Tax and surcharges ...

[alphacat 12]

I have just booked a trip to Phuket from the Uk (LHR)with my family later this year.

 

 

The breakdown of prices is quite stunning..

 

 

In the end I went with Singapore Airways. Reasonable schedules with only an hour or two wait in Singapore between flights.

 

 

Cost of Flight .. £200 per adult return.

 

Cost of taxes .. £210 per adult

 

Cost of Surcharges ...£150 per adult.

Total per adult £560

 

 

Its clear this flight is competitive for one main reason.. Its on the A 380.

 

I dont see how airlines can keep it up with taxes that cost more than seats. Surely profits must be hit and the first thing to go is R & D and investment in new technology.

 

Taxing airlines out of profitability is just trying to turn the clock back.

 

If anyone is really intrested in energy saving and saving the planet this just isnt the way to do it.

 

I expect it would better be if planes like this were always full but it looks like that isnt and wont be the case during this recession at least.

[jacko 8,813]

I was looking at the Biz Class flights on Etihad for a round trip Bangkok to Manchester.

On the internet you are shown the costs separated for the outward and return legs.

The flight ex-Manchester via Abu Dhabi, is about 8000 baht more than the ex Bangkok via Abu Dhabi.

Meaning I guess that the UK APDs and Airport Charges are 8000 baht in excess of those from Bangkok? About £170/US$260.

 

And other than my thinking 'rip off Britain/EU' I was more concerned that the UK authorities may be offended that they don't get as much from the incoming flights!

Edited February 1, 2012 by jacko

[Big_Brian 179]

Just booked a trip on Etihad, Heathrow/Bangkok return. £165. And £329 tax. WTF are our politicians smoking?

 

It's an economy flight BTW.

[tallguy 1,473]

Just booked a trip on Etihad, Heathrow/Bangkok return. £165. And £329 tax. WTF are our politicians smoking?

 

It's an economy flight BTW.

 

I think you'll find that most of that £329 tax is the fuel surcharge of £190. I had a look at the Etihad website yesterday and they were showing taxes and surcharges of £296 from Manchester of which £190 was fuel surcharge and £106 was various taxes and airport charges. Interestingly Emirates prices its flights slightly differently including the fuel 'surcharge' in the main fare and showing the taxes and airport fees as just over £100.

 

I don't like defending the UK government but I think some of the airlines are misrepresenting the breakdown of their costs by lumping their fuel surcharge, which surely should be part of the main fare, in with government taxes and airport fees. From memory I think Thai used to do the same showing a relatively low fare but high taxes and other charges.

 

Cheers TG

Edited February 7, 2012 by tallguy

[Fondles 94]

Its the way cunsumerism is these days. to some paying for a $500.00 (all inclusive) flight sounds hellish expensive versus a $100.00 (with $400.00 in taxes/surcharges) flight, the dumbasses are happy happy joy joy in the knowledge that they scored a $100.00 flight..............

Edited February 7, 2012 by Fondles

[Big_Brian 179]

I think you'll find that most of that £329 tax is the fuel surcharge of £190. I had a look at the Etihad website yesterday and they were showing taxes and surcharges of £296 from Manchester of which £190 was fuel surcharge and £106 was various taxes and airport charges. Interestingly Emirates prices its flights slightly differently including the fuel 'surcharge' in the main fare and showing the taxes and airport fees as just over £100.

 

I don't like defending the UK government but I think some of the airlines are misrepresenting the breakdown of their costs by lumping their fuel surcharge, which surely should be part of the main fare, in with government taxes and airport fees. From memory I think Thai used to do the same showing a relatively low fare but high taxes and other charges.

 

Cheers TG

 

However it's worked out, the overall price was OK for me. Just have to save up beer and pussy money now.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Its the way cunsumerism is these days. to some paying for a $500.00 (all inclusive) flight sounds hellish expensive versus a $100.00 (with $400.00 in taxes/surcharges) flight, the dumbasses are happy happy joy joy in the knowledge that they scored a $100.00 flight..............

 

From UK, it's because the airlines pay commission on the flight price, but not on taxes, fees and surcharges. Better to pay commission on 100 quid, than 300 quid.

[DrPat 423]

Airfares from the UK are totally out of hand! In March 2010 I paid £480. In March 2011 it had increased to £527. I have been monitoring prices for this March and for any half-decent flight times it looks like I will be paying between £650 and £750!

 

All of these ‘green’ taxes are a joke. Anyone who has looked into it knows that ‘global warming’ is just a con to extract yet more tax money.

 

Here in the UK it has been bloody freezing over the past few weeks. If global warming was real it would be fantastic to have the temperature here a couple of degrees warmer all year!

 

If it was real, hot countries should be paying us!

 

[ThaiLearner 18]

Airfares from the UK are totally out of hand! In March 2010 I paid £480. In March 2011 it had increased to £527. I have been monitoring prices for this March and for any half-decent flight times it looks like I will be paying between £650 and £750!

 

All of these ‘green’ taxes are a joke. Anyone who has looked into it knows that ‘global warming’ is just a con to extract yet more tax money.

 

Here in the UK it has been bloody freezing over the past few weeks. If global warming was real it would be fantastic to have the temperature here a couple of degrees warmer all year!

 

If it was real, hot countries should be paying us!

 

Yes the green taxes are a joke.

 

You have left it a bit late to get a decent price for a direct flight. I managed to get a direct rate with Eva for 575

[steamer 158]

Fuel has been expensive for years now. Why can't they just separate taxes and airport fees ?

 

 

I hate looking at "cheap" flights that aren't the cheapest once fees are added.

 

I remember a $29 flight from Toronto to Montreal.

 

was something like $249 (typical fare). once everything was added on.

[teelack 9,631]

Well done to the UK Government. They have at long last bought in enough taxes to confirm that I miight never spend another razoo there. I have booked for this coming summer but that will probably be it for me unless of course local taxes rise in the same way but the current green taxes are just anti British.