Originally Posted by
orbitmic
To make sure BA become grossly uncompetitive across all markets vis a vis their European and international competitors? Sounds like an odd plan to me, and one which would force BA to close many long haul routes which would become unsustainable without connecting traffic. Connecting pax often account for about half of long haul passengers on many routes and if you start adding a £100 penalty in y and £200 in w and j, connecting pax will rightly stick to af, lh, tk, dl, EK or qr rather than consider flying ba.
I mean I'd be all for scrapping (or even just reducing) APD entirely, but the fact is it makes no sense to charge departing pax a tax on air travel while exempting connecting pax. UK domestic connecting pax still have to pay it too, so it's penalising UK residents and visitors (who are either already likely paying UK tax or spending money/doing business here) while ignoring those tho just connect through the UK without contributing to the economy, but still contributing to emissions, which was the guise of the tax in the first place. It actualy disincentivises people from making >24h stopovers in the UK, as by dong so they'll be charged APD on their departing flight, whereas if they take a straight connection they won't, which is madness.
Certainly it would be more sensible to apply it to connecting pax but cut the rates, and so overall raising the same amount of revenue.