Originally Posted by
jrl767
technicality highlighted ... if you originate from a European point outside the UK and connect thru LHR, the APD will go down by a considerable amount
Yes: that "considerable amount" will be 100%. The UK APD does not apply at all to travelers, like the OP, flying between the U.S. and Continental Europe
via the U.K. But other European countries will have their own departure taxes.
It's BA's carrier surcharges that account for the lion's share of the cash component that the OP is seeing on the award itinerary.
"How can I avoid APD?
These are some of the tax-avoiding options:
. . . .
Fly into the UK on one plane and out within 24 hours on another and have them both included in the same ticket."
Source:
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel...-b1946375.html