Air Passenger Duty – What is it, and How Does it Affect Your Holiday?

AIR PÄSSENGER. DUTY:APD What is it, and how does it affect your holiday? APD is what the Government is paid for every passenger flying from a UK airport to anywhere in the world. economy class Reduced Rate premium economy class business class Standard Rate first class private aircraft Higher Rate The amount of APD you pay is determined by twwo things: the class you're travelling in... ...and how far away your destination country's capital is from London. Countries are split into four bands. less than 2,000 B less than 4,000 less than 6,000 D more than 6,000 APD was introduced in 1994 at £5 for UK & EEA destinations and £10 for the rest of the world. Band A reduced: 13 includes: United Kingdom, Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Russia. standard: 26 Band B reduced: 67 includes: Canada, USA, Nigeria, Uganda, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, higher: 52 standard: 134 Kazakhstan, Eastern Russia. higher: 268 Band reduced: 83 includes: Brazil, Mexico, Barbados, China, Japan, standard: 166 Band reduced: 94 Thailand. includes: Australia, New Zealand, Peru, higher:332 standard: 188 Indonesia, Argentina. higher:376 Notable Quirks (How to travel 7,200 miles in Band B) Because a country's band is determined by how close their capital is to ours, some destinations prove cheaper than expected. The United States are in Band B because Washington DC is less than 4,000 miles away. However, the West Coast (eg. Los Angeles) is around 5,500 miles away. Hawaii is comfortably into Band D, but as it is legally part of the USA, it's taxed as Band B! Most of the Caribbean is only 4,200 to 4,600 miles from London (closer than most of the US) but it is still taxed as Band C. Russian destinations east of the Ural Mountains are taxed as Band B, while those further West are classed Band C. When is APD next due to rise? Air Passenger Duty rises annually, and short of treasury intervention, these will be the new rates from 1 April 2014: Reduced Rate £13 current rate £67 £89 £83 E8 £94 E97 new rate Standard Rate £26 £134 £138 £168 £188 £170 E194 Higher Rate £52 £268 £276 £332 £340 Air Passenger Duty Timeline Graph Key Pre-2009 2009-onwards UK & EEA destinations Band A £300 Rest of the World Band B Band C R = Reduced Rate S= Standard Rate H = Higher Rate Band D £100 £80 £80 £40 £20 £10 RSHR SH 1994 1997 2001 2007 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 Sources: BATA.uk.com wherever you go... g©simply.com (infographic by silvasol.co.uk HMRC.gov.uk ABTA.com