V-Flyer

... that one big justification for the pricey UK departure tax was to discourage flying unnecessarily, and save the environment - aircraft being a major cause of greenhouse gas. So what happens now? people are taking two extra flights to/from Dublin (or Amsterdam, or Brussels, etc) to get the lower non UK prices! It's nuts.

Really the departure tax is unworkable unless everyone in the EU has it at the same level. Are the UK gov about to backtrack? Of course not. So the airlines are caught between a rock and a hard place: give up foreign travelers, e.g. from Ireland or Holland, coming through London onto their long haul flights, or... try to talk the government out of the passenger levy.

Here's hoping!

narikin wrote:... that one big justification for the pricey UK departure tax was to discourage flying unnecessarily, and save the environment - aircraft being a major cause of greenhouse gas. So what happens now? people are taking two extra flights to/from Dublin (or Amsterdam, or Brussels, etc) to get the lower non UK prices! It's nuts.

Really the departure tax is unworkable unless everyone in the EU has it at the same level. Are the UK gov about to backtrack? Of course not. So the airlines are caught between a rock and a hard place: give up foreign travelers, e.g. from Ireland or Holland, coming through London onto their long haul flights, or... try to talk the government out of the passenger levy.

Here's hoping!

The saving is not all Air Passenger Duty.

It is mostly to compete with direct services offered from those places on different airlines. Some of it is APD, but its not usually that significant part of the fare (someone can fill us in on the amounts please, it has changed at some point, hasn't it?)

Yeah it's not really APD at all.

It's airlines' marketing.

Airline A flies direct from A to C.
Airline B can get you there by changing at B. To tempt you to choose their more inconvenient route they reduce the price.

In a nutshell, the airline running the direct price charges what the market will bear.

Airlines who can't offer a direct flight know that given the choice, most people would book the direct flight, so they offer their flights at a lower rate.

In the olden days, IATA had myriad rules to stop us passengers playing the airlines at their own game, but in this global and internet based economy it's very difficult to stop it.

ok, I stand corrected. thanks for illuminating.

So... do they give up on trying to tempt Irishmen?!

I'm saving £1k on my ex dub . Only £170 of that is APD.

And they have made some changes eg removing the C and D bands and the top rate now being B. Also the child exemption in economy

I also do ex-DUB flights (and in my case often ex-ORK) simply because I have no alternative.

All the flights that people are taking to get to DUB and return to LHR/LGW (and indeed anywhere else ex-EU) are regular scheduled flights which would be flying anyway regardless of the travel plans of the passengers.

When I booked my ex-DUB trip last August for travel this month, the saving on a pair of UC tix was just over £4k, so clearly not all APD etc. It was a no-brainer really. Ok I've got to add a day onto my trip for the trip to DUB, and its an extra night at LHR, which I don't mind, and that extra cost and the positioning flight to DUB totals about £300, so I'm still saving a very significant amount.

And of course, gradually the price to fly direct has gone up. When I checked a few weeks ago the saving on the ex-DUB was approx £6k. Checking now it is over £10k as the Z fares have now gone. Simples.

Hi Narikin,

I have also decided this year that for the first time would do the ex Dub Flights and take up there offer. Checking Virgin Atlantic Right now If i wanted to Fly Upper Class Return from LGW to Las Vegas this would cost me GBP 2,867.66 JUST FOR THE FLIGHTS TO VEGAS AND BACK.

As I live in Scotland I will Take a cheap £30.00 rynair flight to Dub where my flights to vegas will start.
I will Fly Dun To London Heathrow in business class with BA then make my own way to gatwick where i will stay in a hotel over night, I then fly to vegas on Virgin Upperclass return. When I am back in the Uk ill fly Business class again with BA to Dub before taking my last flight to glasgow. THE COST OF ALL THIS 3 £1040.00...........

This is why I took the Ex Dub fair over direct. The savings are outstanding and the bang for my buck is great. You should check it out. I go at end of Nov.

And also because i Booked with Expedia for my Flights I got 55% of my hotel booking in vegas. This means i saved just shy off £300 for my hotel. I am traveling in luxury and staying at a 5 diamond property and its saved me a fortune and is my cheapest trip to date.