We’re often told that flying domestically is faster, cheaper, and more convenient. This myth is amplified by quick comparisons that typically ignore the length of time security checks take at airports as well as ignoring add-on costs for luggage and seat selection.

Many don’t take into account of the time it takes to get to and from the airport and forget that railway stations are in central convenient locations, while airports sit on the outskirts of our cities.

There is also the environmental impact of these choices too. For example, travelling by train for business between Edinburgh and London is 17 times greener by rail than by plane, according to new Green Travel Pledge data.

Travelling long-distances across Britain presents a choice for customers between rail and domestic air travel.

Airport transfers are a significant cost for customers, these additional costs are not always considered at the point of purchase (see Table 2). In contrast, rail delivers people into the heart of towns and cities across Britain, avoiding the added time and expense of airport transfers.

Table 2: Average return fare of a minicab between the airport and city centre.

These findings corroborate the research undertaken by Campaign for Better Transport’s report, ‘Plane speaking: moving journeys from air to rail’, which found that of the top 20 UK routes, half were found to be cheaper by rail.

Green Travel Pledge carbon emission data currently unavailable for Exeter to Edinburgh and Manchester to Aberdeen routes.