pchow

As most of you are probably aware that the UK Government charges all passengers who leave the UK by air in form of Air Passenger Duty. The duty ranges from £12 to £170 depending on distance and class of service.

Here is my question:
Since the duty on flights within 2000 miles of London is £12 but the duty on a flight to Singapore is £85, is it practical to book two separate tickets on the same alliance to avoid paying higher APD? Or I will be asked to pay additional APD when I check in?
For example, London to Singapore via Frankfurt: London - Frankfurt leg is booked separately from Frankfurt - Singapore leg but both flights are on Star Alliance so I can check my bag through to Singapore when checking in at Heathrow Airport.

Hope this makes sense. Cheers!

FlyerChrisK

If you book two separate tickets, it's likely the carrier for the leg leaving LHR will charge you APD thinking that you are originating there. Since you're traveling on a single alliance, could you obtain a single ticket all the way through to simplify things?

ft101

You will avoid the increased APD but two separate tickets will invariably cost more and will leave you open to missed connections not being taken care of by the airline.

One option is to go to somewhere where an LCC flys to and stay overnight, but again this wipes out most of the saving and many people would not think it worth it.

baggageinhall

You are charged the APD rate for your final destination where (i) it's on a single ticket and (ii) the stopover is less than 24 hours.

The way to avoid the higher APD is to either

i. Purchase two separate tickets. LHR-FRA and then FRA-SIN. The usual caveat of applies, if you misconnect then your FRA-SIN ticket may be worthless. Note, that even if it's the airline or alliance operating both flights as the tickets are separate the same airline could wash their hands of you on arrival in FRA if you are too late to check-in / board the FRA-SIN flight. Many will refuse to check your luggage through on two tickets so consider the time it will take to collect your bags and check-in again.

ii Purchase a single ticket with a stopover of more than 24 hours. This however may trigger a HIP (higher intermediate point) check and increase the price of the ticket. It will almost certainly negate the difference in APD. We know that direct flights are usually more expensive that indirect flights and so the price difference may disappear.

For more information on APD and 'connected flight' in specific, click here to read HMRC's guidance on their site.

(Note for those not familiar with HMRC terminology. Reduced rate = Y class, standard rate = anything else)

stifle

Welcome to Flyertalk!

As the people mention above, there are ways and means around it. Do bear in mind that BMI, for one, will not through-check any bag on a multi-PNR journey.

APD goes up in April, too

sbm12

Take the train to AMS, BRU or CDG and fly from there. Especially for premium cabin travel the costs of the train ticket will likely be offset by the APD savings.

pchow

Thanks a lot for all your comments.

I forgot to mention that I will be using air miles for this trip which probably changes things.

If I choose to spend 35,000 miles on a flight from London to Singapore, I will be paying around £240 for taxes and fuel surcharge.

However, if I spend 35,000 miles on a flight from Frankfurt to Singapore on Lufthansa or Singapore Airlines, I will be paying around £175 for taxes and fuel surcharge. In addition to that, a Lufthansa flight from London to Frankfurt is around £49 which bring the total cost of this trip to £224.

Let's say I have my ticket processed like what I have mentioned above with 4-hour transit. This means that on LHR-FRA leg, I will be paying Band A APD and no APD on FRA-SIN leg.

At LHR, I present my LHR-FRA ticket along with separate FRA-SIN ticket on a different PNR and ask check-in personnel to check me through to Singapore provided that I'm flying on the same airline or alliance. Are they going to ask me to pay additional APD there?

Re: connection
I have always thought that all Star Alliance airline members are obligated to check passengers' luggage onto other Star Alliance connection flight provided that
- the passenger is holding a confirmed ticket of the second flight of the trip; and
- the second flight of the trip is no more than 24 hours of the first flight of the trip

OverThereTooMuch

I thought you were only charged this if your stopover was >24 hours? If it's <24 hours, I thought it was treated just like you were transiting through the airport and no duty was charged.

OverThereTooMuch

Why bother with the potential hassles just to save £16? Doesn't seem worth it to me.

stifle

I think people are getting the stopover bits mixed up.

If you are transiting through the UK and your stopover is less than 24 hours, you pay no APD.

If you are transiting through the UK and your stopover is more than 24 hours, you pay APD appropriate to your destination after you leave the UK.

If your origin is the UK and you travel somewhere, stopover for less than 24 hours, and continue somewhere else on the one itinerary, you pay APD appropriate to the final destination.

If your origin is the UK and you travel somewhere, stopover for more than 24 hours, and continue somewhere else on the one itinerary, you pay APD appropriate to the intermediate destination.

stifle

I'm with you on that!

OverThereTooMuch

Ah, thanks for the clarification! ^^

pchow

Yeah but if you have already paid the APD with the ticket, are they gonna make you pay extra APD at the airport when you check-in multiple PNR?

stifle

I have no experience of this but I suspect you would not be charged extra.

stut

No. APD only applies to the itinerary on a single PNR. Presenting them together is not the same as merging them.

However, the airline is under no obligation to check your luggage through on multiple PNRs, nor to reaccommodate you should a delay or cancellation cause you to miss a later flight. Interlining agreements only apply to a single PNR, generally speaking - anything else is a courtesy.

This also means that the airline in question will need to see proof that you're allowed to enter or transit the country where you're changing planes, as your ticket does not guarantee an airside transit.