Quick Points: Here’s why you shouldn’t end your European trip in the UK
Let’s assume you’re planning a trip to Europe and want to include a visit to the United Kingdom. Should you plan to visit London at the start, in the middle or at the end of your trip? Does it even matter?
Well, you could save hundreds of dollars if you strategically plan the order of stops.
Suppose you want to visit five of the most popular cities in Europe. Here are the taxes and fees you’d need to pay on a United Airlines business-class award ticket departing from the following airports to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR):
- Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN): $40
- Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO): $61
- Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS): $85
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG): $143
- London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR): $325
As you can see, flying out of the U.K. is significantly more expensive than departing from the other countries on the list — its taxes and fees are more than double those of any other country. The U.K. has the highest departure taxes of any country in the world.
This is because of the U.K.’s Air Passenger Duty, or APD, which varies based on two factors:
- The length of your flight
- The class of service
For example, a flight from the U.K. to Spain would result in a lower APD than one from the U.K. to South America. Similarly, a first-class award ticket has a much higher APD than an economy ticket on the same flight.
Currently, the APD in premium cabins is 13 British pounds (about $17) for short-haul flights and 200 pounds (about $255) for long-haul flights. This tax will increase starting in April, when the APD on premium-cabin tickets for the 2024-25 financial year will be 14 pounds (about $18) for short-haul flights and 202 pounds (about $259) for long-haul flights.
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This tax will increase again in April 2025 for the 2025-26 financial year to 16 pounds (about $21) for short-haul flights and 224 pounds (about $287) for long-haul flights, a 12% increase on long-haul flights and a 23% increase on short-haul flights from current amounts.
Related: Flying from the UK is about to get even more expensive for premium-cabin passengers
The APD doesn’t apply to connections of less than 24 hours through the U.K. when traveling on a single ticket. That means you wouldn’t have to pay the tax on an award ticket from Vienna, Austria, to New York with a three-hour layover in London.
The European countries charging the highest taxes include the U.K., Germany, France, the Netherlands and Italy. Conversely, flying out of countries like Ireland, Spain, Greece, Turkey and Portugal is cheaper.
Note that these taxes are only imposed on flights that depart from these countries; inbound flights from the U.S. to the U.K. aren’t subject to APD.
Finally, it’s worth noting that two of the U.K.’s largest airlines — British Airways and Virgin Atlantic — impose notoriously high carrier-imposed surcharges on their flights in addition to the APD. As a result, award flights on these carriers (even if only connecting through London) will still have high out-of-pocket costs. British Airways now allows you to pay more Avios in exchange for reducing the surcharges required.
So when planning your next trip to Europe, visit the countries with the highest taxes first or in the middle of your trip. Finish your vacation in one of the cheaper countries. That way, you can save your dollars for more espressos, croissants and sangria.
Read more: The complete guide to flying to London on points and miles
