What is the CTO doing?
In letters to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling, Caribbean governments have united to call for a repeal of the UK government's discriminatory plans. The Caribbean feels that it would be fair for its destinations to be reclassified in the same band as the USA and are lobbying for that amendment. CTO is encouraging the Caribbean diaspora in the UK to write to local MPs and protest against this tax.
Interview on TravelMole.com with CTO's Interim S.G. Hugh Riley
Other News Stories About CTO and the Caribbean's Lobbying Efforts
Four Tier Banding System
In April 2009 Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling announced in the 2009 Budget that the plans to revise Air Passenger Duty, a tax paid on departure from British airports, would go ahead. From November 2009, this APD levy system on flights out of the UK will be changed, so that the charged amount is based on a four-tier banding system. Bands are based on the distance between London and the destination country’s capital city. The British government plans to place the Caribbean in a more expensive tax category than the whole of the USA.
Flight tax to the Caribbean will rise by 94 per cent
As a result, flight tax to the Caribbean will increase by between 25 per cent and 87 per cent, depending upon the class of travel. In November 2010 those increases will reach as high as 94 per cent. This discriminatory system means that flights to Hawaii or California will be less heavily taxed than flights to the Caribbean destinations, even though APD is intended as a “green tax”.
UK holidaymakers and the overseas friends and relatives of Caribbean nationals who live in Britain are being heavily penalised. It would be more reasonable to place the Caribbean in the same band as the USA.
What does this mean to UK travellers?
1. In November, flights to the Caribbean will have £50 per person APD in economy class or £100 per person in all other classes
2. Next year, flights to the Caribbean will have £75 per person APD in economy class or £150 per person in all other classes
3. A family of four travelling to the Caribbean next year in premium classes will pay £600 IN APD TAX ALONE.
4. Tax on flying to the Caribbean in premium classes for a family of four will be £280 more expensive next year than it is now
5. Tax on flying to the Caribbean in premium classes for a family of four will be £120 more expensive than tax on flights to Hawaii
6. UK travellers transiting in London from the regions will pay two sets of APD (Band A for the domestic feeder flight plus Band C for the intercontinental flight). Flying premium classes to the Caribbean from Northern Ireland will incur £174 per person in APD in addition to the air fare
| Band & approx Distance in miles from |
In the lowest class of travel (Reduced rate) |
In other than the lowest
class of travel* (Standard rate) |
| |
2009-10 2010-11 |
2009-10 2010-11 |
| Band A (0-2000) |
£11 £12 |
£22 £24 |
| Band B (2001–4000) |
£45 £60 |
£90 £120 |
| Band C (4001–6000) |
£50 £75 |
£100 £150 |
| Band D (over 6000) |
£55 £85 |
£110 £170 |
*(However if only one class of travel is available and that class provides for seating in excess of 40” then the standard (rather than the reduced) rate of APD applies).
What can you do?
* To find out the address for Members of Parliament, contact your local Town Hall or visit the following website:
http://www.parliament.uk/directories/directories.cfm* You can start a petition or sign the British Government No. 10. petition to object against this unfair tax at the following website:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/APDIncrease/
How to find your local MP 1. Visit the Parliament website
www.parliament.uk which provides a full list of all UK MPs as well as a variety of other useful information.
2. Visit
http://findyourmp.parliament.uk and enter your postcode into the ‘Search’ box. However if you know the name of your MP or constituency you can enter those details into the ‘Search’ box instead.
How to contact your MP
1. By Email: Once you have discovered who your local MP is, you can ‘copy and paste’ the draft APD letter and e-mail him / her directly at the assigned address.
2. By Letter: You may prefer to print a version of the draft APD letter and post it to your MP at the following address: House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.
A full alphabetical directory can also be found at the following link:
http://www.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/mps_and_lords/alms.cfm
