Homeland Security Tax

[Rainboe]

Rainboe Jnr. (yes- there is another one!) has bought a ticket for himself and partner on a Virgin FlyDrive Holiday to Orlando. He was shocked to be zapped for 150 pounds for "September 11 Homeland Security Tax".

Is this some joke? Surely it's not serious? Well it is serious, but what the hell is that about?

[west lakes]

I think it pays for this lot

http://www.tsa.gov/index.shtm

friends to all SLF and , I am sure, even more to crew

[Rainboe]

Yes, but 150 pounds=300$ a couple? Do they want tourists or not?

[cavortingcheetah]

Very strange behaviour on the part of the British?
Who is doing the zapping? Virgin?
Just got back from DC myself. I never paid $300 to anyone as tax other than the usual UK departure stuff.
Missed you at the bash, rather wanted to put a face to all that toxic prismatic stuff. Perhaps next year?
Oh yes, by the way, the Americans, self included, do not care too much for tourists. Most Americans however labour under some peculiar notion that the Irish have some sort of divine right to set foot upon their shores. This is rather a pity and not at all what St patrick would have intended when he drove the snakes out.

[Rainboe]

Didn't know about the bash CC, but someone would have thrown wine over me I suspect! I didn't know you were American- you write like an Englishman (not that that is an insult).

Rainboe Jnr is working it out. The additional costs came to 143 pounds on a 348 pound ticket per person. The Atlantic Virgin Fuel Surcharge is 35 pounds I think, and there is Brown's UK Passenger Tax, Airport Passenger Tax, Airport Security Charge, and obviously something for the TSA, so it is unfair to blame them only! Usual European thing- 'tax 'em to the hilt- they love it!'

[cavortingcheetah]

The Gatbash, last Saturday, then down to Stockbridge for Sunday lunch at Black Bean.
Didn't think I'd been suckered quite as much as all that but did go through AMS so perhaps paid less to the Dutch than you would were you departing directly from these shores.
Anyway, do hope Rainboe 2 has a ball.

[Hartington]

I can't quite make the tax add up to the same amount but here is the breakdown:

40.00GB = UK APD
7.90UB = UK Passenger Service Fee
1.30AY = US Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee
14.80US = US Transportation tax
2.50XA = US Animal and plant health inspection services user fee
2.20XF = US PFC
3.50XY = US User immigration fee
2.70YC = US Custom user fee

You have to go through all those US services and they charge you for them.

[Rainboe]

Virgin break down the extra costs like this: YQ70.60 GB40.00 XT35.00
I think XT is Fuel surcharge- the amount looks about right. Those charges are set per person on a 348 pound ticket. And now Brown is zapping an extra 'green' tax on the aeroplane too! It is extraordinary that politicians have looked on the whole environmentalist movement as purely and simply a device to impose further taxes that have zero connection with environmentalism, apart from an excuse! One despairs.

[mutt]

Apologies for the creep....

Most Americans however labour under some peculiar notion that the Irish have some sort of divine right to set foot upon their shores.

We built the place, so its only fitting that we have a divine right of entry

Mutt

[PaperTiger]

There is no such fee. Looks like the Travel Agency (or whoever) has bundled a whole bunch of different things under one catch-all description

There is a $100 fee for students attending college fulltime, but that doesnt sound much like FlyDrive. The TSA airline fee is $5 per flight: http://www.tsa.gov/research/fees/passenger_fee.shtm

[Middle Seat]

40.00GB = UK APD
7.90UB = UK Passenger Service Fee
1.30AY = US Passenger Civil Aviation Security Service Fee
14.80US = US Transportation tax
2.50XA = US Animal and plant health inspection services user fee
2.20XF = US PFC
3.50XY = US User immigration fee
2.70YC = US Custom user fee

You have to go through all those US services and they charge you for them.

74.90 in tax total in this example, but 47.90 of it is paying for UK charges levied. That's 64% of the total tax tab. It is not just the US that is saying to passengers, "bend over, relax, and smile."

[Hartington]

My apologies, I left out a YQ amount which is the fuel and insurance surcharge. NB XT is where the airlines used to run out of space for all the "taxes" in the tax boxes of a paper ticket. So, they showed the first 2 in full then add all the others up and put them in the third tax box with the tax code XT and then broke the XT amounts out in the fare calculation. In theory ETicket does away for that need but it's going to take a while to update all the systems.

[Curious Pax]

On my confirmation for a Virgin Holidays Florida trip next Spring from MAN-MCO it just lists Fuel apd/resort tax as £156 per head (and seems to be the same for adults and 7 year old kids!). However we are in Upper, which I think gets taxed more.

[skydriller]

Apologies for the creep....
Quote:
Most Americans however labour under some peculiar notion that the Irish have some sort of divine right to set foot upon their shores.

We built the place, so its only fitting that we have a divine right of entry

I thought that was the Mexicans......Well, they apparently come and go as if there was no border....