Australians face $200 tax to fly home from UK

[mochuck]

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/australians-face-200-tax-to-fly-home-from-uk-20081125-6gmi.html

 

Its not just Aussies flying home it also applies to Britons flying to Australia

[h3rjp]

Welcome to the UK government latest plans!

 

They give with one hand with a pointless reduction 2.5% in VAT (GST) and then take with another, by pushing all the other taxes to pay for it....

[handfordr]

Think this is a sign of things to come with the ever increasing scope of carbon quotas and trading globally. This particular charge is a tax driven by the green movement so that politicians felt they had to grade airport tax based on the distance you travelled rather than a flat fee reflecting actual costs of using an airport.

 

When/if airlines/cruise lines have to purchase carbon permits for their operations this type of charge will become more substantial one assumes. The EEC ssem to be on the edge of applying such a carbon tax for travel within and to/from Europe at the moment.

[bigwally]

Its not just Aussies flying home it also applies to Britons flying to Australia

 

 

Actually, I think that APD applies to ANYONE on a flight originating from a UK airport and departing the UK. I'm trying to remember if that also meant flights where you transfer in the UK or not and think that the answer is no, UNLESS there is a specific time period between the arrival and departure (I'm thinking 24 hours), like if you're taking a layover to stay and see London.

[scottbee]

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/australians-face-200-tax-to-fly-home-from-uk-20081125-6gmi.html

 

Its not just Aussies flying home it also applies to Britons flying to Australia

 

KLM, Lufthansa and Air France must be loving the idea of selling LHR-AMS-SYD flights....

[handfordr]

The tax applies to all flights originating from any UK airports so if you buy a ticket from Air France via Paris or Lufthansa via Frankfurt you'll still have to pay the tax.

The tax doesn't apply to transit passengers just changing aircraft like flying BA from Australia to Ireland via Heathrow or New York to Kenya via Heathrow.

The main difference in the tax is they have changed from a flat fee tax for all flights to a banded tax based on how far you are flying. There are 4 bands broadly inclementing every 2,000 km. Clearly Australia and New Zealand flights have the biggest impact.

 

It will be interesting to see if you save much money by taking the train to Paris and buying a ticket from Paris to Australia or perhaps even more weirdly buy a ticket to Dublin from Australia via Heathrow escaping the tax and getting a cheap Ryanair flight back to London!

[bigwally]

Handfordr, could you confirm my recollection of the connecting through LHR when there is a layover scenario. Is it when the layover exceeds 24 hours that you have to pay APD on the LHR-wherever leg?

[h3rjp]

Well if you were to make 2 different bookings with 2 different airlines, it's not a really layover. You just happen to visiting another country for a few hours.

 

I didn't think of doing that. Indeed it would appear that the consquence of this tax will be to push long hual flights out of the UK to other EU countries.

 

If the EU do the same, then we'll all be flying directly to just outside the EU and then changing planes.

[bigwally]

Well if you were to make 2 different bookings with 2 different airlines, it's not a really layover. You just happen to visiting another country for a few hours.

 

Wouldn't you still be paying APD on the flight outbound from the UK? I would think so.

 

I didn't think of doing that. Indeed it would appear that the consquence of this tax will be to push long hual flights out of the UK to other EU countries.

 

Hence BA's Open Skies airline. Direct from New York to Paris and Amsterdam. No connecting through the UK at all. Problem is, BA finds itself unfortunate in trying to start an airline in the worst business environment possible, and OS is not doing well financially.

[handfordr]

Handfordr, could you confirm my recollection of the connecting through LHR when there is a layover scenario. Is it when the layover exceeds 24 hours that you have to pay APD on the LHR-wherever leg?

 

I think I'm right in saying that crudely the rule is as below, aircrew are allowed 72 hours.

 

Transit = Layover less than 24 hours

Stopover = Layover over 24 hours

 

If you transit you don't pay APD

If you stopover you do pay APD

[handfordr]

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/australians-face-200-tax-to-fly-home-from-uk-20081125-6gmi.html

 

Its not just Aussies flying home it also applies to Britons flying to Australia

 

I think you have to put this into context ...

 

For new Band D, (over 6,000 miles like Australia) in economy class you currently pay £40, going up to £55 in November 2009 and £85 November 2010 .

 

For Europe flights (less than 2,000 miles) it goes from £10 this year, £11 in 2009 and £12 in 2010

 

For US Eastern Seeboard + Chicago etc (between 2,000 and 4,000 miles) it goes from £40 now, to £45 in 2009 and £60 in 2010

 

For US West Coast it goes from £40 now to £50 in 2009 and £75 in 2010

 

If you fly above economy class, basically double the above figures

[h3rjp]

Wouldn't you still be paying APD on the flight outbound from the UK? I would think so.

Yes but you'd only pay the lower band (close Europe band) intead of the long haul band.

[bigwally]

Yes but you'd only pay the lower band (close Europe band) intead of the long haul band.

 

Ah, I thought that's what you might be getting at. That's a lot of faffing to save a few quid though. Once I'm on a plane, I'd just as soon stay on it until I get to my final destination, if I can. That's why I pay a little extra for non-stops. The exception is this insane and unwavering loyalty to BA, which has me visiting LHR much more than I'd really care to.

 

However, if they last, I would definitely consider OS if they ever started serving LAX.

[Aussie One]

I think this will only apply to Aussies working in the uk and staying a long term ? not tourist

[bigwally]

I think this will only apply to Aussies working in the uk and staying a long term ? not tourist

 

It applies to EVERY passenger on EVERY flight originating from a UK airport except transfer passengers making onward connections to flights departing within 24 hours of the passengers original arrival.