How do you avoid the APD ?
 

Flying long-haul adds an Air Passenger duty of at least £67 to the price of your ticket. Do you go to considerable lengths just to avoid it ?

No. The £67 rate (reduced rate/economy) is now £69 and £138 for all other cabins.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...a-flights.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...iding-apd.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...g-2-4-1-a.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...te-ticket.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-i...d-apd-lhr.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...y-tax-apd.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-i...ut-jersey.html

I consider that the APD is largely immaterial compared with the total cost of my journey and I do not currently consider that it is worth the necessary time and expense to avoid it.

I am however sure that I would think entirely differently if I were looking to ship a family of four out on Avios.

The APD itself is not a deterrent, however flying ex-EU can and often does result in a very substantial fare reduction, and of course the APD saving. It does however hugely increase the amount of time spent travelling (in circles!)

I often start Longhauls in Belfast/Dublin.

How do you avoid the APD ?
 

Surely the cost of starting ex-EU is greater than the APD saving? Now, fares lower is another thing!

Avoiding APD is one reason why all my long haul flights start ex-EU.

Congratulations to HM Government for abusing APD by increasing it from a modest amount to such a ridiculous level that it actually damages your country's airline industry and encourages active and legal avoidance.

How many people will not come to the UK for a holiday as APD adds a lot to the cost for a family of four? (... And of course, if you need visas, why bother with the hassle and expense of a visa just for Britain, when you can get a Schengen visa good for most European countries? Perhaps that's why France gets ten times more Chinese visitors than the UK?)

Unless you are flying on the UA BFS-EWR service for which there is a specific arrangement, starting in Belfast does nothing to diminish the UK-levied APD. It would just add further taxes/charges to your bottom line.

The Dublin approach, on the other hand, works well.

Dublin and Frankfurt are my usual starting point to save APD (even if it means doubling back through the UK).

For me, its not paying the Chancellor of the Exchequer more cash, and rather giving it to an airline for better value.

Airlines don't seem to mind.

I can't see the value proposition in spending time and money just to avoid APD.

But, as others have posted, I have sometimes taken advantage of lower ex-EU fares which includes avoiding APD.

I'll be using DUB as a departure airport in a couple of months as it's cheaper to fly to the US from there than from the UK, doing this also gives me more TP and avios so win win.

Also, some economy departures ExDUB are stonkingly cheap.

eg LHR-DEN was about £650 in May last year. DUB-LHR-DEN-LHR-DUB was... £450.

Even factoring in positioning flights with EI it was a a no brainer. My time isn't worth £200 a day (sadly).

Just imagine if this thread was posted in the Delta forum....

:D

Evil.

I approve :D

(Though I suspect most of the Delta forumites are working out how to avoid Tribbles in their new safety video. I think the cast of Star Trek had trouble with them once...).