It annoys me how much tax we have pay on each air ticket. Its a stealth tax and really bumps un the price. Its particulaly cutting on domestic flight. I think Gordon Brown will increase it even more, shortly. He needs to generate additional revenue to fund his spending plans.
Thia goverment is a high taxing one, like the tories say but instead of increasing income tax they get us with air passenger duty and the like!
By: mongu - 22nd August 2004 at 23:28
(1) The “tax” on your ticket isn’t all tax. Airlines usually classify their insurance premiums and security costs under “tax” even though they are simply another cost of doing business. It is misleading in the extreme. If you look at the small print, they do usually admit to it. The BA small print is:
“The price of your ticket includes a security and insurance surcharge. It is shown in the fare details above. It is levied by British Airways and is not a tax, fee or charge imposed by a Government Authority or third party.”
So you can’t entirely blame the government.
(2) Airlines get tax breaks by the bucket load. Their fuel isn’t taxed I don’t think – or if it is, at a rate far less than car fuel. Air travel is not subject to VAT so there is another 17.5% you could have been charged. Rival services, like phone calls, video calls etc.. are all subject to VAT.
(3) Some “tax” is not a tax but is charged by the airports themselves.
(4) Admittedly the Air Passenger Duty is a government tax. I think it is £5 or £10 for economy pax and more for biz. Also higher for travel to a destination outside the EU.
By: T5 - 22nd August 2004 at 18:51
I came across a cheap Ryanair flight the other day. The cost of the ticket there and back came to just £1.
Taxes took it up to £28 😡
By: LTN - 22nd August 2004 at 17:55
Danairboy –
Haven’t you noticed, this government rips off everyone, not just air passengers. And what do they do with the cash? Give £500 to 18-year olds in 2020 to have a party, employ hundreds of people to tell you to eat your greens, throw money at any other country ‘in need’ (but not us), and subsidise asylum seekers and scroungers.
The only answer is to vote them out.
By: steve rowell - 22nd August 2004 at 08:42
It’s a universal problem
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August 21, 2004 at 12:12 am