The Traveller's Magazine
Air Passenger Duty has been scrapped for children travelling under the age of 12 on all flights departing since May 1st.
The news is very welcome for families looking forward to a summer of travelling. APD is just one of the additional fees added to your plane ticket price by airlines as a mandatory government tax. Families with two young children will save £26 on flights to Berlin, and all of Europe for that matter!
This year the APD has been simplified into two bands: Band A for trips that are under 2,000 miles (£13 each) and Band B for trips further than 2,000 miles (£71 each). The biggest savings for family will be on long-haul trips, over 4,000 miles away. That means Australia and New Zealand, in economy class. The new rules means a family of four will pay only £142, compared to the previous £388!
APD is a tax which all passengers pay flying in or out of the UK, since 1993 when it was first introduced. It has steadily increased year by year but it looks like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. By 2016, the tax will be lifted for all children under the age of 16.
