Facelookbovvered - I've not missed you point. The fact remains that if this form of revenue stream is cut off then it will simply be re-couped another way.
We all demand lower and lower fares when infact the reality of the situation is that the operating costs for airlines have increased significantly on what they were even 3yrs ago, mainly due to the cost of oil.
At the moment, you know how much you pay to the government...its is the £10APD. With the new scheme, you probably won't. An airline may indicate that it might work out for them at £10 per seat however they will probaby charge £15 to account for seats that are not filled. This will simply resulting in higher fares for everyone with the only sufferer being the passenger!