Airport Taxes - Lhr Soon To Be £95 (6000 Bht)

[paul-s]

I have just been trying to book a flight to Thailand for for March the Airport TAX will be in the region of £95 ( 6000 BHT ) for leaving London Heathrow (LHR) airport. That's 20% of the ticket price! Gatwick will be around £50

If other airports follow suit then it is going to make travel very expensive. Just imagine having to get a 5000 BHT ticket from the machine before you leave at the New Bangkok airport.

[redrus]

Thats digraceful.

I only ever thought the Samui tax was acceptable cos its such a cool liccle airport.

Not much you say to that. Although I think it will stop a lot of us Northerners coming down for cheaper flights, this sounds like it will bring it line with what we already pay.

redrus

[Buff-horns]

thats a worrying big hike on ticket fares !

[jbaldwin]

What is your source for this information. I have not seen it reported in press. It is strange that such a large increase has got such little attention

[briley]

Is this assertion true?

AFAIK UK airport tax is £25 per passenger (international) and LHR charges the airline, think it is about £12 per passenger - this may be for both departing and arriving passengers. LGW is cheaper. But you also pay airport tax en route. The airline pays tax to land and take off from BKK and at all airports that you stop at, so flights via Qatar cost different to flight via Dubai as they have different taxes - and don't forget you might have 4 landings/ take offs in Qatar on the outward and return flight so pay 4 lots of tax.

The tax situation is highly complex and highly variable - just look at, say, www.lastminute.com and see how the tax vaires on a flight LHR to BKK - on my last look from £35 to £113, all for a final airline fare of around £450-£500 - ie up to over 20% of the fare.

[mbkudu]

I believe that most western countries like the US and the UK include the departure tax in the ticket price so

most people don't notice it or it doesn't seem as painful as paying at the airport. Thailand's international airport tried to do the same but had trouble collecting the tax from agents.

[The_Moog]

This is incorrect.

Departure taxes are not a hundred quid. (i.e the counterpoint to the THB 500 we pay in Bkk - shortly to rise to THB 700)

Fuel surcharges, other taxes - yes, thats about 100 pounds on top of a ticket price. Airlines are reticent about quoting an all-in price as it makes them look expensive.

[ThaiPauly]

This is incorrect.

Departure taxes are not a hundred quid. (i.e the counterpoint to the THB 500 we pay in Bkk - shortly to rise to THB 700)

Fuel surcharges, other taxes - yes, thats about 100 pounds on top of a ticket price. Airlines are reticent about quoting an all-in price as it makes them look expensive.

Do you know when the departure tax is going up Moog?

Do Thais have to pay it too?

Cheers

TP

[paul-s]

What is your source for this information. I have not seen it reported in press. It is strange that such a large increase has got such little attention

This is a quote today for a flight from London to Bangkok

Price: £422.90 per adult inc. £96.90 tax & fees

Outbound 06/03/2006

GULF AIR From: HEATHROW AIRPORT (LHR) Depart: 09:30 06/03/2006

Economy To: BANGKOK (BKK) Arrive: 09:10 07/03/2006

Flight no: GF0002/GF0150 Indirect flight 1 STOP - click for details

Inbound 22/03/2006

GULF AIR From: BANGKOK (BKK) Depart: 18:25 22/03/2006

Economy To: HEATHROW AIRPORT (LHR) Arrive: 06:35 23/03/2006

Flight no: GF0151/GF0007 Indirect flight 1 STOP - click for details

All other airlines seem to be charging around this amount, with some over a £100

Here is a link to that page of it works http://www.lastminute.com/lmn/lfe/flights/...&dc=BKK&cc=NONE

My point was, if London can charge this extortional amount of tax, then what othre airports will be next?

[Guest endure]

What are the airport taxes for Bahrain in that price?

[tso310]

Fuel surcharges, other taxes - yes, thats about 100 pounds on top of a ticket price. Airlines are reticent about quoting an all-in price as it makes them look expensive.

Absolutely correct Moog

Just out of interest here's the add on for a flight Luton to Budapest I've just booked with Wizz. They are the only airline I've seen to actually state what goes into the tax addon

Fare £19.99

Tax £22.47 (£5.68 passenger surcharge, £0.56 Security Tax, £5.00 departure tax, £3.53 Insurane and facility charge, £7.70 Fuel Surcharge)

The return is worse, fare £9.99 tax £20.38.

[briley]

To take up Paul-s and his gulf air flight with a tax of £96 I just did a quick check of lastminute and got the following:

Royal Jordanian tax and fees £115

Aeroflot £78

Lufthansa £160

Emirate LHR £41

Emirates LGW £39

My point is that these taxes are NOT just LHR tax, but all the airports you stop at. Note Lufthansa has to pay Frankfurt tax for 2 landings and 2 take offs for the trip, another expensive airport whilst Dubai seems to make no charges at all for Emirates.

That is, unless you think LHR charge different taxes to different airlines?

[paul-s]

Royal Jordanian tax and fees £115

Aeroflot £78

Lufthansa £160

Emirate LHR £41

Emirates LGW £39

My point is that these taxes are NOT just LHR tax, but all the airports you stop at. Note Lufthansa has to pay Frankfurt tax for 2 landings and 2 take offs for the trip, another expensive airport whilst Dubai seems to make no charges at all for Emirates.

That is, unless you think LHR charge different taxes to different airlines?

It does seem that diiferent airlines charge differnt amonts;

But, Also checking Lastminute this is the quote for a

Thai Inter flight NO STOPPING - LHR to BKK

Price: £607.01 per adult inc. £95.90 tax & fees

I understand though, that under new UK rules they must quote all taxes, fees and surchages up front and this could be a reason, but it is shown as tax.

Some travel agents, like West East Travel are advertising prces without tax and get added later in the booking process.

[Guest endure]

A bit off topic but I'm flying out of Birmingham (UK) to BKK with Emirates this weekend. I've got enough miles for an upgrade on the BHX-DXB sector. I had to pay an extra £20 airport tax to use this upgrade

[jackr]

Taxes are for all airports on the round-trip fare as well as the obligatiry Airline insurance thing. If there was a major tax hike, it wouldn't surprise me - we have to pay for Budapest's motorway, or is it the sewer system?, somehow!!