Uk Airport Tax

[TBWG]

Hi

Large increases in UK airport tax are due Nov 09 & Nov 2010

In last weeks Times they said this would amount to a £600 increase in cost for a family of 4 flying to the Caribbean. If this is true then I think they are really taking the p**s. If you agree you might like to sign this petition.

http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/APDIncrease/sign

TBWG

[jbaldwin]

Taxes will be distance related. London to Bangkok is 5,931 miles so is in the third band.

Tax currently 40GBP will increase to 50 in Nov 09 and then 75 in Nov 10.

Remember that Air Fares are VAT exempt so it this type of departure tax is just like have VAT added

[samui04]

Taxes will be distance related. London to Bangkok is 5,931 miles so is in the third band.

Tax currently 40GBP will increase to 50 in Nov 09 and then 75 in Nov 10.

Remember that Air Fares are VAT exempt so it this type of departure tax is just like have VAT added

75P for one way?

Air Asia will move to another airport in Europe , and nobody will come to London for a connection.....

[theoldgit]

Does anybody know what the tax is from other European countries, it might be cheaper overall to fly from elsewhere even if a tad more inconvenient.

[bdenner]

Shouldn't have too much effect on their tourist industry.

Been there twice and have no intention of returning.

Besides, someone has to bail out Mr Brown and his cronies. I'm thinking you Brits are in for a big tax slug, across the board, in the coming years

[samui04]

Does anybody know what the tax is from other European countries, it might be cheaper overall to fly from elsewhere even if a tad more inconvenient.

I found only Lufthansa give detailed explanation on taxes, (example is Milan/Frankfurt, no special taxes in Italy) and they are around 40E round trip, increasing for every airport used.... It's really astonishing how every airline still use fuel surcharge.....just to add it to "free" miles ticket, that at this point are more expensive that "non free" ticket....

Taxes, fees & other charges (per person)

Fuel and Security Surcharge (YQ) EUR64.00 ------NO, FUEL.......

Airport Security Charge (DE) EUR6.55

Security Charge (VT) EUR1.81

Other Tax/Charge (MJ) EUR0.58

Security Bag Charge (EX) EUR2.07

Embarkation Tax (IT) EUR5.36

Passenger Service Charge - Intl (RA) EUR19.20

Council City Tax (HB) EUR4.50

Total EUR104.07

Edited July 18, 2009 by samui04

[TBWG]

Shouldn't have too much effect on their tourist industry.

Been there twice and have no intention of returning.

Besides, someone has to bail out Mr Brown and his cronies. I'm thinking you Brits are in for a big tax slug, across the board, in the coming years

Thanks a bunch ~~~ As if we are not being shafted enough already by the New Labour luvvies!

TBWG

[TBWG]

Hi

Copied this from UK revenue site. Apparently standard rates are 1st & Business class seats, reduced are economy riff raff class.

2.1 What are the rates of duty?

APD is a duty of excise which is levied on the carriage, from a UK airport, of chargeable passengers on chargeable aircraft. It becomes due when the aircraft first takes off on the passenger’s flight and is payable by the operator of the aircraft.

There are currently four rates of duty, which since 1st February 2007 have been:

Standard rates

£20 for specified European destinations.

£80 for all other destinations.

Reduced rates

£10 for specified European destinations.

£40 for all other destinations.

For a list of destinations which attract the European rates of duty please see paragraph 2.4.

TBWG (sub nornmal member)

[torrenova]

The real problem is that the public perception is terrible. Fares with zero cost can have hundreds of pounds of charges.

Last year I used Jet Airways on the LHR-BKK leg as I could not get on my Etihad return at my fare level (August). Much cheaper (arounf £500 return versus £900 on others at that time) but the point in this thread is that the actual fare before fuel was something like £160 return. The charges were more than the ticket.

Recently, Singapore Airlines offered fares on LHR-SIN-SYD return for £399 of whic £64 (yes £64) was the actual fare component !

[samui04]

The real problem is that the public perception is terrible. Fares with zero cost can have hundreds of pounds of charges.

Last year I used Jet Airways on the LHR-BKK leg as I could not get on my Etihad return at my fare level (August). Much cheaper (arounf £500 return versus £900 on others at that time) but the point in this thread is that the actual fare before fuel was something like £160 return. The charges were more than the ticket.

Recently, Singapore Airlines offered fares on LHR-SIN-SYD return for £399 of whic £64 (yes £64) was the actual fare component !

Well, see my post above, there is always an exorbitant fuel surcharge...

But UK is getting really out of market for flying, particularly for connections.

Airline should start avoiding London, i'd love Air Asia from a Shengen country like Holland....

[TBWG]

Hi

Seems the Dutch learnt the hard way, but still the UK gov't persists in shooting itself and tax payers in the foot!

See below article~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and other airports in the Netherlands encounter lasting damage as a result of the Ticket Tax that will discontinued from July 1 this year.

Schiphol president Jos Nijhuis last Tuesday told a meeting of the Dutch Aviation Group, an umbrella organization for the airline industry, that nine percent of all passengers have been lost to less expensive airports in neighboring countries.

“We expect to only win back a quarter of that number next year,” Nijhuis said, explaining that the rest is expected to continue using the cheaper airports, Amsterdam daily Het Parool reports.

On July 1, 2008, the Dutch government introduced the Ticket Tax (vliegbelasting), claiming that the money would be used to counter the negative effect flying has on the environment.

Flights within the European Union, or up to 2,500 kilometers were subject to a €11.25 surcharge. Longer flights were taxed €45.00.

At the time, the government said it expected the tax would lead to a slower growth of air traffic, which they claimed would benefit the environment. Critics denied this, pointing out that other means of transport also damage the environment. The government countered that they already taxed cars and coaches.

Just about anyone else quickly concluded that the Ticket Tax, expected to bring an additional €350 million a year to the government’s coffers, was simply yet another creative way to ’steal’ money.

The levying of the Ticket Tax had an immediate negative effect. Several discount airlines, including Volare Airlines and Corendon, stopped flying to and from Dutch airports — and instead followed a growing stream of passengers to airports in Belgium and Germany. Other low-cost airlines, such as Easyjet, reduced the number of flights to and from The Netherlands. The travel industry responded by organizing scheduled coach trips to and from the less expensive airports across the border.

Airports, airlines, travel organizations, and others warned the government the Ticket Tax damaged not just the competition position of Dutch airports, headed by Schiphol, but also the entire tourism sector. The trade fairs and congress sector would also see a sharp decline.

Then came the roll-on effects of the worldwide economic crisis, which — among other things — resulted in a further reduction in air travel.

Last March the government relented, declaring that the tax would be discontinued as of July 1 this year.

Schiphol president Jos Nijhuis says everything will be done to try and lower Schiphol’s tariff, indicating that even if some passengers start using the airport again Schiphol’s position in Europe has gone from being part of the top three to somewhere in the middle of the bunch.

A correction does not yet appear to be in the cards. During the summer months, the high season, 8.5 percent fewer flights are scheduled. The first quarter of the year Schiphol saw a reduction in flights by 12.5 percent.

Schiphol’s independent slot-coordinator, Michiel van der Zee, says never before has the airport seen such a decline — which must be compared to a high season growth in previous years of 4 to 6 percent.

TBWG