Delta passengers can purchase trees to offset emissions

Delta Air Lines is offering its online customers the option of buying trees along with a flight ticket.

The move is part of the Atlanta air carrier's attempt to reduce its carbon footprint.

As airline passengers pay for a domestic round trip flight on Delta's website, they can also decide whether to pay 5 dollars 50 cents for a tree.

"It's something we wanted to be low enough to attract people to do it and yet meaningful enough to be able to plant trees," said Tim Mapes is Delta's vice president for marketing.

The tree price for international flights is 11 dollars.

Along with the Internet option for customers, Delta says it spent corporate dollars buying trees.

Delta's green efforts are a partnership with the Conservation Fund. The fund says airplanes omit 21 pounds of carbon dioxide for every mile in the air.