More than half of British airline passengers plan to try to reduce the rising cost of Air Passenger Duty by taking long-haul flights from other European countries.
A report from Sainsbury’s Finance highlights that higher taxes and fees are imposed on passengers flying from London than those departing from Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid and Rome.
A passenger flying economy class from London to Sydney could typically pay more than £190 in taxes and fees than those travelling from Amsterdam to Sydney. The London to Sydney charge is more than £554 compared to £362 from Amsterdam.
David Barrett from Sainsbury’s Travel Money said: “Our research suggests that some families are rethinking their holiday plans because of the increased level of tax placed on some flights through Air Passenger Duty.
“It appears that many are willing to do all they can to get around it, from avoiding air travel altogether to taking long-haul flights from more competitively priced European airports.
“At a time when household budgets are being squeezed, we would encourage families to spend more time researching ways to ensure they still enjoy their family holiday and at the same time, reduce their holiday bills.”