There are ways to do it where you can get broad buy-in.

For example, say you added a $X / mile flight tax that collected $50 billion dollars in a year. You then take that money and divide it up evenly among all tax payers. Around 200 million people file taxes each year, so that would be a $250 refund to each filer. For people who never fly, that's free money. For people who fly infrequently, they probably break even. People who fly all the time pay a lot more. You reward non-flyers and penalize frequent flyers.

But you're right. We're all selfish. I want you would stop flying because it's bad for the climate but I'm not going to stop because my personal utility from flying is very high.

Rationally yes, but it’s the same deal with the carbon tax where people smell elitism and start seeing red. At least the Canadian version paid out a dividend, and we all know what’s going to happen to that one come next election.