No. He did not say that the jet burned less fuel. He was commenting that a highspeed rail journey, with the necessary connecting car/bus/light rail legs on each end, can sometimes require more carbon than a more direct aircraft flight. There are breaking points where an all-economy flight can be the most energy-efficient option.
My home town (on an island) is a good example. I could take a direct flight to another city, or drive the 100's of KM by car+boat to the nearest passenger rail. And then I'd have to rent a car and drive several hundred more KM after stepping off the train. In such circumstances the direct aircraft connection is the lower-carbon option.
I see what you're doing even if you don't. This level of nitpickery and contrarian noise is the functional equivalent of denying reality. All you're doing is sewing doubt and throwing sand in the gears to make it harder for everyone else. You cannot continue to apply marginal optimization tactics to a solve for zero problem. It is simply a failure to understand and address reality.
My home town (on an island) is a good example. I could take a direct flight to another city, or drive the 100's of KM by car+boat to the nearest passenger rail. And then I'd have to rent a car and drive several hundred more KM after stepping off the train. In such circumstances the direct aircraft connection is the lower-carbon option.