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Families can fly for less from tomorrow

Families with children can fly for less from tomorrow (May 1) with the removal of the UK?s air tax, Air Passenger Duty (APD), on Economy flights for children under 12.

The changes will represent a welcome saving for families flying; a family of four (with two children under 12) will save ?26 on flights to Europe and ?142 on flights to long-haul destinations such as the US, Thailand and Australia.

Announced in the Autumn Statement late last year, following a ?Scrap the Tax on Family Flights? initiative by the Fair Tax on Flying campaign that includes ABTA, the cut in APD comes into effect from May 1. It will mean children under 12 will no longer have to pay APD on any flights taken from that date. Children under 16 will also be exempt from APD from March 2016.

However, children travelling in any other class than Economy remain chargeable passengers and APD is due.

Most airlines and travel companies have refunded or will refund APD on flights for under 12s that were booked and paid for before the reductions were announced.

This cut follows changes to APD earlier in the year with the abolition of the more expensive long-haul APD Bands C and D on April 1. There are now just two bands for APD; Band A where destinations are 0-2,000 miles from London and Band B where destinations are more than 2,000 miles away. Band A includes European destinations as well as Turkey, Western Russia, Morocco and Tunisia, and Band B is made up of all other destinations that are further afield.

The changes have simplified the APD system and made destinations such as Australia, India and Brazil more accessible to Brits.



Travel Bulletin

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