Can I get a refund on the flight tax I’ve already paid?
Q I read your article about the reduction in air passenger duty for domestic flights. Will I get a refund on flights already paid for? I’m flying from Southampton to Edinburgh in August.
Ian U
A No – and let me explain why. From 1 April, passengers on UK domestic flights will pay £6.50 in air passenger duty (APD) for a one-way flight rather than £13. The government will surrender
£58m by cutting the tax on UK air links. Some of the cash will be clawed back by raising long-haul APD, and in particular penalising journeys in anything better than economy for farflung flights. A new higher-tax band applies for flights to countries whose capitals are over 5,500 miles from London. That includes the key Asian hubs of Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Anyone in premium economy or better will pay £200 to leave the UK.
Ministers revealed the plan in July 2022, saying: “This measure supports UK air connectivity and aligns air passenger duty more closely with the government’s environmental objectives.”
The timing of that announcement is crucial. I can be pretty certain that you booked your flight no earlier than late August 2022. Airlines generally open sales no earlier than 50 weeks before departure, not least because to have a Southampton-Edinburgh flight at 7am on 1 August in both 2023 and 2024 would be a certain recipe for muddle.
Airlines have priced the lower rate of APD for all future departures. While Loganair states taxes as £21.95 for that Southampton-Edinburgh flight (of which the larger portion is airport fees), on ba.com the same departure clearly shows £6.50 in air passenger duty.
If you are keen to save between the south coast of England and the Scottish capital in future, note that Ryanair is running flights between Bournemouth and Edinburgh from 26 March. The fare quoted for 1 August is £34, though that does not include any checked bags.
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