Printable View
I got my 'paper' pass on delta for the way home and imagine my surprise when the gate agent told me that it would be an additional 40 pounds if I wanted to ride 'upfront' - Now my pass read Y/J, no one at pass travel warned me of this, nor was I told when I picked up my ticket in DTW, not even at the ticket counter at LHR - just at the gate!
The crew was nice enough to go ahead and place me up front without the extra, but still!
There is an additional tax if you go in J or F in GB and FR
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Jumper @ Apr 17 2009, 04:01 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>I thought you were aware--it's levied at the gate for NR's--we have to pay it, too. If you pay in advance at counter, you don't get refund if you don't get biz. On rev pax it's already in the tkt. Oy! what's a few more quid when you're forking over a coupla grand....Quote:
I got my 'paper' pass on delta for the way home and imagine my surprise when the gate agent told me that it would be an additional 40 pounds if I wanted to ride 'upfront' - Now my pass read Y/J, no one at pass travel warned me of this, nor was I told when I picked up my ticket in DTW, not even at the ticket counter at LHR - just at the gate!
The crew was nice enough to go ahead and place me up front without the extra, but still![/b]
You got lucky!
I did indeed it seems - I was more shocked at the gate agent's attitude (she was incredibly snotty to all of the non revs) - ran into another 'dragon' in JFK (they came close to topping the Dragon Queen in MSP!) - I swear, why do some gate agents act like little tinpot rulers of their domains?
The flight crew was awesome though!
Another reason I avoid the UK like the plague.
On a bright note, did you see AMS tax is coming back down?
Now I can use that airport again!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vulindlela @ Apr 18 2009, 04:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Thanks for the tip, V!! Any idea when it goes back to "normal"?Quote:
Another reason I avoid the UK like the plague.
On a bright note, did you see AMS tax is coming back down?
Now I can use that airport again![/b]
1st July 2009 http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...DIR#>/cool.gif
Wow. I got lucky last week coming back from South Texas. Lady said the flights were overbooked over the intercom and to make sure all pax arrive through security and to the gate, or their seats will be taken. Sure enough, wife and I got on board, and probably more non revs. How about that? First flight of the morning and an overbooked flight with some no-shows.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vulindlela @ Apr 18 2009, 05:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Quote:
Another reason I avoid the UK like the plague.
On a bright note, did you see AMS tax is coming back down?
Now I can use that airport again![/b]
You'll all be pleased to hear that the UK departure tax, APD, will be increasing from November.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ItalGreco @ Apr 27 2009, 04:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Quote:
You'll all be pleased to hear that the UK departure tax, APD, will be increasing from November.[/b]
My how times have changed.
My first trip to London, back in 1995, I paid a whopping $29 tax.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (vulindlela @ Apr 30 2009, 08:20 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>...... Up until the late 80's you would have paid ZERO tax to fly out of the UK!Quote:
My how times have changed.
My first trip to London, back in 1995, I paid a whopping $29 tax.[/b]
Once they see it's a permit to print money, the sky is the limit.
In addition to the Air Passenger duty, there is an airport service fee ... given the state of our airports, they should pay us to use them.
Feel your pain, I love to visit the U.K., We have a Nonstop UA flight from Den-LHR, which has great cnx out of lhr to Scandinavia, Germany, etc.. which is fine for Going to Europe, Fees,&Taxes are VERY reasonable. However on returns we try go through ANY other EU city UA serves to avoid the HUGE HIT (at least to me =) ) in LHR dept fees and taxes. Pity, used to stopover in London on returns from EU back to US, to visit Friends, shop etc but now only do this enroute. There are much less expensive options out of other Cities in E.U. , That being said, Heathrow can Still be a good dept to US for Non-Revs as there are many choices of flights out of there. The fee has actually reduced the competition for Non rev seats. (slightly)
Keep in mind one important thing which can save you some money.
If LHR is your connecting point to go with your airline to your final destination you should not pay the departure taxes as long as you show your boarding pass to the gate agt.
Ex
CDG/LHR on BA
LHR/ORD on AA if you are a AA employee you will be considered as a through pax.
In order to be valid you must NOT make a stopover of more than 24h.
Same thing applies in NRT or any point where taxes are included in the ticket price.
I guess it should be the same for NW.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (z @ May 8 2009, 01:57 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>Not necessarily Z. Where we (AA) travel ticketless and service charges are collected after travel, most other airlines issue tickets to their employees (some paper/some electronic). The employee is generally required to pay the service charges and taxes at the time the ticket is issued. There is not guarantee, at that time, that the employee will make an immediate connection so the departure tax is collected. At the time of departure, that tax is also generally remitted to the UK Revenue authorities.Quote:
Keep in mind one important thing which can save you some money.
If LHR is your connecting point to go with your airline to your final destination you should not pay the departure taxes as long as you show your boarding pass to the gate agt.[/b]
We have it good, but that could change.
The APD is exempt if you are in transit. For long haul this is GBP 40 at the back and GBP 80 up front.
You are still required to pay the UB ( Passenger facility charge ) which is GBP 21.20.
At United, taxes and service charge - if applicable, is deducted from your salary after you travel.
As a UK based employee an exemption would not be applicable, but I think it would be difficult to provide tangible proof that you are in transit,
especially if you were standby into the UK. Not saying it's impossible, but we're not talking a few bucks here, so potentially rewarding !
In the UK we have tried many different variations to avoid the high tax, especially at the front of the aircraft, but factor in a ZED in coach
within Europe we still need to pay the GBP 21.20 and GBP 10.00 APD, add the ZED fare, then the departure taxes for FRA, CDG, FCO, AMS, BRU etc ....
less flights = less opportunity to boot, what a pain !
Don't get on = hotel accomodation ... Europe ain't cheap.
They've got us by the short and curlies http://www.nonrev.net/forums/style_e...IR#>/angry.gif