Airport development fees

[mcdjl]

While I can understand that airports need to make money, why do some (Knock, Newquay, Blackpool, Norwich) charge a 'departure development fee' at the airport, rather than including it in the ticket fee like the bigger airports?
Also are there any more airports I should try to only fly into?

[MarkwG]

mcdjl said:

While I can understand that airports need to make money, why do some (Knock, Newquay, Blackpool, Norwich) charge a 'departure development fee' at the airport, rather than including it in the ticket fee like the bigger airports?
Also are there any more airports I should try to only fly into?

They are two different things: airport development fees are charged by an airport to fund the infrastructure, usually because the airport is small & needs to generate funds that way. Airport Passenger Tax is a government levy, collected by the airlines & airports & goes straight to the taxman, the airports get no benefit at all.

[jamieduff1981]

Durham Tees Valley

[mcdjl]

MarkwG said:

They are two different things: airport development fees are charged by an airport to fund the infrastructure, usually because the airport is small & needs to generate funds that way. Airport Passenger Tax is a government levy, collected by the airlines & airports & goes straight to the taxman, the airports get no benefit at all.

Understood, on a ticket I booked from Luton it had three lines on it
Flight £xx
Airport fee £xx
Tax £xx
Why do some do it in one way and not the other? I can't imagine turning up to a train station to be told, 'yes its an extra £xx to be allowed to get on board'.

[z4RRSchris99]

pretty common overseas

[MarkwG]

mcdjl said:

Understood, on a ticket I booked from Luton it had three lines on it
Flight £xx
Airport fee £xx
Tax £xx
Why do some do it in one way and not the other? I can't imagine turning up to a train station to be told, 'yes its an extra £xx to be allowed to get on board'.

The airline is required to identify the separate taxes & charges, for clarity under the terms of sale. Airport fees & airport departure tax are not liable for tax, as in effect they are a tax already, & don't form part of the ticket price so they have to be clearly & separately quoted. There are also different rates depending on different circumstances. Details here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/apd.htm & here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_Improvement_F...

It's no different from shops quoting "+ VAT". The railways could do that if they wished, & I guess some day they may have to.

[Collectingbrass]

MarkwG said:

mcdjl said:

Understood, on a ticket I booked from Luton it had three lines on it
Flight £xx
Airport fee £xx
Tax £xx
Why do some do it in one way and not the other? I can't imagine turning up to a train station to be told, 'yes its an extra £xx to be allowed to get on board'.

The airline is required to identify the separate taxes & charges, for clarity under the terms of sale. Airport fees & airport departure tax are not liable for tax, as in effect they are a tax already, & don't form part of the ticket price so they have to be clearly & separately quoted. There are also different rates depending on different circumstances. Details here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/apd.htm & here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airport_Improvement_F...

It's no different from shops quoting "+ VAT". The railways could do that if they wished, & I guess some day they may have to.

The airlines emphasise the additional charges to (a) justify their £1 fare adverts and (b) in the hope that the Self Loading Freight lobby the airports and governments to cut the charges. Shell do the same on Fuel Duty and VAT.

[mcdjl]

Neither of which explain why some airports collect it at the door (which I dislike) rather than through the airline in the ticket cost. I presume theres some benefit to the airport that way? If there is though, wouldn't it be in all airports interests to charge like that?

[alangla]

MarkwG said:

The railways could do that if they wished, & I guess some day they may have to.

Seen that abroad before - I think it was the Sydney Airport line, all the stations had a passenger charge. Ferry lines do it too - Calmac used to quote the level of pier dues per passenger/car in their timetable, but it's now been replaced with a message saying it's included in the fare and "available on request"

EDIT - as the OP states in the post above, this isn't cash at time of departure.

[MarkwG]

mcdjl said:

Neither of which explain why some airports collect it at the door (which I dislike) rather than through the airline in the ticket cost. I presume theres some benefit to the airport that way? If there is though, wouldn't it be in all airports interests to charge like that?

I imagine it's the other way around: the operators refusing to be tax collectors for the airport.

[MarkwG]

Collectingbrass said:

The airlines emphasise the additional charges to (a) justify their £1 fare adverts and (b) in the hope that the Self Loading Freight lobby the airports and governments to cut the charges. Shell do the same on Fuel Duty and VAT.

Yep, that too...