LM charging APD on BFS/BHD departures
#1
formerly mattking2000
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: DXB
Programs: BA|AC|AZ|SPG|H|FPC
Posts: 1,170
LM charging APD on BFS/BHD departures
Has anyone noticed that Lifemiles is (still) charging APD from these airports?
Is there any way around it/where does the money go?
Is there any way around it/where does the money go?
#2
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
It would go to the UK government, if charged.
According Wikipedia:
A 0 rate of APD applies to flights from Northern Ireland direct to a band B (over 2001 miles), C or D destination as of 1 November 2011. This is due to Continental Airlines threatening to stop the direct Belfast - Newark flight due to lack of demand because of the tax.
#3
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: London UK
Programs: BAEC Gold,, Oman Air Gold
Posts: 742
The UK APD (which as Air Rarotonga correctly says would go to HM Customs & Excise) doesn't seem to be charged. Lots of US charges though!
The Northern Ireland Executive were concerned about the disparity of APD charged from the three Northern Ireland airports compared to those primarily from DUB in the Republic of Ireland which they felt was holding back the development of new routes primarily to North America and maintaining the scheduled flight to EWR which was borderline profitable. Flight times from BFS and DUB are pretty identical but with a very low APD in the Republic it was often cheaper to catch the Dublin Airport bus from Belfast to fly to New York as well as having options to go to other US destinations. This made it doubly hard for the authorities in Northern Ireland to open up new routes.
The Northern Ireland Executive were concerned about the disparity of APD charged from the three Northern Ireland airports compared to those primarily from DUB in the Republic of Ireland which they felt was holding back the development of new routes primarily to North America and maintaining the scheduled flight to EWR which was borderline profitable. Flight times from BFS and DUB are pretty identical but with a very low APD in the Republic it was often cheaper to catch the Dublin Airport bus from Belfast to fly to New York as well as having options to go to other US destinations. This made it doubly hard for the authorities in Northern Ireland to open up new routes.