APD

BA has confirmed that it will not chase APD for any tickets reserved and paid before the APD annoucement, although BA may lose 11m pounds.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/defaul ... =EMS116351

Why VS still intend to charge us on APD? I am sure VS will lose less money than BA, why can't VS be more competitive than BA (or at least equal) on this issue?

I've only got 2 return tickets booked (did two more this week), but just an annoying thing to think of.

Snow

The thing that with BA that most people will be paying it at the airport, with all the other problems with extra security it is going to cause more HELL at the airports. I do not understand why VS can not just write this off. Do not want to see their check in lines! [n]

Dominic

BA has confirmed that it will not chase APD for any tickets reserved and paid before the APD annoucement, although BA may lose 11m pounds.

That is good news as I purchased 3 LHR-SFO rtns the week before the ****** announced his latest money grabbing Tax hike.The only problem now is if BA's CC go on strike[:0]:D

I think this has been reported before here on the BBC 16 Dec

I suspect Virgin are waiting to see what others do including the Chancellor as I am sure airlines will be doing a lot of lobbying behind the scenes on this one.

I would have thought that if the likes of BA - which is a major competitor against VS on many of it's routes - is not going to pass on the tax hike, then VS will have to follow suit.

As has already been said, I bet VS were waiting to see what others did, whilst doing a lot of behind the scenes lobbying. There is, in theory, still time for Mr Brown to change his mind and only make the APD hike effective from bookings made from 1st Feb (highly unlikely methinks!)

I sent Virgin an email on this as I was wondering if I had to pay extra for my flight in Feb, the first email back from customer services went on about the USA Advanced passenger information! However I did then get this reply

Dear Gavin,

Thank you for your recent email.

I apologise for providing incorrect information in my previous email.

I would like to inform you that the Air Passenger Duty tax (GB) has doubled for all bookings made for travel on/after 01 February 07. Since your booking was made in December 06 you are not require to pay this tax at this occasion.

Should you have any further queries regarding this matter, please speak with our Contact Centre:

UK Contact Centre
Inside the UK 0870 380 2007
Outside the UK +44 870 380 2007
Lines are available daily 7am - 10pm local time

How much you believe this I am unsure considering the first reply I had was about a totally different topic! But it seems that if you booked before Mr. Brown said it would go up you may get away without paying!

As some airlines (e.g. easyJet and flybe) already started to collect extra APD, I don't think Mr Brown will take his word back to cause even more problem.

As mentioned in the same article, VS has confirmed the intention to charge the APD.

I think any lobbying is too late at this stage. SRB and VS should just write it off from the book.

Just to update you some more, I get this email in my Inbox this morning
Dear Gavin

It has been brought to our attention that you have been given incorrect information via email correspondence regarding the increase in the Air Passenger Duty tax, and you have our sincere apologises for the misinformation provided.

In response to your initial enquiry sent in December we can advise Virgin Atlantic will be collecting the Air Passenger Duty tax from passengers but is still reviewing how best to claim the tax this was also mentioned in the press that we will be collecting the tax. Information will be made available on our website as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would like to thank you for your patience.

f you have any further enquires regarding your forthcoming flight to Las Vegas next month please do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

Kind Regards XXXXXXXX - Customer Service Team Lead

Wonder if they read my post on here yesterday and backtracked! bit odd that I get it the day after [:?]

Originally posted by Gavin
Just to update you some more, I get this email in my Inbox this morning
Dear Gavin

It has been brought to our attention that you have been given incorrect information via email correspondence regarding the increase in the Air Passenger Duty tax, and you have our sincere apologises for the misinformation provided.

In response to your initial enquiry sent in December we can advise Virgin Atlantic will be collecting the Air Passenger Duty tax from passengers but is still reviewing how best to claim the tax this was also mentioned in the press that we will be collecting the tax. Information will be made available on our website as soon as possible. In the meantime, I would like to thank you for your patience.

f you have any further enquires regarding your forthcoming flight to Las Vegas next month please do not hesitate to contact us.

We look forward to welcoming you onboard soon.

Kind Regards XXXXXXXX - Customer Service Team Lead

Wonder if they read my post on here yesterday and backtracked! bit odd that I get it the day after [:?]

I think this sucks [V] From a purely mercenary point of view, having paid for my tickets before 1 Feb, even though I am not flying until Apr, I think VS are taking the wee wee. If BA are 'man' enough to absorb the tax for pre-1 Feb (and pre-announcement) sales, then surely one could expect VS to at least do the same [n]

Spoken to FC this afternoon regarding my ticket related issues, and I asked about additional APD.

Frankly, FC staff have no idea about this, and there wasn't a single instruction on how to answer this question. They can only say that further information will be annouced later.

Shame on VS, can't even match what BA is doing.

[RichardMannion]

But why vent at VS, it's everyones favourite Chancellor that has caused this. BA up until this point have decided that the logisitics of going back through it's vast agent network to collect this difference is probably going to cost them more it would to just do the write-down. Remember it's only payable to the Government on bums on seats, so they could contact x number of people but there is a percentage that will be no shows for flights anyway. Remember BA have an enormous route network compared to VS. I don't think it's about BA being 'man' enough, I think they have done the calculations quickly and seen that it's easier and more cost-effective to do the write down.

Yes it doesn't help that some muppet in an outsourced support centre sent out the mail assuming that the tax wouldn't be paid. Let's be real here, if we expect VS to match BA, who do you think is ultimately going to pay for it? It will be passed back to passengers in another form. Remember this is BA that still hasn't lowered its YQ surcharge inline with VS.

I'm not exacxtly happy that Gordon has stiffed us all again, especially when I know the money will be spent on absolutely nothing to do with the environment. I nearly cried earleir when I worked out how much money I will be paying each year now in flight taxes. Feel sorry for the PE travellers that get lumbered with the high rate of tax.

Thanks,
Richard

Ok, Richard, I agree with you that it is caused by Mr Brown. I definitely agree with you that APD is nothing to do with the environment, it's just about another additional tax!

What I prefer is, the airline can tell us "it is considering all options", meanwhile doing all the calculations. Once calculated, then annouce the action on either way.

I don't like the "we will charge you the additional tax" statement in front, and meanwhile "we are trying our best to find the cheapest way to get the tax from you" approach. I think this is wrong, VS shouldn't take this approach (very poor PR, especially for a company like Virgin).

By the way, my employer just confirmed today that we will all fly PE for any flight more than 5 hours. No chance for Upper class, but still have to pay the same amount of tax.

Thanks, Mr Brown!

[RichardMannion]

I did read somewhere that they could be shooting themselves in the foot (the government that is), as many organisations had started to pay towards Carbon Offset. Given that their travel expenditure will increas, some are considering not to bother with the future contributions. I know I wouldn't.

Thanks,
Richard

[mitchja]

Sure I read somewhere that VS have now scraped their starting grid towing trials at LHR because of this extra APD.

Regards

Travelling out next Saturday but back form Delhi on 08 Feb. Given the usual shambles there, if I have to pay can VS please advise on departure as I don't want to be asked for RS 4800 in Delhi

Originally posted by tugpilot
Travelling out next Saturday but back form Delhi on 08 Feb. Given the usual shambles there, if I have to pay can VS please advise on departure as I don't want to be asked for RS 4800 in Delhi

I thought the tax was only for flights departing out of the UK so you will be ok?

Im starting to get worried now that the airports will be thrown into total meltdown again if they are going to start demanding cash off people at check in, I can see this turning into a nightmare, I think Virgin need to work out their position and act fast!

[preiffer]

Originally posted by RichardMannion
I did read somewhere that they could be shooting themselves in the foot (the government that is), as many organisations had started to pay towards Carbon Offset. Given that their travel expenditure will increas, some are considering not to bother with the future contributions. I know I wouldn't.

We're not at all, and all our travel is in J. (Oh, and there's a LOT of us...)

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by preiffer

Originally posted by RichardMannion
I did read somewhere that they could be shooting themselves in the foot (the government that is), as many organisations had started to pay towards Carbon Offset. Given that their travel expenditure will increas, some are considering not to bother with the future contributions. I know I wouldn't.

We're not at all, and all our travel is in J. (Oh, and there's a LOT of us...)

Give me a job mate

kind of on subject

link
another

[honey lamb]

A guy from VS is currently on BBC News saying they are going to charge the APD and not absorbing it.

He also said wait until you are contacted about this from your airline. VS are working out how/when they are going to contact passengers

Further to Honey's post a word of caution, it appears that anyone who is travelling Ryan should be aware that they are required to pay the additional duty in advance. The report was saying that Ryan will not be collecting money at the airport and will refuse boarding to anyone who has not paid up in advance.

[honey lamb]

Originally posted by sailor99
Further to Honey's post a word of caution, it appears that anyone who is travelling Ryan should be aware that they are required to pay the additional duty in advance. The report was saying that Ryan will not be collecting money at the airport and will refuse boarding to anyone who has not paid up in advance.

I watched that with interest as I have an FR flight ex-LGW and I also have American friends travelling with me. Hope the email requesting payment comes soon

[Bazz]

Seems like this is a right pickle, Beeb news said this morning that bmi have still not decided whether to charge pax or absorb the tax. O'Leary confirmed in the same piece that any Ryan Air pax who has not paid in advance will be denied boarding, he said if they don't pay or didn't get the email they won't be getting on the plane!

I have a flight booked with sleazy jet in July. I have been sent an email asking for the money up front. I have been advised that if the money is not paid by the first of February, that they will consider that the contract has been broken by me, and that my ticket will be canceled and I will be given no refund. WTF is that about[V][n]

Stoneman - that sounds like a dodgy stance from easyJet. They will not incur / have to pass the APD tax onto Mr Brown until you actually make your flights, in July. Despite this, they are expecting you to pay the extra tax up front by February 1st, so they can bank it & earn interest on it for 6 months - that is not on.

As BBC News & others have predicted, there is going to be chaos at some UK airport check-in desks come 1st Feb. I only hope that the airlines do not carry the can for this & the inevitable newspaper / TV news reports make the underlying reason for the problems clear. (I am not trying to make any political point here - rather point out that any adverse publicity that the APD hike generates should not really be directed at the airlines). All Mr Brown had to do was make the change effective from the day after his announcement, rather then retrospective.

I hope VH dont try and pass hidden charge for APD for my internal flight with BA before my VS flight. I am sure they will try hoping that I wont have heard the BA announcement. I booked my flights via VH in June last year and I can't believe that I will be asked to pay more.