New London Airport Tax

JanB · Mar 8, 2007

I did a seach but only saw one mention of this. I found it on the Rick Steves' website.

"Environmental Tax on UK Flights

Feb 1 — Any thoughtful travel-related business is considering the impact its success has on global warming. And consumers who care about the environment will understand and support various carbon offset fees that will be more and more common as we come to grips with this reality.

For instance, a new tax on airline passengers flying out of the United Kingdom went into effect today and is intended to offset environmental damage caused by airplane emissions. It varies from £10 on economy class flights in Europe — including internal UK flights — to £40 for economy class long-haul flights and £80 for business and first class long-haul flights. All airlines, including those based outside the UK, are required to collect the tax for each passenger they fly out of the country. Most airlines are collecting the fee at the airport before allowing passengers to board."

We are doing a tour of Spain and Portugal and are flying via London rt. We purchased our tickets several months ago. According to this, when we check in, for our outbound flights, we will be charged the extra tax. Looks like we'd better add this to our budget.

We used our ff miles to upgrade to business class but actually paid for a coach fare. Wonder what we will be charged?

Just how is this huge influx of tax revenue going to be used to improve the enviornment?

Hoc · Mar 8, 2007

JanB said:
Just how is this huge influx of tax revenue going to be used to improve the enviornment?

The paper notes will be used to line the walls of the airlines' business offices, so that they can hear less of the noise pollution outside.

Carolinian · Mar 9, 2007

I had put up threads on this at Flyer Talk, TS4M's and TUG some weeks ago.

I wish UK Chancellor the Exchequer Gordon Brown, who pushed through this tax had watched the Discovery Channel special ''Best Evidence: Chemical Contrails'' recently where a NASA scientist who is their cheif expert on both clouds and jet contrails debunked the myth that jet contrails harm the environment. He said the contrails were harmless to the environment.

Before this tax, London was one of my favorite places in Europe to connect from trans-Atlantic flights to LCC's, and I always did an overnight in London at least one direction, sometimes both. Now, thanks to Gordo's tax, I try to connect elsewhere, and Germany seems to be the place that works best. The medieval town of Limburg on the Lahn, 18 minutes from the Frankfurt airport by ICE fast train, is a great place to overnight there.

Since the tax is collected on leaving the UK, and is much higher on long haul flights than short haul, when the UK is my final destination, I will try to work out an open jaws ticket, flying in to the UK and out of somewhere else. I will then use an LCC to fly from the UK to city from which I am returning to the US. Even if I have to pay a bit more in airfare, I would rather do that than pay any more of Gordo's stupid tax than I have to.

Carolinian · Mar 9, 2007

I can't belive Rick Steves gives any credence to the theory (excuse) behind the tax. The receipts of this tax will go directly into the general treasury rather than having anything to do with the environment. Gordon Brown's statement said the tax was intended to discourage flying, and THAT's what any throughtful travel related business should be concerned about. My opinion of Rick Steves has gone way down from his wimpy response. I much prefer the robust response of the CEO's of EasyJet and RyanAir.

What's really bad is that they imposed this tax on tickets already sold, so most airlines had their hands out to passengers who had already paid for their tickets for more money.

As I understand this tax, it is based on class flown rather than class paid.

There is some speculation at Flyer Talk as to the real motive for this tax. Not long before the tax was imposed, there was some discussion of a projected shortfall on money for a major public event (Olympics?) in the UK and that the amount projected to be raised by this tax just happens to be about what that shortfall was.

JanB said:
I did a seach but only saw one mention of this. I found it on the Rick Steves' website.

"Environmental Tax on UK Flights

Feb 1 — Any thoughtful travel-related business is considering the impact its success has on global warming. And consumers who care about the environment will understand and support various carbon offset fees that will be more and more common as we come to grips with this reality.

For instance, a new tax on airline passengers flying out of the United Kingdom went into effect today and is intended to offset environmental damage caused by airplane emissions. It varies from £10 on economy class flights in Europe — including internal UK flights — to £40 for economy class long-haul flights and £80 for business and first class long-haul flights. All airlines, including those based outside the UK, are required to collect the tax for each passenger they fly out of the country. Most airlines are collecting the fee at the airport before allowing passengers to board."

We are doing a tour of Spain and Portugal and are flying via London rt. We purchased our tickets several months ago. According to this, when we check in, for our outbound flights, we will be charged the extra tax. Looks like we'd better add this to our budget. We used our ff miles to upgrade to business class but actually paid for a coach fare. Wonder what we will be charged?

Just how is this huge influx of tax revenue going to be used to improve the enviornment?

New London Airport Tax

JanB

TUG Review Crew: Expert

Hoc

Carolinian

Carolinian