Originally Posted by Sweetpea

As the oil price hit a record high of $142 a barrel (£71.14) yesterday, two big British airlines, easyJet and BMI, confirmed they had asked their pilots to fly more slowly. EasyJet, Europe's second biggest budget airline, said it had cut flying speeds on some routes by up to 2% to conserve cash. "It's like travelling in a car. If you take your foot off the gas slightly, you use less fuel," said an easyJet spokesman.
BMI, Heathrow airport's second biggest carrier, said it had dropped its average flight speed by around 3mph.