rlFill in your postcode and send your MP a letterrl

Quote: DaveO "I would if the letter proposed making up for the lost revenue by reversing the cut in in the top rate of tax from 50% to 45%. Flying is a luxury and while APD does affect me and I don't like paying it I don't see any justification in cutting it when it would most likely be paid for in a tax hike or benefit cut elsewhere, no doubt affecting those who can't even dream of taking a foreign holiday by air as opposed to the well off who benefited from the cut in the top rate of tax.'" Its all about your priorities I'll sign yours Standee when you sign mine and admit mine might just affect far more people in this country than air tax. epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20968

Quote: DaveO "I would if the letter proposed making up for the lost revenue by reversing the cut in in the top rate of tax from 50% to 45%. Flying is a luxury and while APD does affect me and I don't like paying it I don't see any justification in cutting it when it would most likely be paid for in a tax hike or benefit cut elsewhere, no doubt affecting those who can't even dream of taking a foreign holiday by air as opposed to the well off who benefited from the cut in the top rate of tax.'" Its all about your priorities I'll sign yours Standee when you sign mine and admit mine might just affect far more people in this country than air tax. epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/20968

If aviation fuel attracted the same VAT and duty that rail operators have to pay, that would level up the playing field a little.
But they don't mention that.

As someone else has pointed out, flying is a luxury, especially long haul, the vast majority of which are for holidays and those that aren't could probably be served just as well by video conference (I thought we were all going that way in the autumn of 2001).

Taxing luxuries is not unusual, pay the tax and stop whingeing.

How can you say long haul flying is a luxury?? Maybe business or first class but economy is a sweaty, tedious, horrible, knackering
journey. Tax First and Business class yes but not economy flights.

Well by the sounds of it they are going to put APD onto business air fares as well (I thought it already applied but reading that letter suggests it doesn't).

I can see businesses objecting to that with good reason as it just put their costs up but for holiday travel there is no justification for reducing the duty in my opinion.

Mind you having said that if APD is a tax/duty businesses can't legally avoid then it might go some small way to eking at least some tax out of the conniving bar-stewards.

It might not be a luxurious way to travel but going on holiday's that require long haul air travel is most definitely a luxury. (Though having done it with Virgin Atlantic to Orlando it is not as you describe anyway).

For business travel any companies that have not already mandated you always fly economy (as the firm I work for did a few years ago) would do soon do so if what you suggest was implemented. Sending employees economy class would just be yet another tax avoidance measure.

Its a luxury that is already subsidised by our government - if a bar of chocolate can be classed as a luxury item and taxed accordingly then taking a flight for a holiday certainly can - if you drive your car to Scarborough for a holiday you'll be taxed for the effort both in the vehicle and with the fuel - why should flight travel be any different ?

One reason we pay such a huge amount in airport tax compared with other Eu countries (and beer duty, for example, where we pay 40% of the total beer duty paid in the whole EU) is obviously because most other countries don't see it as their job to play number two western world superpower and tour the world with our forces spending untold billions on running gigs in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.

Flying is a luxury?

For those of us who live and work overseas it isn't. It is a bloody pain in the booty and often essential for earning our daily bread or seeing family.

Still, this is a rugby league website, where most people's idea of luxury long-haul travel is Leeds to Hull on the back of a 50 seater coach, with a stop off at Ferrybridge to fill their faces with KFC. The 'in flight' entertainment is interactive and takes the form of dodging bricks thrown by the locals as you approach your destination.

Well if you chose to do that it kind it goes with the territory doesn't it. I drive to work but I don't expect my car or petrol to be VAT free because I do.

I am not sure why you think because you live and work abroad you should qualify for a tax break on your travel.

In any case wouldn't you be buying your tickets overseas in countries that don't level such high APD?

I have never said I should qualify for a tax break on my travel. I am simply pointing out that flying is not the luxury some people have made it out to be. For some of us it is essential.

Anyhow, I don't choose to work overseas, it just happened.

Yup, I literally woke up one morning to find my job being relocated half way across Europe and international travel being added to my job description.

Anyhow, Germany treats me well and I now despair at the state of things when I return to the UK. Hate to admit it, but the Germans have better food, better beer, better transport system, clean streets, the list is endless. It's basically a better quality of life.

Oh and the frau? The frau is absolutely awesome.