Refund of UK departure tax?
Sep 24, 2007, 5:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: Austin, TX -- AA Life Platinum; QF Life Silver; UA Silver
Posts: 5,462
Refund of UK departure tax?
We have a flight AUS-LHR-AUS for later in the year; but planning to do a side trip Eurostar to Amsterdam. I have bought a one-way AMS-LHR to connect with the return flight. Is it possible to get the UK departure taxes refunded in this case? How about outside of Euro zone connecting to LGW flight? (looking at AUS-LGW-AUS on AA and RAK-LGW on LCC)
Sep 24, 2007, 7:58 pm
#2
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Massachusetts, USA; AA Plat, DL GM and Flying Colonel; Bonvoy Platinum
Posts: 24,233
From HM Revenue and Customs Web site - In addition to the connection having to be within 24 hours, which yours apparently is:
Since there does not seem to be any connection between your trans-Atlantic round trip and the one-way AMS-LHR flight you bought later, you will be liable for UK Air Passenger Duty (aka departure tax). (The definition of "booklet" is taken to mean a single ticket in the case of e-tickets. There may be some wiggle room there, but not much.)
In addition to the time related criteria, the agreement for carriage must be evidenced by a ticket which must show the:
airport from which the passenger intends to depart
date and time of his intended departure and
airport at which he intends to arrive.
The connected flights must be detailed on the same ticket or conjunction tickets to qualify for the exemption. Tickets can only be regarded as conjunction tickets if:
(a) they are in one booklet; or
(b) where they are in separate booklets:
each refers to the other and states that they are to be read in conjunction or
there is a summary of the flights constituting the passengers journey including the flights in question.
Although the flights may meet all the other criteria for determining whether two flights are connected, they will only qualify for the exemption if the connection is evidenced on the ticket or a flight summary.
airport from which the passenger intends to depart
date and time of his intended departure and
airport at which he intends to arrive.
The connected flights must be detailed on the same ticket or conjunction tickets to qualify for the exemption. Tickets can only be regarded as conjunction tickets if:
(a) they are in one booklet; or
(b) where they are in separate booklets:
each refers to the other and states that they are to be read in conjunction or
there is a summary of the flights constituting the passengers journey including the flights in question.
Although the flights may meet all the other criteria for determining whether two flights are connected, they will only qualify for the exemption if the connection is evidenced on the ticket or a flight summary.
Last edited by Efrem; Sep 24, 2007 at 8:05 pm Reason: Correct typo in name of UK department responsible for APD
Oct 4, 2007, 4:10 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Isle of Man --- yes it IS a country and NOT UK
Programs: Several. Forget airmiles!
Posts: 21
APD when flying out of the UK
G'day
Whether you come from Oz, Paris, Brussels or Timbuktu, the UK (doubled since Feb 2007) "Brownonian" airport departure taxes is levied on you if you leave a UK airport
That applies if you leave from London, Cardiff, Glasgow or Belfast and is the reason why British (and Manx) now fly outside Europe from Dublin
Here an example
Ryanair are flying at low cost to Marrakesh, Morocco presently.
If I leave from London-Luton, my "taxes and fees" come to GBP 55 on the outward flight alone because Morocco is not Europe
If I fly Liverpool to Girona (Barcelona) for GBP28 return inclusive and then Girona to Marrakesh for euro 20 rtn incl, that makes only GBP 42 for the whole return inclusive trip whilst I don't even get there from Luton for that.
I combined two trips to France and Sweden this spring (your autumn) with connection in Hahn (Germany) in order to avoid the UK APD on even European flights.
Dublin is the answer or don't fly out of the UK on your way back home
More at http://travel.holidays.com and check out /tips and also /recommendations too
You leave UK ---- You pay APD
The Customs and Excise know no pardons or rebates mate
Cheers
Airnuts
Whether you come from Oz, Paris, Brussels or Timbuktu, the UK (doubled since Feb 2007) "Brownonian" airport departure taxes is levied on you if you leave a UK airport
That applies if you leave from London, Cardiff, Glasgow or Belfast and is the reason why British (and Manx) now fly outside Europe from Dublin
Here an example
Ryanair are flying at low cost to Marrakesh, Morocco presently.
If I leave from London-Luton, my "taxes and fees" come to GBP 55 on the outward flight alone because Morocco is not Europe
If I fly Liverpool to Girona (Barcelona) for GBP28 return inclusive and then Girona to Marrakesh for euro 20 rtn incl, that makes only GBP 42 for the whole return inclusive trip whilst I don't even get there from Luton for that.
I combined two trips to France and Sweden this spring (your autumn) with connection in Hahn (Germany) in order to avoid the UK APD on even European flights.
Dublin is the answer or don't fly out of the UK on your way back home
More at http://travel.holidays.com and check out /tips and also /recommendations too
You leave UK ---- You pay APD
The Customs and Excise know no pardons or rebates mate
Cheers
Airnuts