Heathrow security

[ExSimGuy]

Airport Tax and "Duty Free"

Originally Posted by 10secondsurvey

Never forget, that EVERY time you go through security at an airport, you are paying to do so. It is not a free service.

If you ever travel as a "staff" passenger, you will clearly see the "AirportTax" charge, as you will have to pay that separately. Without going back through my credit card staements, I think it is UK Pounds 30 for a transatlantic departure. ("regular" passenger tickets have these charges in a fairly unintelligible box in the bottom left corner, along with other charges, so it's not easy to spot)

So yes, you are paying for the privelige of being mde to queue for however long, with x-ray machines that aren't all manned, in order to have to rush around the "tax-free" shops before you board.

"Tax-Free" shops - A bottle of Scotch in LHR at only marginally less that in the High Street, despite the heavy excises duty, plus VAT on the goods AND on the duty(!) that you pay in the high street. Cigarettes may be quite a bit less in the D/F shop, but the TRUE price, free of all duty, is UNDER a POUND! "Tax Free"? - No, just a rip-off (for which the shop pays BAA a very nice rent out of your "duty-free" purchases) Mostly "Don't Bother"