flatlander

I don't book flights from outside the UK to avoid APD so much as to take advantage of lower business-class fares on BA from outside the UK. In fact these savings are often so great that I am willing to pay APD, by incorporating a long stopover in the UK, to gain the ex-EU saving.
I find the APD irksome in principle but often my time and the positioning flights and/or hotels are more expensive than the APD.

Calchas

It's better than paying VAT!

RichardInSF

It varies, sometimes AMS is cheaper. I usually did BRU because I didn't want the extra 90 minute or so train ride from Brussels to Amsterdam, but of course you can easily fly to Amsterdam.

flyingcrazy

Did anyone ever take advantage of that BA club world DUS/FRA-LHR-HKG-LHR-DUS/FRA for £700 that was available earlier in the year? I think the LHR-HKG-LHR was over £2000.

lhrsfo

I'm in SFO at the moment, having done it ex DUB in Business for less than Economy would have cost from LHR. Yes, there's some APD saving, but the bulk is in airfare.

ft101

I bet you don't put that down to APD.

flyingcrazy

Yeah probably, not as only £150 of that would be APD.

However what about people using air miles? they probably go abroad sometimes as the bulk of what theyll have to pay will be APD!

For example, a domestic flight in the UK with BA is 4500 aviod plus £17.50 (of which £13 is APD) without APD it would only be £4.50!

stut

In my Star Alliance (BMI RIP) days, I used to frequently start my journeys abroad. There were reduced rates from Europe zone 2 to Asia, plus less APD, plus half the time, you'd be connecting somewhere like Frankfurt or Zurich anyway, so you could save a fortune.

These days, not so much - or at least, not explicitly the APD, but the overall fare. As I spend a lot of time in CPH, and it's the source of ridiculously cheap fares, it's quite a decent one to wangle. Similarly, DUB is a good bet, as not only do you get some great transatlantic fares, you also recoup some of your time and a lot of your hassle, thanks to preclearance. Plus, I can also fly from an airport much closer to home than LHR.

Ldnn1

This is incorrect. Taking LHR-MAN as an example, APD is £13 but there is also a passenger service charge of £30, so the total taxes and fees are £43. That's what you pay if you book through IB or another partner. However BA caps Reward Flight Saver fees at £17.50 so that's all you pay. Without APD, you'd still pay £17.50.

For MAN-LHR, the PSC is £14 so that's what you'd pay without APD.

For connecting flights e.g JFK-LHR-MAN the RFS cap doesn't apply, so you actually end up paying more for the domestic (£22 PSC in this case) without APD than you do when booking it as a standalone and paying APD.

It's only on longhaul premium award flights where any worthwhile saving can be made by avoiding APD. JER is the best place to do this from on BA metal awards as it doesn't cost any more avios than starting in LON.

BLHD

Not since the devaluation!

Ldnn1

The devaluation hasn't affected domestic connections on long-haul awards, only shorthaul. JER-LON-NYC still costs the same avios as LON-NYC.

Calchas

That's a nice tip ^

ft101

As per post #15, the APD saved is £58.

UKtravelbear

That would be for an Economy Fare. APD = £71

For any other cabin it is £26 within Band 1 (essentially Europe) and £142 for rest of world.

ft101

Indeed. The point I was trying to make was that the APD is usually only a small part of any saving. In this case £129 if the positioning flight is in Y, or £116 if in J, from a saving of c £1,300.