Flights using the A321 XLR with 182 seats are already operating with Iberia the first to take delivery of the plane and they are using the plane for transatlantic flights. Airlines such as Aer Lingus will also introduce the plane on routes from Dublin to destinations such as Indianapolis and Nashville in the USA, destinations they would find hard filling 300 plus seats on a large traditional long-haul plane.
There is however a compromise with these smaller A321 planes and that is they are not as roomy in their seat pitch i.e. they are smaller both in business and economy class. So, the question or perhaps challenge to airlines is likely to be on what existing routes can they adopt these planes to make the routes more efficient and also what new routes can they open up with them? Another consideration is whether travellers will pay the same sort of fares for travel on smaller planes as opposed to larger ones! Ultimately this answer will also be dictated by the travellers themselves who will be the ones deciding what market forces prevail and also even if they are prepared at all to sit for circa 11 hours on a smaller plane.
It’s Time Already
The Lufthansa Group has finally completed the 325 M Euro deal to acquire a 41% minority stake in ITA Airways, the successor to Alitalia.
ITA will join its siblings Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings and Air Dolomiti in the group with the new head of ITA funnily enough coming from Air Dolomiti.
The clearly stated objective of the Lufthansa Group is to acquire all the shares of the Italian national carrier.
X Marks the Spot
The world of woke took a hit following Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president when one of his first government orders was to announce the removal of “X” as a gender option on American Passport applications. His move comes as a part of a wider order in “Defending Women from the Gender Ideology and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government”. What that means for existing passport holders though is unclear! The rule will apply to new applications for passports, Visas, and Global Entry cards which must define the holder’s sex i.e., male or female.
Currently, 17 countries legally recognise non-binary or third gender identities with the USA now removed from that list. Most countries IT systems also do not recognise non binary markers other than male or female.
Skinning the Cat
Anyone taking friends or relatives to, or collecting them from Sofia Airport will have no doubt encountered the new barrier entry system we talked about on several occasions last year. The concept of the scheme is fair enough as far too many cars used to hang about for as long as they wished outside the airport terminal and in so doing created traffic mayhem. Whether the amount of time of ten minutes is enough to satisfy local driving habits in the drop off and pick up area of the Terminal 2 is another question. What people may also have noted is the request, though not obligatory, that people using their cars to visit or park at the airport register their number plates beforehand. If they do so then the barrier system will let them through, if they haven’t then they need to take a ticket at the barrier.
Technology already exists throughout Europe, including here in Bulgaria, that recognises the number plates of cars and can thus make a “charge” against a car such as for using a bridge, a tunnel or road toll; think how vignette’s work already. Thus, perhaps the next step in the modernisation of the airport, once people get used to paying to drop off/collect people at the airport, is to adopt this automatic payment system.
Other airports have already jumped on this bandwagon with London Stanstead the latest to adopt this technology with drivers having to pay online by midnight the next day. What their system does is also spot drivers who leave their vehicles unattended and then present them with an even heftier fee than the 7 GBP fee (16 Leva) for 15 mins presence in the drop off area. That figure by the way increases to 25 GBP (58 Leva) for more than 15 minutes.
There is more than one way to skin a cat, except the cat in this example are car drivers; the passengers have already been skinned with airport taxes.
Cruise The Middle East
If you fancy a last-minute dash to the sun but don’t know where and you fancy something different, then until mid-February, some excellent low-priced cruises are available between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
This part of the world is not associated with cruising but at this time of the year, for accessibility and warmth, it’s probably as close and as easy as it gets; the fares are not bad too!
An all-inclusive for 4 nights is on offer from 299 Euro per person and even the swankiest suites are only 1109 per person; remember this includes not just the accommodation but also on-board dining as well as drinks.
The cruise line is Celestyal Cruises and whilst air fares to and from Dubai or Abu Dhabi are not included, there are ample options direct from Sofia.
Contact:
hotels@jamadvice.eu or call 02 9433011
The State of Visas
The USA did it successfully, Europe decided to follow suit and the UK didn’t want to miss out either, so they did the same. What are we talking about – rolling out a visa which is not a visa, but it doesn’t matter as it generates income.
Going back to the start, the USA introduced the ETSA in 2008 which they were quite adamant in emphasising “was not a visa”. It only took a couple of years however before the PR spin was dropped and it became referred to as a visa: which is what it was anyway. The initial fee was 14 USD, the figure now is 21 USD ie a 50% increase. The EU ETIAS scheme has not yet got started despite several attempts, though with the EU bureaucrats this should not be a surprise, the new start date is supposedly mid-year this year with the initial cost of this is supposed to be 7 Euro. There is no doubt that the EU wont renege on this amount but the question is how long will it remain like that? The answer is probably not long and once the first wave of applicants have shown the system to be operable, expect a price rise.
The UK’s system is perhaps more advanced than the EU version as its system went on trial in November 2023 in real time for Qatari citizen. Now that the system seems to be working fine, from January 8th it has been rolled out to a further 48 countries including the USA, Australia and New Zealand and from April, it will be forced on 34 European countries. The 10 GBP fee initially charged is, like the USA model, now being talked about to increase to 16 GBP which for those weak in maths is a 60% increase. This is sound capitalism, sort something out so it works well enough then make as much money as you can from it.
There is however a caveat to the UK version and a warning to the EU, when countries like Bulgaria reciprocally charged a fee for visas from Europe, they earned a nominal amount for the state coffers, when this was dispensed with, the bean counters of socialism complained about losing revenue from visa income; this was of course replaced by billions more in income from visitors who could travel freely. One amount of income is visible, the other is not; a state employee sees things differently to a business person: running a country (or region) is a business.
Battle for the Top
The annual road death toll usually sees Bulgaria in top or second spot on the death count and prior to the 2024 results being announced across the EU, Bulgaria laid its claim with 479 deaths on its roads in 2024, a figure that is down 46 on the previous year when it regained the top spot from local rivals Romania.
The nation awaits with bated breath to discover its final pan European position.
Top Routes
Europe’s busiest airline route will probably come as no surprise; London Heathrow – New York JFK with 4 million seats in both directions during 2024. The second busiest also features London, this time to Dubai with 3,15 million seats. London Heathrow accounted for six of the top ten busiest international routes in Europe.
Europe’s top route was however only good enough to rank 10th in the global count with Hong Kong – Taipei coming top with 6.8 million seats. An interesting route that came second and that perhaps makes a statement of the things to come is Jeddah – Cairo with 5.5 million seats.
Punishing Success?
The revival of travel post Covid continues unabated with the threat to its continued evolution coming not from perceived economic negativity or even geopolitical issues, but rather from minority voices determined to force their own personal opinion onto the majority; think the Green brigade, who despite the incessant noise from certain corners, the laws of supply and demand coupled with capitalistic tendencies means travel continues its onward and upward journey. London Heathrow has just reported its busiest ever year in 2024 with 83.9 million passengers, beating its previous best of 80.9 million in 2019. 28.1 million of these passengers were travelling to Europe with 20.6 million heading to North America. The forecast this year is for 84.2 million passengers.
What is interesting at the same time is that the actual number of commercial flights within the European Union – of which London and the UK is not – recorded 5.8 million commercial flights which is lower than the pre-pandemic levels of 2019 when there were 7 million flights.
The EU airport with most activity was Amsterdam with 484,000 flights followed by Paris CDG with 463,000 and Frankfurt 437,000. Amsterdam and London Heathrow are both engrossed in their own separate battles with fringe elements despite being top of their respective trees. Amsterdam sees the Dutch Government trying to do all it can to stop people travelling by aiming to cut the number of flights in and out of the airport; much to the various airlines chagrin. London Heathrow has been trying to get a third runway built for what seems like decades only for the fringe elements in the UK to consistently raise legal challenges. For both the Netherlands and the UK, the potential financial loss to the economy by halting economic forces at Schiphol and Heathrow Airports will perhaps only be felt when reduced tax collection falls and state handouts to all and sundry dries up.
Footnote: the airports at London Heathrow and Amsterdam Schiphol were in operation long before people moved to live adjacent to them and long before the protestors were actually born, if you don’t want to be disturbed by an airport any longer – move. People move away from ever busier main roads and don’t ask for the roads to be closed.
Snobs? “Non”
The once trendy city of Nice is the latest city to ban cruise ships in an attempt to “protect its (quote) ”fragile environment and infrastructure”. The move will see cruise ships of over 190m in length and carrying more than 900 passengers banned from 1 July 2025.
Not that the French are snobs or anything like that, but the justification was also supported with the comment “cruise ships that pollute and unload low-cost tourists who consume little but leave their waste behind, have no place (here)”. Some 40 ships which exceed this limit are already booked to arrive after July 1st. According to external data, cruise ship tourists in and around Nice spend an average of 38 Euro per day per person when on shore; visitors to conferences et al spend circa 180 Euros. Expect the lawyers to be busy!
Cruise ships are known to be major polluters and the figures for 2023 show that 214 cruise ships visited various European ports emitting 7.4 million tonnes of CO2, the is equivalent to 50,000 round trip flights between Paris and New York! Near neighbour Marseille is considered the most polluted port in France in terms of cruise activity.
Note: the mega yachts of the worlds rich that are invariably found around this area during summer are noticeably absent from criticism.
If you’d like to subscribe your friends or colleagues and for all your travel requirements, reservations or for more information about any of the items mentioned in the newsletter, please contact us:
Tel:+ 359 (2) 943 3011;
Fax:+ 359 (2) 946 1261;
e-mail:mark @jamadvice.eu