Your argument just does not stand scrutiny, me thinks its time you renew your tory party membership.
For the record, APD was introduced by Ken Clark, iirc at £5 per sector, then rapidly up to £10. Gordon Brown initially brought it back down to £5, where it stayed as long as he was chancellor. Darling then doubled it, and made sure anyone with existing bookings would also pay the increased rate. This wasn't just about desparation to raise cash, it was an act of deliberate vengeance against air passengers. The tories have carried on where Labour left off.
I don't mind if our politicians take well deserved holidays, but I do mind when they lecture us about taking the train, but fly or drive everywhere themselves. My previous MP was a case in point - grinning photo for the local paper as he trained it off to London. When I asked him about his travel in a FOIA few years later, he said he spent just £200 per year on train tickets!