[Anonymous]

[maxgeorge]

I’m booking SAN-LHR-JNB.

If I arrive at LHR @ 1425 and depart that evening, will I be charged APD or any other taxes?

If I go landside, overnight at the Sofitel, and fly out next day, more than 24 hours later, would I be liable?

Nipping over to AMS or wherever is not an option, as it’s a through booking.

[LuganoPirate]

If the transit time is less than 24 hours, no APD is payable. If you stay longer then you will be hit with APD.

Have you looked at flying with Swiss. There’s no APD at Zurich!

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

“Have you looked at flying with Swiss. There’s no APD at Zurich!”

And it’s a great airport to use.

[Bucksnet]

And Swiss don’t fly non-stop from SAN.

[Binman62]

Whilst APD is undoubtedly and issue for some travellers please ensure your are not confusing APD with fuel surcharges. APD via the UK represents a fraction of the total Taxes, Fees and Charges that are added to fares.

EG SAN JNB on BA the best fare in WT in Dec is $1919.27 of which $945 is taxes fees and charges. Of this $197 is taxes and fees to government agencies. BA on the other hand take $770 in fuel surcharges and insurances fees.

A 1 day stopover in LHR increases the fare to $2269.99 with Government taxes rising to $329.99 but the base fare remains the same at $1099 and BA still pocket $770 in fuel surcharge.

In this case the stopover adds just $130 which in the grand scheme of things is very small and is just 16% of what BA takes in fuel surcharges.

It is not Taxes that are the problem it is the fuel surcharge.

[LuganoPirate]

No airline flies direct from SAN – JNB. You’ve got to stopover somewhere.

Best return fare with Swiss is $1648 all taxes etc included.

[KeaneJohn]

I used to love living in Jersey as Jersey is not part of the UK the taxes on flights originating there were fantastic.

Interestingly, just tried an Economy Booking from LHR-JFK return travelling on 26 Jan returning 30 Jan and it comes out at £376.33 with a fare of just £75. Taking the same transatlantic flights but with connections from Jersey the fare comes in at £328.27 with the same fare AND the same fuel surcharge of £165. I thought the fuel surcharge would have been more due to the 2 additional sectors.

[Bucksnet]

There is no non-stop SAN-JNB, but BA and others offer 1 stop. Swiss could offer 2 stop, but at least 1 of the 3 flights would be on another airline.

[maxgeorge]

Thanks to all for the tips.

As you say, Binman, it’s BA’s fuel surcharges. I shall contact my colleagues at Shell and urge them to add an extortion surcharge to BA’s fuel bill.

Whilst I could depart from LAX, or choose another carrier, SAN is just as convenient but far more civilised, and further, I need to fly BA to retain my BAEC Silver status.

Despite being a natural-born cheapskate, I figure Club World is worth the cost. That makes the bite even deeper. My RT fare LAX-LHR-CPT last September was USD 4875.00; Tax/Fee/Charge USD1377.79.

In contrast, AA First/Business SNA-MIA-EZE in February, total tax $7.

Just wish Aer Lingus would come back to LAX and start flying to South Africa on their return to One World. Still 3 Euro departure tax out of DUB, is it?

[Binman62]

Whilst the multi millionaire chanceller was spouting about making sure the UK maintained its position as an aviation hub………but no 3rd runway at LHR……..he was increasing the amount of VAT payable on the APD by an astonishing 50%. ………you cannot even flee the sinking ship he controls unless you have a private plane when of course you are except from the tax……..aside from the appalling lack of even handed ness it is frankly barking mad policy.

[VintageKrug]

In fact the reality is quite different to that twisted perspective:

1. The Chancellor announced that the Government will proceed with the extension of APD to flights taken aboard business jets, effective from 1 April 2013.

2. Rather than the short termism, waste and non-investment seen over the past decade, the Chancellor announced that the government is now “considering all options” for a “new airport hub”; a strategic solution for the next 50 years rather than the disruptive band aid of an inadequate third runway, which would instantly be saturated and provide no opportunity for further expansion.

3. APD was frozen by George Osborne for the current financial year 2011-12, and will increase roughly in line with the inflation seen over the two years since the last increase; so no rise in real terms.

4. Both Ed Miliband (who inherited a property fortune from his “Marxist” father) and Ed Balls (whose joint household income pushes £300,000 on top of dodgy house-flipping practices) are comfortably in the millionaire bracket.

[Author]

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