Increase in airline tax November

[pigby]

An article in the Mirror today says that APD airline tax is increasing dramatically wef 1st November and long haul flights will be hardest hit - not good news for all on the DIS. It gave examples - a short haul flight would be £40+ extra and Australia £300+ so I imagine flights to US are somewhere in the middle.

I wondered if you booked and paid in full before this date, can they come back to you for the extra tax - if not then I am looking to book asap as I suspect other people will be thinking the same.

 

[originalkk]

Yep. Increases planned by the previous government and confirmed by the current one, who are supposedly looking at a "greener" (= even more expensive) alternative. Maybe a letter to your MP?

This was on the Telegraph website 6 months ago:

"Telegraph Travel readers who have expressed their anger by signing our petition against Air Passenger Duty (APD) – a tax that is paid by every air passenger departing Britain and which has risen up to 325 per cent in just four years.

Hidden among the small print of the sweeteners handed out in a Budget from a Government in full election mode is the fact that a family of four travelling on a flight of more than 6,000 miles (to Malaysia, Indonesia, Australasia) will pay £340 in APD from November onwards – up from £80 in 2006. For flights of more than 4,000 miles (Caribbean, India, South Africa) APD is up from £80 to £300, of 2,000 miles or more (Egypt, Dubai, United States) from £80 to £240 and of anything less from £20 to £48. If a family of four wants a little more leg room on a long-haul flight and opts for premium economy, the fee rises to £680 – compared with £160 in 2006. "

I would imagine the airlines have already factored this into their quoted prices.

 

[j9000]

Im guessing it will be factored in,

When the airlines charged extra money suddenly on top of tickets people had paid for that was for a fuel surcharge (i think) not duty

either way (when you factor it) well over half of the airline ticket is taxes (airport tax, fuel duty, VAT, APD) its starting to get a little silly,

 

[skelfbsfb]

This could explain how the ticket price I recently seen has went up by £200. Only wish I had booked when I seen it.

 

[rpbert1]

I think Wayneg, replied on a similar thread a few months back, apparently [if i remember correctly] this was already included in prices, so nothing people did not already be aware of,

 

[ben1993]

Well ticket prices for next year compared to last year are already stupidly higher so I suppose its been factored in by the airlines already. Its insane that most of the money your paying is tax!

 

[Jakey Rowling]

Im guessing it will be factored in,

When the airlines charged extra money suddenly on top of tickets people had paid for that was for a fuel surcharge (i think) not duty

either way (when you factor it) well over half of the airline ticket is taxes (airport tax, fuel duty, VAT, APD) its starting to get a little silly,

1st Feb 2007 saw the APD increased for flights booked before that date when you had to pay the extra.

There's no VAT on flights at this time, the fuel duty isn't a tax, it's an nicely named airline surcharge which goes back to them.

The APD increase is already factored into flight prices from Nov.
APD to the US goes from £45 per person to £60 in economy.
From £90 to £120 in other cabins.

Tax & Surcharge breakdown for VS economy from LGW-MCO from Nov

Operating Airline Fuel & Insurance Surcharge - £111.00
USA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service Fee - £3.40
USA Immigration Service Fee - £4.80
USA Customs User Fee - £3.80
UK Air Passenger Duty - £60.00
UK Passenger Service Charge UB - £11.20
USA Transportation Tax US - £22.20
USA Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee - £1.70
USA Passenger Facility Charge- £3.10

Some airlines (not BA/VS) include the fuel into their base prices, not as a surcharge, and some charges will vary by airport.

so....

£111 to Virgin
£60 to UK Gov
£39 to various US bodies (this can vary by exchange rate)
£11.20 to LGW

Total £221.20 of which ~£110 could be classed as form of tax.

It's not even as if we get it particularly bad.
A random AF flight in Dec this year from CDG to the JFK - Taxes and surcharges £226.

Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to MCO - Taxes and surcharges €300