Premium account Joined: Oct 02 Points: 17913 Posts: 294
Posted: 2003-10-22 10:42:00
Hi Globies
Airport taxes - sometimes they are included in the ticket price, sometimes they are charged in cash at check-in.
There are airports where is no tax, but sometimes they
are unpleseantely high. And it is unexpected extra cost if you didn't know about it before... Do you know any page in the net with a listing of airport taxes?
Thanks
Wojtek
--- You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced... W.D.
This is a question that's given me some frustration as well- nearly didn't make it out of Argentina because I didn't have $15 to my name and wasn't expecting the tax at the airport.
There is a site that has everything listed, but unless you are a travel agent, it's not worth the subscription fee.
I've kept a vague list in my head as well as jotting down a few, cause I travel so much that it pays to know which airports to avoid if possible because of excessive taxes (even included ones) and when to have cash ready.
Argentina has a $15 at the airport tax. I suspect that Peru, Bolivia and Uruguay do too (they had one at the ferry or bus stations).
London has a very pricey departure tax (included in the ticket)and avoiding it can mean the price difference of adding another country to your vacation as a stopover. (I stopped in Japan on the way back to New Zealand for the same price as just fueling in London.)
New Zealand has a $25 NZD departure tax at the airport. (Australia might too- ask downundergirl)
A good rule of thumb is that European countries include it in the ticket, as does the US, and everywhere else you should come prepared with up to $50 USD just in case. The good news is that everywhere (I've been) accepts USD or Euros for this tax.
I travel with STA (student travel association does more than just students). They are the most helpful and patient of any travel agents I've ever tried. They can often tell you what countries you'll have an airport tax. They can also help plan the route in a way to avoid the pricier taxes in stopovers and refueling. I've often gone in with "I need a ticket from here to there with at least two stops in new countries in between and let's avoid high taxes." They've always come through and been very helpful (if I remember to ask) about letting me know what extra fees may pop up in person.
--- "Seek to live. Remembrance is for the old." -Paulo Coelho
Now a days, most airlines issue airtickets with airport taxes included.
If you stop over at any point enroute to your final destination either onward or on return, extra airport tax is included to the ticket cost.
Your travel agent will be able to give the amount of airport tax for each airport that you pass through.Travel agents wil also tell you if your ticket is inclusive of AP tax or not and if not the amount to be paid at the airport.
Hi, I've made bad experiences with travel agents telling that the air fare includes all taxes and fees. That is mostly not true. I really would appreciate any online information source or forum which handles this issue.
