Avoiding $$ fees on award travel from LHR
Jul 15, 2015, 1:42 pm
#17
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: AY+ Plat, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 2,846
I believe there is a roughly EUR30 passenger tax departing from French airports.
Jul 15, 2015, 4:26 pm
#18
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EP 3MM, UA Silver, Bonvoy LT TIT, Hyatt Explorist, HH Silver, Caesars PLT
Posts: 7,259
In addition to aviation/facility taxes/fees for flights from France, there is an additional 'solidarity tax' for flights from France. It is much less than ADP, and it is negligible for economy passengers. Current rates are:
Destination within EEA €1.13 in Y/; €11.27 in F/J
Destination outside EEA €4.51 in Y; €45.07 in F/J
Destination within EEA €1.13 in Y/; €11.27 in F/J
Destination outside EEA €4.51 in Y; €45.07 in F/J
Jul 16, 2015, 5:50 am
#19
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Executive Club (Silver), Le Club Accor (Silver)
Posts: 680
I've been helping out an American friend who wants to book a DFW-GLA return award. Loads of 40k off-peak return awards available, but she's being hit with taxes and fees of nearly £350. With a bit of playing around with options, I got her DFW-LHR/DUB-DFW for 40k miles and a grand total of £32 in taxes and fees. She's more than happy to take the train London to Glasgow (every hour, 4.5 hour travel time, advance ticket £30) and a Ryanair flight Glasgow - Dublin (3 x daily, £10 currently) and save the other £300 for spending 
I've booked two business awards from EU to South Pacific now, and each time flown ex-EU. The savings on each were in the region of £400 simply by departing from Germany and throwing in a £20 flight and a night out on the beers in Dusseldorf!
I've booked two business awards from EU to South Pacific now, and each time flown ex-EU. The savings on each were in the region of £400 simply by departing from Germany and throwing in a £20 flight and a night out on the beers in Dusseldorf!
Jul 16, 2015, 6:37 am
#20
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: USA
Programs: AA MARRIOTT Lifetime Plat Premier ; Marriott Vacation Club
Posts: 1,650
Yes, we just do the UK wallet biopsy game with award travel.
In our case we are recently retired & doing business awards out of PHL. Award availability is not a problem with AA. The problem is flying out of the UK and the inability to find return flights that do not connect us via London.
We're spending a week in London using a Marriott travel pkg award & then moving around Europe. An original award flight itinerary I try PHl-LHR & BCN-PHL ends up pricing out at $1900 in tariffs/fees all because of that UK leg. I tinker with different combos but virtually every return city combo I try sends us through London ( via BA in almost every case). The lowest total tariff city combo I can find is $1400.
I search for several days, & a BCN-JFK-PHL routing pops up, but requires transit to LGA for the final leg. By the time I make up my mind I lose the flight. Finally I find a BCN-MIA routing with total tariffs of $74. So add in the UK arrival tariffs & we end up with @ $500 of total fees.
After days of frustration, I forego the PHL return leg & extend our trip for 5 nights up the road in Singer Island staying at a Marriott timeshare on the beach. We're lucky to have time to wind down from our Europe trip & make the best of the tariff mess. We will return to PHL on our own dime. If I'm going to spend money it will be on myself & not paying the UK's shakedown fees.
During this time I research all sorts of alternative ideas/routings. We love London & plan to go back as we slowly burn down our FF mile stock pile on business award seats. Fortunately for us, we have the time to find other routings along with flexible departure dates. The Chunnel would run $300 RT if we want to go to London. Then it's a matter of finding a way home via a less expensive departure city. Methinks we will be doing lots of time in Spain.
Barry
In our case we are recently retired & doing business awards out of PHL. Award availability is not a problem with AA. The problem is flying out of the UK and the inability to find return flights that do not connect us via London.
We're spending a week in London using a Marriott travel pkg award & then moving around Europe. An original award flight itinerary I try PHl-LHR & BCN-PHL ends up pricing out at $1900 in tariffs/fees all because of that UK leg. I tinker with different combos but virtually every return city combo I try sends us through London ( via BA in almost every case). The lowest total tariff city combo I can find is $1400.
I search for several days, & a BCN-JFK-PHL routing pops up, but requires transit to LGA for the final leg. By the time I make up my mind I lose the flight. Finally I find a BCN-MIA routing with total tariffs of $74. So add in the UK arrival tariffs & we end up with @ $500 of total fees.
After days of frustration, I forego the PHL return leg & extend our trip for 5 nights up the road in Singer Island staying at a Marriott timeshare on the beach. We're lucky to have time to wind down from our Europe trip & make the best of the tariff mess. We will return to PHL on our own dime. If I'm going to spend money it will be on myself & not paying the UK's shakedown fees.
During this time I research all sorts of alternative ideas/routings. We love London & plan to go back as we slowly burn down our FF mile stock pile on business award seats. Fortunately for us, we have the time to find other routings along with flexible departure dates. The Chunnel would run $300 RT if we want to go to London. Then it's a matter of finding a way home via a less expensive departure city. Methinks we will be doing lots of time in Spain.
Barry
Jul 16, 2015, 9:16 am
#21
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: SJC/SFO & ORD
Programs: LT Gold/BA Executive Club/AS MP/Marriott
Posts: 1,646
I guess I will simply might have to accept the rates. I guess its not too bad.
Jul 16, 2015, 9:33 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,585
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"I search for several days, & a BCN-JFK-PHL routing pops up, but requires transit to LGA for the final leg. By the time I make up my mind I lose the flight."
Shame on you! AA offers a free, five-day hold on award reservations.
"Finally I find a BCN-MIA routing with total tariffs of $74. So add in the UK arrival tariffs & we end up with @ $500 of total fees."
There are no UK "arrival tariffs" for air passengers. Blame BA -- not the UK -- for high "surcharges" if you use BA metal for the TATL leg. (If you can find award space on AA metal into LHR, you should be charged a total of $5.60 in fees -- imposed by the U.S., not by the U.K.)
"I search for several days, & a BCN-JFK-PHL routing pops up, but requires transit to LGA for the final leg. By the time I make up my mind I lose the flight."
Shame on you! AA offers a free, five-day hold on award reservations.
"Finally I find a BCN-MIA routing with total tariffs of $74. So add in the UK arrival tariffs & we end up with @ $500 of total fees."
There are no UK "arrival tariffs" for air passengers. Blame BA -- not the UK -- for high "surcharges" if you use BA metal for the TATL leg. (If you can find award space on AA metal into LHR, you should be charged a total of $5.60 in fees -- imposed by the U.S., not by the U.K.)