Originally Posted by Raffles

To really kill the taxes, you need to abandon the 241.

American to NY ex Dublin? http://headforpoints.com/2012/11/15/...newyork-avios/

airberlin - some great deals including Abu Dhabi in Business for 50,000 Avios plus £48 taxes return - http://headforpoints.com/2012/10/24/...lin-long-haul/ They fly to most of the places in the US you mentioned.

Aer Lingus - flies:
Dublin to New York
Shannon to New York
Dublin to Orlando
Dublin to Chicago
Dublin to Boston
Shannon to Boston

with sub £100 taxes.

You could also look at Cathay or JAL into Asia from a non-UK starting point.

You can also drop the APD on a BA 241 by booking Jersey-LHR-XXX or Dublin-LHR-XXX and not stopping over in London. Makes it a long day but the saving can be worth it. You don't avoid the BA fuel surcharge this way.