£10bn a year...

... that's what the airlines receive by not paying fuel duty or VAT on the vast quantities of fuel they consume. That compares with 57p per litre that the motorist pays at the pump.

However, instead of accepting they get a free ride and public subsidy at the expense of other forms of transport (which is why one ferry had to suspend its fast service between Harwich and Holland, because it couldn't compete), the airline industry has the cheek to not only be excluded from Europe's planned emissions trading scheme, but also receive even more tax breaks (see here).

I'd have thought people should accept that they don't need to jet off out of the country every time they fancy a break. How about spending a bit more time in the country that you live, spending your money to boost your own economy for a change? And if you must go abroad, why not nip on Eurostar or a ferry to check out places a little closer to home? Paris is gorgeous at this time of year, and it's just three hours from London, including the time it takes to check in...