Just giving this a bump because it was announced today.

Tax rates don't rise until 1 February 2007, so book before then and you will pay the old rates.

Depends on what it actually says in the documentation.

If you read the T&Cs it will state that any taxes charged are subject to change.

It is the government that decides if/ how they apply for bookings made/paid for prior to the date of implementation not the TO/Airline.

I have booked and paid for holidays in May and October 2007 - If the TO decides to absorb then OK - if not then I will have to pay them.

fwh

According to a news report today ( Friday ) the new tax applies TO ALL flights from February 1st including those pre booked/paid.

Airline bosses are complaining that this could cause problems at airports where people who have alread booked and paid will be required to pay the additional tax at the airport.

As I said in my previous post it was dependent upon what it said in the documentation. This now clarifies it.

fwh

Looking at the XL.com website for flights next Summer, the prices do not show the extra duty until you confirm the prices, when you get to the next screen it shows Flight Duty at £10 each return for shorthaul.

Dave

There is a mutipage thread on this issue on flyertalk's BA Board. The consensus is that if the flight is booked pre 1 Feb 07 you pay the current APD rate

The consensus is that if the flight is booked pre 1 Feb 07 you pay the current APD rate

Does not matter what the consensus is. The government make the rules on this.

According to the news report it would apply to everyone, no matter when it was booked. The travel industry were complaining of the chaos it would cause when they started to ask for the extra from passengers who had not paid the new rate.

If they say you pay it or do not fly, then it is your problem not theirs.

The best thing is to check with the airline not rely on discussion boards.

fwh

easyJet demands clarity over APD tax trap

EasyJet has urged Chancellor Gordon Brown to clarify tax rules for passengers who have already purchased flights for travel after February 1 when new Air Passenger Duty rates apply.

Millions of travellers have booked their flights at the previous levels of APD and are caught in a 'tax trap', according to the no-frills carrier.

The airline is urging the Chancellor to introduce the new regime for all tickets bought after February 1, 2007

"The arrangement for these passengers is unclear and any attempts to claw back tax could even be illegal under Section 30 of the Finance Act 1994," the airline said.

"Not only are UK travellers affected but millions of inbound European tourists could get a nasty surprise when they arrive in the UK and are presented with another tax bill."

Chief executive Andy Harrison said: "In his rush to grab the extra �1.2 billion of tax, the Chancellor has created confusion with millions of passengers facing a retroactive implementation of the increase in APD. The Chancellor's proposal is akin to asking drinkers to pay extra tax on the wine which they bought a few weeks ago, but have not drunk yet."

He added: "In his Pre-Budget Report, Gordon Brown mugged millions of air travellers and now has made the matter worse.

"As the Government have already acknowledged, APD is a blunt tax. We say that it is the wrong tax for the economy and the wrong tax for the environment. Not all airlines are the same.

"easyJet flies brand new aircraft with high passenger loads which mean that we emit 30% fewer emissions per passenger kilometre than a traditional airline.

"It is simply daft that our passengers should pay the same level of APD as the less efficient airlines and even dafter that freight aircraft that fly mange tout from Thailand are not being taxed at all."



With permssion from Travelmole

According to a news report today ( Friday ) the new tax applies TO ALL flights from February 1st including those pre booked/paid.

Does not matter what the news report said. The Chancellor make the rules on this.

Until such time as the Chancellor clarifies this issue we are left with conjecture/news reports/comments on various boards.

Although I have reported what has been said on flyertalk I believe that there are reasons why the Chancellor will apply the APD increase to any tix alrady booked. These include;-

1. APD being a duty which arises when the flight is taken.
2. Compliance issues.

My 2 cents only.

Until the Chancellor enlightens us on this issue it will be a waste of time checking with the airline. Even after he does so I believe that the airlines' response is a foregone conclusion. I do not believe that airlines will absorb any increase in APD for those who have already paid for their tix - it would cost them too much and they have a ready made scapegoat (Mr Brown).

Scapegoat is not the word I'd use for Gordon Brown.
This is just another blatant means of extracting more money out of the general public.

If Gordon is so keen on environmental issues, then why is the government giving the go ahead for another runway to be built at Heathrow which will allow 500 more planes to arrive per day.....which has included the compulsory purchase of 70 houses.?

I wouldn't mind if this tax was actually going to do the environment some good, but that's like saying "pigs will fly"...and I wouldn't mind if they didn't have to lie so much.....it beggars belief that they spout off about green issues and in the next breath allow an increase of emissions by allowing increase air travel.

They should look at America, India, China and Russia first
Just pay up and shut up, that's the philosophy.

Sanjiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

This duty is a waste of time, we will all pay it to still travel on holiday, the target for tax should be the airlines with old polluting planes, their prices will need to rise and people will switch to more environmentally clean airline as the tickets will be cheaper.

Treat planes like cars on CO2 emmissions.

Dave

The tax really is just another way of getting money out of us! We all know that it wont make any difference to the enviroment.
As for Heathrow, unfortunatly that is nessecary, more and more of us want to fly esppecially now that it is such a cheap way to travel (cheaper than rail in the uk in a lot of cases, but that is another story ) we need another airport/runway just to cope with demand, no tax will stop the rise in air travel, flights will just end up getting cheaper and cheaper.

Sorry. How much is it and is it different for long haul and short haul? I was mega busy this week

The duty is doubling to £10 for European economy passengers and to £20 on business class fares. On long-haul flights it will increase to £40 for economy and to £80 for business and first class.

I believe the above is each way so X2 for a return flight

Dave

I think the tax is only applicable to flights from the UK. May be wrong though.

That would be alot of money to add on to a flight! looks like it isnt very clear what the situation is though

Pardon me for being cynical but ...... the people who fly most are business passengers .... their flights are paid for by their companies ..... the company pays the increased tax .... they add it to their costs ..... they increase their prices to compensate .... we pay the increased prices ...... we also pay the extra tax on our holiday flights ..... we pay twice!!?? Or do I live in a parallel universe???

No you don't live a a parallel universal you are right. We lose out all ways.
Also it doesn't even seem very clear how it is going to work. i.e. is it worth booking before 1st of Feb or is everybody who has booked already going to have to pay anyway? If it's 20 pounds each way on long-haul that's an extra 160 pounds for a family of 4.

I think that is the most annoying thing! It is bad enough having the .... taken in this way without knowing how it is really going to affect ordinary holiday makers. Most people travel just once a year on a family holiday they have worked and saved for and now they are not even clear on how it will work - other than to cost them more money!! I agree that the tax burden should be placed on the most inefficient carriers - but, again, are these not the low cost flights that people on a budget use? I don't know the answer but would just like to feel that it is not just the 'one flight a year' people who are bearing the heaviest burden.