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The UK, which already has by far the highest air ticket tax in Europe, and probably the world plans to double it again over the next 18 months. Long haul flights such as TATL will be hit harder than short haul.
The last massive increase, courtesy of Gordon Borwn, was justified on the basis that it would ''save the planet'' by discouraging air travel. I guess they want to discourage it some more, although the article in the Daily Telegraph did not give the reason for the tax increase.
The only other European country to impose a monster air departure tax was the Netherlands, which also taxed long haul departures at around $100 like the UK. But after a year or so, with passengers bailing out to other airports, the Netherlands rescinded the tax, leaving the UK as the only one with such a tax at this level. It is appalling that instead of abandoning the tax like the Netherlands, the UK plans to greatly increase it.
If you are vacationing in the UK, it is best to avoid a UK departure. You can book a ticket ''open jaws'' flying into the UK, but out of another European courntry, and thereby avoid the tax, closing the jaws with a cheap short haul ticket on an LCC between the UK and the country you will be departing from on your TATL flight. That has the added benefit of giving you a short visit to a second country. Do not book the bridging flight on the same ticket as your TATL flight or they will still impose the tax. It has to be a seperate ticket.
The last massive increase, courtesy of Gordon Borwn, was justified on the basis that it would ''save the planet'' by discouraging air travel. I guess they want to discourage it some more, although the article in the Daily Telegraph did not give the reason for the tax increase.
The only other European country to impose a monster air departure tax was the Netherlands, which also taxed long haul departures at around $100 like the UK. But after a year or so, with passengers bailing out to other airports, the Netherlands rescinded the tax, leaving the UK as the only one with such a tax at this level. It is appalling that instead of abandoning the tax like the Netherlands, the UK plans to greatly increase it.
If you are vacationing in the UK, it is best to avoid a UK departure. You can book a ticket ''open jaws'' flying into the UK, but out of another European courntry, and thereby avoid the tax, closing the jaws with a cheap short haul ticket on an LCC between the UK and the country you will be departing from on your TATL flight. That has the added benefit of giving you a short visit to a second country. Do not book the bridging flight on the same ticket as your TATL flight or they will still impose the tax. It has to be a seperate ticket.
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