Cost more more to go to Thailand from the UK

Gordon Brown has just announced increases in air passenger tax of 40 pound for long distance flights.

[Lunchtime O'Booze]

Someone has to pay for that wretched war in Iraq !

Who has some good website tips for cheap travel. ?

Gordon Brown has just announced increases in air passenger tax of 40 pound for long distance flights
Chancellor Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he would double taxes on air travel as a move in his pre-budget report towards combating climate change. "From February 1 we will double air passenger duty," Brown said, delivering his 10th report to parliament. The basic levy on short haul flights will rise to 10 pounds and that on long haul to 40 pounds -- with both double on premium flights. Until now, the government has reaped about a billion pounds a year from flight taxes, levying 5 pounds for every short-haul economy flight and 20 pounds for long-haul journeys. Premium flights were twice those levelsIf you're going to tell us something, at least make it accurate.

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT (SECTION 7)

7.82

In the light of this, the Government recognises the role that air passenger duty can
play in tackling the climate change impact of aviation. The Government will therefore
increase air passenger duty rates (APD) with effect from 1 February 2007. The intra-EU economy rate will rise from ┬г5 to ┬г10 and the non-economy rate from ┬г10 to ┬г20. The long-haul economy rate will rise from ┬г20 to ┬г40 and the non-economy rate from ┬г40 to ┬г80. This will deliver carbon savings of around 0.3 MtC a year by 2010-11. When the effect of non-carbon dioxide emissions is taken into account this has a climate change impact equivalent to saving around 0.75 MtC per year by 2010-11. To ensure consistency within the air passenger duty system, the scope of the European rates of air passenger duty will also be widened to include all of the signatories to the European Common Aviation Area Agreement, with effect from 1 February 2007.

Curious - If you're going to tell us something, you make sure its accurate

[globalwanderer]

and the new rates apply to flights after Feb 1 even if you have already bought and paid the ticket... you'll be asked to cough up the difference at check in

Curious - If you're going to tell us something, you make sure its accurate

The basic levy on short haul flights will rise to 10 pounds and that on long haul to 40 pounds -- with both double on premium flights
Your statement is accurate only if you are focusing on "premium flights". But then if you don't even know the difference between its and it's I suppose we should not be surprised at your usually getting the details wrong.

Sure makes Thailand's airport tax rise from 500 baht to 700 baht look cheap.

There is an International treaty that airline fuel should not be taxed. These 'other'taxes seem to be a devious way to raise revenues.

Curious - If you're going to tell us something, you make sure its accurate

The basic levy on short haul flights will rise to 10 pounds and that on long haul to 40 pounds -- with both double on premium flights
Your statement is accurate only if you are focusing on "premium flights". But then if you don't even know the difference between its and it's I suppose we should not be surprised at your usually getting the details wrong.

So we both agree that my statement is accurate, even if only focusing on premium flights - now you said in your other thread 'If you're going to tell us something, at least make it accurate' - so what are you babbling on about - you need to correct yourself and admit that you're wrong, but that's your choice - my statement was not inaccurate - unlike yours Curious!

Thank you for pointing out my grammar by the way. However, when you're quoting text from what a person says, the quote sign should be used 'its' not "its" as it is referred to what I actually said. - an error, we all make them, but some of us admit it - arrogance comes to mind here!

Some airlines may ask people who bought their ticket prior to Gordon Brown's budget to cough up and pay the additional air tax levy according to a BBC report.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/m ... 184581.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/moneybox/6184581.stm)

This really hurts Thailands ambition to be a "family" destination.

Extra ┬г160 for a family of 4 - and if fuel prices keep rising - we might need long haul ferries lol

By Ben Webster, Transport Correspondent The Times online

AIRLINE passengers would pay up to ┬г27 extra for a return ticket to cover the environmental damage caused by their flights, under European Commission proposals to address climate change. Draft legislation to be published next month would require all flights arriving or departing from European Union airports to buy permits to cover their carbon dioxide emissions. The document, a copy of which has been obtained by The Times, says that airlines would join EuropeтАЩs emissions trading scheme by 2011 and predicts that they would pass on the costs to their passengers.

The report estimates that passengers on flights within Europe would pay an extra тВм9 (┬г6) for a ticket, with the actual sum depending on the price of the permits. Those flying long haul would pay up to тВм39.60 (┬г27). This will infuriate the United States and many other countries because it would affect all flights into and out of Europe, regardless of their origin or destination. US airlines would have to buy permits to cover their emissions on their European routes. The Association of European Airlines (AEA) said that the proposal could provoke a trade war between the US and the EU, and raise the risk of flight restrictions and sanctions on European goods.

The commission previously appeared to favour a scheme that covered flights only starting and ending within the EU. But the document concludes that an intra-EU scheme would be far less effective, reducing CO2 emissions by 44 million tonnes compared with 183 million tonnes if all arriving and departing flights were included.

The document says that greenhouse gas emissions from international flights from EU airports grew by 7.5 per cent between 2003 and 2004, with a cumulative growth of 87 per cent from 1990 levels. It says that aviation must be made to play its part in efforts to prevent global temperatures rising more than 2C (3.6F) above pre-industrial levels. Airlines would be required to start reporting and monitoring the emissions from 2010 in preparation for the permit schemeтАЩs introduction in 2011.

The document says that the burden of complying with the scheme would fall more heavily on airlines using older, less efficient aircraft and on those that fail to sell a high proportion of their seats.

British airlines, which tend to have relatively new aircraft, would be less affected. Budget airlines such as Ryanair, which sell more than 80 per cent of their seats, would also find it cheaper to comply.

Full article http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 79,00.html (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-2455479,00.html)

All these environmental schemes which cost us money, but to my knowledge it has'nt done anything to the environment. Well, I suppose at least this EU tax is aiming at something but will it work. The money should be spent on new technology to ensure emissions are limited. I suspect that if for generations down the line who will have to pick up the damage.