Jul 10, 2015, 2:22 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Wikipedia - UK APD
UK Excise Notice 550: Air Passenger Duty
latest update - 27 February 2015
UA Incorrectly Charged me the LHR APD Fee as a Transit Passenger
UK Excise Notice 550: Air Passenger Duty
latest update - 27 February 2015
UA Incorrectly Charged me the LHR APD Fee as a Transit Passenger
'Airport Passenger Duty' (APD) fee now required to waitlist ex-UK with GPUs!
Mar 23, 2012, 3:57 pm
#62
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: ABQ
Programs: UA 1K, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Avis President's Club, National Executive
Posts: 166
Unfortunately I don't have screenshots of the purchase page, but I'm certain I was approving a flat $300 charge and 20,000 miles. I suppose it will be fun to convince United of this.
Apr 9, 2012, 4:51 pm
#64
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Florida
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 1,917
I logged on to upgrade a one-way LHR-SFO flight in two weeks with a GPU (was SWU). It would be waitlisted. The charge for Airport Passenger Duty was $61. What is the process of getting a refund of this fee due if the upgrade does not clear?
I hope it's not what Judge Smails said in Caddyshack ... "you'll get nothing and like it!"
.
I hope it's not what Judge Smails said in Caddyshack ... "you'll get nothing and like it!"
.
Last edited by BangkokTraveler; Apr 9, 2012 at 4:57 pm
Apr 9, 2012, 5:05 pm
#65
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,607
Fwiw i've never been charged an increased APD for AC upgrades and i've always wondered why. I think Skyteem's explanation combined with the language that was quoted earlier makes it pretty clear. I'm glad to finally understand why the discrepancy.
It does seem like new UA and AA are needlessly incurring this extra tax for their passengers by reissuing the tickets and I wonder if they realize that they're putting themselves at such a disadvantage. I guess it hardly matters given the value of the upgrades.
It does seem like new UA and AA are needlessly incurring this extra tax for their passengers by reissuing the tickets and I wonder if they realize that they're putting themselves at such a disadvantage. I guess it hardly matters given the value of the upgrades.
Apr 14, 2012, 10:41 pm
#67
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: LAX
Programs: UA Gold/1MM, AA EXP, Marriott Plat
Posts: 963
Thanks. Has anyone verified this using united.com to see if this avoids the APD charge? I understand this is the UK law, but who knows what methodology united.com is using to charge passengers for use the SWU. We've learned United's programming on united.com has been less than robust.
Anyone have any luck getting this reversed?
Apr 25, 2012, 11:43 pm
#68
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: San Francisco
Programs: 1K-whatever it worth
Posts: 120
New surcharge ransom for GPU upgrade?
We bought a RT ticket from LON-SFO and on one leg it's W fare.
Trying to apply GPU couldn't find any link on reservation page. Called to UACO 1K line, find out there is no instant upgrade, can get on upgrade wait list but have to pay $105 tax surcharge in advance. Elevated to supervisor and was told that's a mandatory policy?!, if your flight originates from London and Paris that's what has been done for years! Have flown out of London on ungraded ticket and never was asked for ransom before.
. Tried to search United thread but didn't find anything related to my issue. Is UACO trying to pull a fast one or it has been a long standing policy? BTW couldn't find any reference on UACO website to this surcharge either. Could that be hiding under "Other restrictions may apply" provision?
Trying to apply GPU couldn't find any link on reservation page. Called to UACO 1K line, find out there is no instant upgrade, can get on upgrade wait list but have to pay $105 tax surcharge in advance. Elevated to supervisor and was told that's a mandatory policy?!, if your flight originates from London and Paris that's what has been done for years!
Have flown out of London on ungraded ticket and never was asked for ransom before.. Tried to search United thread but didn't find anything related to my issue. Is UACO trying to pull a fast one or it has been a long standing policy? BTW couldn't find any reference on UACO website to this surcharge either. Could that be hiding under "Other restrictions may apply" provision?
Apr 25, 2012, 11:56 pm
#69
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K / CO PLT
Posts: 539
I believe that business class / first class passengers flying out of London/Paris have to pay extra 'luxury travel / greenhouse gas emission' tax. United used to eat up this extra tax on upgraded passengers but they stopped doing this sometime within last 2 years. To be fair, American airlines also require upgrading passengers to pay this extra tax.
Apr 26, 2012, 12:00 am
#70
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL Platinum, AA Lifetime Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Radisson Premium
Posts: 6,638
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9B176 Safari/7534.48.3)
This tax recently was increased. In the UK they call it the APD. Glad to see it isn't horrifically higher than what I paid on AA last 2 yrs-$90 or so. But it appears to be only getting higher
This tax recently was increased. In the UK they call it the APD. Glad to see it isn't horrifically higher than what I paid on AA last 2 yrs-$90 or so. But it appears to be only getting higher
Apr 26, 2012, 12:00 am
#71
Join Date: Oct 2006
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 212
This does not seem to be UA's fault. An increase in the departure tax just took effect, and I believe the tax is even calculated based upon your class of service...so, yes, and upgrade means higher tax.
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/departure-t...231042002.html
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/departure-t...231042002.html
Apr 26, 2012, 12:23 am
#72
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Portland, OR, USA
Programs: UA 1K 3 Million/ex-many year GS, AA PLT/2 Mil, AS MVPG, HH Dia, Starwood Life Plat, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,401
What has changed is that in the past UA would collect such fees when the upgrade cleared. Now this (and e.g., the copay on miles upgrade) get collected when you waitlist with the "promise" of being refunded if you don't clear. So you get the privilege of giving UA an interest free loan. It really is irksome if the flights in question are e.g., 10 months out. You have to remember to check then that they give you back your money. Another wonderful artifact of their modern computer system.
Apr 26, 2012, 5:08 am
#73
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA PremExec
Posts: 732
What has changed is that in the past UA would collect such fees when the upgrade cleared. Now this (and e.g., the copay on miles upgrade) get collected when you waitlist with the "promise" of being refunded if you don't clear. So you get the privilege of giving UA an interest free loan. It really is irksome if the flights in question are e.g., 10 months out. You have to remember to check then that they give you back your money. Another wonderful artifact of their modern computer system.
Apr 26, 2012, 6:26 am
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,167
What has changed is that in the past UA would collect such fees when the upgrade cleared. Now this (and e.g., the copay on miles upgrade) get collected when you waitlist with the "promise" of being refunded if you don't clear. So you get the privilege of giving UA an interest free loan. It really is irksome if the flights in question are e.g., 10 months out. You have to remember to check then that they give you back your money. Another wonderful artifact of their modern computer system.
Apr 26, 2012, 6:31 am
#75
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: MDT / BWI / IAD
Programs: UA Plat 1MM
Posts: 477
And...to take this argument a bit further...when you buy a >W fare with the hopes of GPU clearing, you pay a significant delta over S, T, L, etc. with NO HOPE of seeing those $$$ again. At least with the co-pay / departure tax, you might get a refund on your UA interest-free loan.