Strikes are a regular occurrence in Europe, as employees withhold their labour to fight for better pay and conditions.
08.03.2024 - 18:55 / thepointsguy.com / Airlines
Let's assume you're planning a trip to Europe and want to include a visit to the United Kingdom. Should you plan to visit London at the start, in the middle or at the end of your trip? Does it even matter?
Well, you could save hundreds of dollars if you strategically plan the order of stops.
Suppose you want to visit five of the most popular cities in Europe. Here are the taxes and fees you'd need to pay on a United Airlines business-class award ticket departing from the following airports to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR):
As you can see, flying out of the U.K. is significantly more expensive than departing from the other countries on the list — its taxes and fees are more than double those of any other country. The U.K. has the highest departure taxes of any country in the world.
This is because of the U.K.'s Air Passenger Duty, or APD, which varies based on two factors:
For example, a flight from the U.K. to Spain would result in a lower APD than one from the U.K. to South America. Similarly, a first-class award ticket has a much higher APD than an economy ticket on the same flight.
Currently, the APD in premium cabins is 13 British pounds (about $17) for short-haul flights and 200 pounds (about $255) for long-haul flights. This tax will increase starting in April, when the APD on premium-cabin tickets for the 2024-25 financial year will be 14 pounds (about $18) for short-haul flights and 202 pounds (about $259) for long-haul flights.
This tax will increase again in April 2025 for the 2025-26 financial year to 16 pounds (about $21) for short-haul flights and 224 pounds (about $287) for long-haul flights, a 12% increase on long-haul flights and a 23% increase on short-haul flights from current amounts.
Related: Flying from the UK is about to get even more expensive for premium-cabin passengers
The APD doesn't apply to connections of less than 24 hours through the U.K. when traveling on a single ticket. That means you wouldn't have to pay the tax on an award ticket from Vienna, Austria, to New York with a three-hour layover in London.
The European countries charging the highest taxes include the U.K., Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy. Conversely, flying out of countries like Ireland, Spain, Greece, Turkey and Portugal is cheaper.
Note that these taxes are only imposed on flights that depart from these countries; inbound flights from the U.S. to the U.K. aren't subject to APD.
Finally, it's worth noting that two of the U.K.'s largest airlines — British Airways and Virgin Atlantic — impose notoriously high carrier-imposed surcharges on their flights in addition to the APD. As a result, award flights on these carriers (even if only connecting through London) will still have high
Strikes are a regular occurrence in Europe, as employees withhold their labour to fight for better pay and conditions.
Indians have budgeted more for travel in 2024, according to Skyscanner Horizons 2023-2024 report. According to Skyscanner, 63% of Indians are planning to spend more on travel this year, the highest of any country. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is number 2, with 56% of travelers planning to spend more.
Strikes are a regular occurrence in Europe, as employees withhold their labour to fight for better pay and conditions.
Last week, hundreds of global travel professionals gathered in Delhi for the inaugural Skift India Summit and the opportunity to glean valuable insights from the CEOs of major travel brands, including The Oberoi Group, OYO, Agoda and the country’s flag carrier, Air India. “India is having a moment,” explains Brian Quinn, head of event programming at Skift, “with the India outbound traveler poised to become the biggest global force in coming years.”
The Airbus A380 — a giant commercial airliner famous for its two levels and four engines — was once an engineering marvel. It can carry up to 853 people and is large enough to sport lavish amenities such as an on-board shower and a bar.
Airports might seem like frenetic, disorienting places, but there’s a lot of very precise orchestration taking place behind the scenes.
If you are planning a trip to Japan this summer, you’re not alone. New research has revealed the most popular destinations for the coming peak travel season – and there are a few surprises.
Ever heard of “fifth freedom flights” and “the freedoms of the air”? The latter may sound more like poetic prose than legal jargon, but this phrase—unbeknownst to most casual fliers—actually denotes the five official rights that make international air travel possible.
Last September, my husband and I left our kids with their grandparents and set off to Ireland. Our $2,132 itinerary took us from Minneapolis to Toronto to Dublin on tickets booked on United Airlines through Expedia but ultimately operated by Air Canada, a United partner. We had boarded our connecting flight in Toronto (and I was already dozing in my seat) when the captain announced an operator had crashed the jet bridge into the starboard engine. We were given hotel vouchers and told we would be rebooked for the next day. Checkout time came and went without a word, so we went to the airport and were told to call Air Canada customer service. An agent booked us a flight for that evening, and we printed out boarding passes at an airport kiosk. But when we tried to board, we were told the boarding passes were invalid. Eventually, we were offered two options for the next day: Fly to Dublin via Newark, or return to Minneapolis. We cut our losses and went home after staying the night in Toronto at a hotel. But United refunded us only $1,087, barely half of what we paid. Air Canada did reimburse us for the second hotel and other expenses, but we believe the airlines owe us not only a full refund, but also 400 Canadian each ($295 apiece) under Canadian law for denied boarding. Both refused. Can you help?
Citi is a TPG advertising partner.
American Airlines' AAdvantage program still offers a compelling partner award chart. And you can often find good-value domestic awards, too. One of the strongest aspects of the American AAdvantage program is the value of its miles. However, it can be difficult to earn and redeem American miles, as the airline does not partner with major credit card rewards programs such as Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
British Airways announced its newest business-class seat — dubbed the Club Suite — in March 2019 as part of a multi-billion investment, and now it's being deployed across more of the airline's fleet.