UK Government Budget annoucements

[Flashback]

BBC News - Key points of Budget 2014: At-a-glance

Of interest to us AFFers:
Beer duty cut by 1p a pint
All long-haul flights to carry lower rate of air duty currently charged on flights to US

 

[Formal Hall]

Lobbying from US airlines has already seen APD abolished on flights from Northern Ireland (a move that only benefited United, which fly BFS-EWR).
BA has been hounding the UK govt on APD (even speaking in favour of an independent Scotland, in the hope it would abolish APD).
Given that BA is in transatlantic alliance with AA, the combined lobbying must have been successful.

No indication in BBC report if the APD will be reduced only for Y or for all cabins (J and F attract higher duty).

Shame Australia cannot negotiate something similar, at least for 'same plane', single flight number, flights from the UK, which from May will only be BA and QF.
APD is by distance bands, so flights to Australia already attract much higher duty than to the US.

 

[Mal]

Bands C and D have been cut. So only A for short haul and B for long haul will remain. Nice for flights > 4000 miles.

 

[Flashback]

Bands C and D have been cut. So only A for short haul and B for long haul will remain. Nice for flights > 4000 miles.

Absolutely. Let's see if it does actually happen though

 

[Princess Fiona]

This is from the Telegraph, good news for the premium cabins to Oz
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...-reform-provides-boost-for-holidaymakers.html

 

[Flashback]

I'm glad to see it though - I certainly lobbied my local MP to ensure our voices were heard, as did a lot of my mates.

 

[cove]

Lucky our children are grown up so they can pay their share to keep the Brits budget sort of balanced.

 

[Formal Hall]

Bands C and D have been cut. So only A for short haul and B for long haul will remain. Nice for flights > 4000 miles.

Great news, poor reporting from the BBC to suggest it was US flights only.
Note it only kicks on from April 1st 2015, so no thinking you'll claim it back from the airline for current bookings.

It would be interesting to know if Australia and NZ did some heavy lobbying; they would be some of the most popular destinations in band D (6000 miles +)