Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
23 March 2011 09:53
British Airways is part of a group campaigning against rises in airport departure tax
Airlines and holiday companies have united in a bid to urge the Government against raising airport departure tax.
Travel organisation Abta is leading the campaign - which is also backed by British Airways and airport operator BAA.
The group has written to Chancellor George Osborne ahead of this month's Budget and launched a Facebook campaign to allow people to offer their support.
Many of those who choose to back the campaign may well be paying off holidays for this year and arranging travel insurance for their trip.
Campaigners say air passenger duty (APD) has risen 26-fold since 1994 and it was increased again last autumn, with those flying to the Caribbean in particular facing steep increases.
Abta has announced the results of a survey of 2,046 adults which showed that 63% believed APD levels were too high, with 21% saying they were about right and only 5% reckoning they were too low.
The organisations say that UK air travellers pay by far the highest levels of flight tax in Europe, with a family of four flying from the UK to Florida paying £240 in APD, while if they fly to Australia they can expect to pay £340.
That compares with £11 for an Irish family flying to the same destinations or £15 for a French family.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: "The Prime Minister has identified tourism as one of the top five industries to drive growth, yet aviation tax has become a punitive stealth tax."
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
[more...]
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.
07 September 2017
Whether it's binge-watching box-sets, shopping for clothes, chatting to friends or picking up work emails, staying connected is pretty much essential to everyday life.
06 September 2017
Around 1 in 2 GPs do not know that black men have a higher risk of developing prostate cancer, research has suggested.
05 September 2017
Many middle-aged men have hearts in a condition that makes the organ seem older than the men's actual age, a new study has revealed.
02 September 2017
Every cancer diagnosis should involve a discussion about stress, according to an expert investigating the biological impact of "fight-or-flight" responses.