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!
Apr 29, 2012, 11:05 am
#91
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Join Date: Jun 2001
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Posts: 28,190
Air passenger duty. APD, not ADP.
There are two rates, standard and premium cabins. It could be that you're seeing a higher rate in effect than applied at the time of C ticketing.
There are two rates, standard and premium cabins. It could be that you're seeing a higher rate in effect than applied at the time of C ticketing.
Apr 29, 2012, 11:50 am
#93
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Illinois.
Programs: Switched from UA 1K to AA so I could earn EQD's on partners. Mid-tier on most major hotel programs.
Posts: 542
Strange. . . I booked an award ticket that includes a first-class segment on UA from LHR to ORD. The only U.K.-related fee I was charged (I booked a couple months ago) was $40.80 U.K. Passenger Service Charge.
Apr 29, 2012, 12:00 pm
#94
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SFO South Bay
Programs: UA 2MM
Posts: 3,052
Well, that explains why my searches failed!
Just called UA, and they say it is a new Luxury Tax, which is applied whenever any upgrade occurs, even C to F. I escalated to a supervisor, and the supervisor confirmed this. Sounds wrong to me. Anyone else seen this?
Mods: probably should combine this with the existing thread: here
Just called UA, and they say it is a new Luxury Tax, which is applied whenever any upgrade occurs, even C to F. I escalated to a supervisor, and the supervisor confirmed this. Sounds wrong to me. Anyone else seen this?
Mods: probably should combine this with the existing thread: here
Apr 29, 2012, 12:37 pm
#95
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Midlands, United Kingdom
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 331
So, I have a LHR-SFO on Tuesday this week, upgrade cleared from Y to C with a PMUA SWU at booking time which was well before 3/3. AFAIK PMUA didn't charge me an increased rate APD at booking /upgrade time. Am I going to get asked to pay the difference in APD at checkin, or as it was all done and dusted pre 3/3 and pre the new UK Rules in April will I dodge it on this occasion?
TIA,
Andy
TIA,
Andy
Apr 29, 2012, 3:23 pm
#96
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Chicago
Programs: UA GS, SPG Platinum
Posts: 55
I am in C going from SFO-LHR-SFO. Upgraded with GPU to F, and was promptly charged $61 by UA. I think this is the departure tax for any upper cabin flight leaving UK. I thought the ADP tax was same for all premium cabins, so I should not be charge going from C to F?
I thought there was a thread on this, but could not find even using google search for the TLAs (ADP/LHR). Redirect me there if this has been covered.
BTW, this flight would end my embargo of UA. I am doing this on the understanding from UA that they will be addressing the pre-merger UA 1MM devaluation, per Martin Hand. Let's see if I am foolish to trust UA!
I thought there was a thread on this, but could not find even using google search for the TLAs (ADP/LHR). Redirect me there if this has been covered.
BTW, this flight would end my embargo of UA. I am doing this on the understanding from UA that they will be addressing the pre-merger UA 1MM devaluation, per Martin Hand. Let's see if I am foolish to trust UA!
I was in a D fare upgrading to F so lowest biz fare allowable for upgrade FWIW
Apr 29, 2012, 4:40 pm
#97
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: LHR
Programs: If only all those cards were made from the precious metals and gemstones they claim to be.
Posts: 89
So, I have a LHR-SFO on Tuesday this week, upgrade cleared from Y to C with a PMUA SWU at booking time which was well before 3/3. AFAIK PMUA didn't charge me an increased rate APD at booking /upgrade time. Am I going to get asked to pay the difference in APD at checkin, or as it was all done and dusted pre 3/3 and pre the new UK Rules in April will I dodge it on this occasion?
TIA,
Andy
TIA,
Andy
Apr 29, 2012, 5:13 pm
#98
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Colorado
Programs: Lifetime UA 1K, Lifetime Hilton Diamond, Lifetime Marriott Bonvoy Titanium
Posts: 1,261
I got so sick of Heathrow (reasons other than this) that I stopped flying in and out of there (I know some people don't have a choice). In my last 100 flights between the US and Europe, none have been in or out of Heathrow. It is their loss. I use to go there a lot.
Apr 29, 2012, 5:58 pm
#99
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: YYZ
Programs: UA1K2MM ACMME50 SQPPS HHDiamond Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 4,391
So, I have a LHR-SFO on Tuesday this week, upgrade cleared from Y to C with a PMUA SWU at booking time which was well before 3/3. AFAIK PMUA didn't charge me an increased rate APD at booking /upgrade time. Am I going to get asked to pay the difference in APD at checkin, or as it was all done and dusted pre 3/3 and pre the new UK Rules in April will I dodge it on this occasion?
TIA,
Andy
TIA,
Andy
Apr 30, 2012, 11:38 am
#100
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 72
I had a similar situation. SWU applied and confirmed long before 3/3 for a flight in April. I got a call two days after the flight (at 5am central time? Seriously?) asking me to pay the difference. I argued for as long as I could but I was told in no uncertain terms that I would not be allowed to board my return flight (regular Y, no SWUs applied) if I didn't cough up. I think it was about $150.
May 3, 2012, 9:02 am
#101
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: IAD/DCA
Programs: AA PP, Hilton/MR Gold
Posts: 743
So apparantly this applies to connecting flights as well:
That is definitly incorrect. See: http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsP...ument#P27_1984
Specifically:
There are only two APD rates. Lowest and Standard. Your reciept for your paid C booking should show you already paid the standard rate.
Where a passenger travels in the lowest class of travel on a flight from a UK airport that subsequently connects (see provisions outlined above and in section 4) to a flight where they are not in the lowest class of travel, then the standard rate of APD will apply.
For example:
Where a passenger takes
Economy class flight to Paris
and connects to
‘Business’ class flight to New York
duty is payable at
Standard rate (Band B)
For example:
Where a passenger takes
Economy class flight to Paris
and connects to
‘Business’ class flight to New York
duty is payable at
Standard rate (Band B)
Well, that explains why my searches failed!
Just called UA, and they say it is a new Luxury Tax, which is applied whenever any upgrade occurs, even C to F. I escalated to a supervisor, and the supervisor confirmed this. Sounds wrong to me. Anyone else seen this?
Mods: probably should combine this with the existing thread: here
Just called UA, and they say it is a new Luxury Tax, which is applied whenever any upgrade occurs, even C to F. I escalated to a supervisor, and the supervisor confirmed this. Sounds wrong to me. Anyone else seen this?
Mods: probably should combine this with the existing thread: here
Specifically:
Reduced rate from:
(for travel in the lowest class of travel available on the aircraft)
Standard rate from:
(for travel in any other class of travel)*
(for travel in the lowest class of travel available on the aircraft)
Standard rate from:
(for travel in any other class of travel)*
Last edited by iluv2fly; May 3, 2012 at 3:28 pm Reason: merge
May 4, 2012, 3:56 pm
#102
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Auburn, CA
Programs: UA1K, 1MM, HHonors Gold
Posts: 57
Flyer beware: Airport Passenger Duty on upgrades to/from UK incorrectly charged
A couple of days ago I booked a return flight from California to London Heathrow, doing the appropriate research to find "R" upgrade availability.
After buying the ticket online I decided to call the 1K reservations desk to try to expedite clearing the upgrades (GPU) as the return was only R2 and I did not want the inventory to evaporate while I waited an indeterminate amount of time for ticketing.
While talking with the agent she noticed that my name as it appeared on the PNR was mangled due to my name details having been badly imported from the old MileagePlus system (something I'd been resolving to call MP about and get fixed and have subsequently done). She decided (wisely) to re-issue the reservation and then process the upgrades.
First surprise was the Airport Passenger Duty that we now have to pay when upgrading UK flights - about $100 extra.... another "Change I will like"
Second surprise was that she charged me this fee BOTH WAYS, presumably guided by some system prompts. Since this was the first time I'd run into APD I simply agreed to the extra charge.
Then I did some research on the UK Customs website and learned that APD only applies to flights LEAVING the UK, not inbound. So I had been overcharged.
It took two hours of calls to 1K reservations, the refund desk (could not help), back to 1K reservations and eventually I had to hang up as I had work commitments. Credit to the 1K reservations agent, she called me back on my cellphone 20 minutes later apologizing profusely for leaving me on hold so long and telling me they would reissue the ticket, preserve my upgrades and credit the $100 overcharge to my CC.
If you have upgraded on round trip flights to the UK recently you might want to check that you did not get overcharged - especially if you upgraded through an agent.
To make matters worse, if you look at your receipt you will see the cost of the ticket and then another line for additional taxes/fees. In my example the sum total of the individual taxes/fees did not add up to the actual total - there was a missing $205 that reflected the two extra APD's that had been levied, so unless you take the time to get out the calculator you might not actually detect you've been overcharged.
Oh, and to add insult to injury they took 4 GPU's instead of two, so I had to have reservations fix that also.
I don't feel ill-will for any of the reservation agents I worked with here, it is clear they are still working with a defective system with incorrect business logic and ill-defined workflow. I do feel pretty pi**ed off that I had to spend the best part of 3 hours on the phone to book, upgrade and then fix a load of problems when I could have done the same thing error free in February of this year.
After buying the ticket online I decided to call the 1K reservations desk to try to expedite clearing the upgrades (GPU) as the return was only R2 and I did not want the inventory to evaporate while I waited an indeterminate amount of time for ticketing.
While talking with the agent she noticed that my name as it appeared on the PNR was mangled due to my name details having been badly imported from the old MileagePlus system (something I'd been resolving to call MP about and get fixed and have subsequently done). She decided (wisely) to re-issue the reservation and then process the upgrades.
First surprise was the Airport Passenger Duty that we now have to pay when upgrading UK flights - about $100 extra.... another "Change I will like"
Second surprise was that she charged me this fee BOTH WAYS, presumably guided by some system prompts. Since this was the first time I'd run into APD I simply agreed to the extra charge.
Then I did some research on the UK Customs website and learned that APD only applies to flights LEAVING the UK, not inbound. So I had been overcharged.
It took two hours of calls to 1K reservations, the refund desk (could not help), back to 1K reservations and eventually I had to hang up as I had work commitments. Credit to the 1K reservations agent, she called me back on my cellphone 20 minutes later apologizing profusely for leaving me on hold so long and telling me they would reissue the ticket, preserve my upgrades and credit the $100 overcharge to my CC.
If you have upgraded on round trip flights to the UK recently you might want to check that you did not get overcharged - especially if you upgraded through an agent.
To make matters worse, if you look at your receipt you will see the cost of the ticket and then another line for additional taxes/fees. In my example the sum total of the individual taxes/fees did not add up to the actual total - there was a missing $205 that reflected the two extra APD's that had been levied, so unless you take the time to get out the calculator you might not actually detect you've been overcharged.
Oh, and to add insult to injury they took 4 GPU's instead of two, so I had to have reservations fix that also.
I don't feel ill-will for any of the reservation agents I worked with here, it is clear they are still working with a defective system with incorrect business logic and ill-defined workflow. I do feel pretty pi**ed off that I had to spend the best part of 3 hours on the phone to book, upgrade and then fix a load of problems when I could have done the same thing error free in February of this year.
May 4, 2012, 4:08 pm
#104
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Auburn, CA
Programs: UA1K, 1MM, HHonors Gold
Posts: 57
Actually I'm an expat Brit and have been flying to the UK using SWU's for upgrades for 13 years... never been charged a penny until this week.
I really question whether it is required for the higher rate of APD to be levied as the UK Customs website clearly states that if the upgrade is at no cost to the passenger the lower rate of APD applies... and SWU's have zero monetary value.
Another interesting point on this is that based on my reading of the APD regulations, folks upgrading from E- to E+ should should also have to pay an extra $100... maybe they do, I've never been in that situation.
I really question whether it is required for the higher rate of APD to be levied as the UK Customs website clearly states that if the upgrade is at no cost to the passenger the lower rate of APD applies... and SWU's have zero monetary value.
Another interesting point on this is that based on my reading of the APD regulations, folks upgrading from E- to E+ should should also have to pay an extra $100... maybe they do, I've never been in that situation.
May 4, 2012, 4:13 pm
#105
Join Date: Jun 2006
Programs: Various
Posts: 6,526