Joost From Netherlands, joined Apr 2005, 3128 posts, RR: 4 Posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 4248 times:
Last night, the Dutch government has decided to abolish the flight tax per 1 July. The flight tax is EUR 11.25 for short-haul sectors and EUR 45 for long-haul sectors.
Although the tax raised 300 million Euro per year, the damage to the economy was estimated at 1.300 million Euro. The main reason for abolishing the flight tax is to help the economy in these difficult times.
Kappel From Suriname, joined Jul 2005, 3533 posts, RR: 18 Reply 1, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 4249 times:
Good news for us pax and SPL!!! I heard this news this morning... finally they came to their senses that instead of generating direct revenue, this tax costs more indirectly due to jobs being lost etc.
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12022 posts, RR: 43 Reply 2, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 4204 times:
Excellent news. I have avoided AMS as a transfer point since this new tax was added. Now I can begin flying through AMS again
Airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4015 posts, RR: 52 Reply 3, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 4195 times:
Quoting KaiGywer (Reply 2): I have avoided AMS as a transfer point since this new tax was added. Now I can begin flying through AMS again
Then this tax has never been applicable for you.
It was only neccesary to pay for those who departed ex AMS (as origin). And not for transfer passengers.
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12022 posts, RR: 43 Reply 4, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 4099 times:
Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 3):
Then this tax has never been applicable for you.
It was only neccesary to pay for those who departed ex AMS (as origin). And not for transfer passengers.
I was travelling as staff, so every flight was techically originating in AMS.
JRadier From Netherlands, joined Sep 2004, 4597 posts, RR: 51 Reply 5, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 4088 times:
Quoting KaiGywer (Reply 4): I was travelling as staff, so every flight was techically originating in AMS.
It doesn't have to be true, but I see your point . If you would've been flying Syrian BRU-AMS-Syria or VLM GRQ-AMS-LCY (altough you would still pay the tax) your flight wouldn't originate in AMS.
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and ther
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12022 posts, RR: 43 Reply 6, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 4074 times:
Quoting JRadier (Reply 5):
It doesn't have to be true, but I see your point . If you would've been flying Syrian BRU-AMS-Syria or VLM GRQ-AMS-LCY (altough you would still pay the tax) your flight wouldn't originate in AMS.
Unfortunately not a lot of connections past AMS on NW metal
LTBEWR From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 12330 posts, RR: 12 Reply 8, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 20 hours ago) and read 4022 times:
Good call. Far too many airports (and the authorities that operate them) have extortionate fees and taxes that hurt those that pay for the flights, encouraging use of other airports, hurting tourism and business.
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12022 posts, RR: 43 Reply 11, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 3881 times:
Quoting JRadier (Reply 7): You have the flight to/from BOM, but I don't think that is a through flight.
Actually it is. Currently a continuation of the SEA-AMS flight, soon to be on DL PDX-AMS.. Not going there anyways
Bobnwa From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 5974 posts, RR: 9 Reply 12, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 3852 times:
Quoting JRadier (Reply 7): Placing restrictions afterwards, that's not fair . You have the flight to/from BOM, but I don't think that is a through flight.
All non rev (staff) travel connecting in AMS had to pay the tax. Only the BOM flight was a thru flight. Returning to the the US via AMS all non rev revs had to pay the high transatlantic tax even though they were connecting passengers.
Billreid From Netherlands, joined Jun 2006, 847 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 3793 times:
Quoting KaiGywer (Reply 2): Excellent news. I have avoided AMS as a transfer point since this new tax was added. Now I can begin flying through AMS again
Did you really avoid AMS for a Tax that only applied to O & D pax?
The word from SPL was that the tax which was an environmental tax was the worst environment tax EVER.
Over 6,000,000 pax were driving in their cars to Germany and Belgium poluting the air needlessly along the way.
The tax was an example of Government at it worst. "Lets create an environment tax that will result in increases in greenhouse gasses and MORE polution!"
Some people don't get it. Business is about making MONEY!
JRadier From Netherlands, joined Sep 2004, 4597 posts, RR: 51 Reply 15, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 3763 times:
Quoting KaiGywer (Reply 11): Actually it is. Currently a continuation of the SEA-AMS flight, soon to be on DL PDX-AMS.. Not going there anyways
I knew the aircraft was coming from SEA, but I thought it continued under a different flight#, my bad.
Quoting Bobnwa (Reply 12): All non rev (staff) travel connecting in AMS had to pay the tax. Only the BOM flight was a thru flight. Returning to the the US via AMS all non rev revs had to pay the high transatlantic tax even though they were connecting passengers.
Believe me, as a fellow non-revver (although with European airlines it is not really non-rev). I feel your pain. Being based in AMS, I feel it even more. Too bad I'm going on a long haul trip just before 1 July...
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and ther
KaiGywer From United States of America, joined Oct 2003, 12022 posts, RR: 43 Reply 16, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 3680 times:
Quoting Billreid (Reply 14): Did you really avoid AMS for a Tax that only applied to O & D pax?
Jeremy From United States of America, joined May 2001, 668 posts, RR: 1 Reply 17, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3416 times:
Quoting KaiGywer (Reply 2): Excellent news. I have avoided AMS as a transfer point since this new tax was added. Now I can begin flying through AMS again
I agree and I have also avoided AMS ever since. I was using CDG or FRA which is half the cost.
You are now free to be sexually harassed and then terminated for filing a complaint--Southwest Airlines to me.
Kellmark From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 670 posts, RR: 8 Reply 18, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3374 times:
Now if the Brits would only come to their senses about passenger taxes as well. I avoid LHR whenever possible.
EXCOASA1982 From United States of America, joined Oct 2008, 161 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3339 times:
Quoting Bobnwa (Reply 12): All non rev (staff) travel connecting in AMS had to pay the tax. Only the BOM flight was a thru flight. Returning to the the US via AMS all non rev revs had to pay the high transatlantic tax even though they were connecting passengers
Connecting through AMS I just showed my inbound boarding card and did not have to pay the high tax on the TATL flight I was connecting to because I was just transiting. This was all as "non-rev."
Bobnwa From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 5974 posts, RR: 9 Reply 20, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3310 times:
Quoting EXCOASA1982 (Reply 19): Connecting through AMS I just showed my inbound boarding card and did not have to pay the high tax on the TATL flight I was connecting to because I was just transiting. This was all as "non-rev."
If you were traveling on a ZED ticket you already paid the tax when you bought the ticket. What type of non rev ticket were you traveling on that did not have to pay the tax?
IAD51FL From United States of America, joined Dec 2006, 343 posts, RR: 3 Reply 21, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 3305 times:
Now can put AMS back on my "to visit" list..... Maybe one day I can put LHR/LGW back on it also...one can only hope.
Severnaya From Russia, joined Jan 2009, 1390 posts, RR: 1 Reply 22, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 5 days 7 hours ago) and read 3240 times:
What will happen to flights which are booked now already, but depart after july 1st? Will we get a refund? I know this sounds stupid, but what will actually be the case?
Joost From Netherlands, joined Apr 2005, 3128 posts, RR: 4 Reply 24, posted (4 years 1 month 3 weeks 4 days 23 hours ago) and read 3130 times:
Quoting Severnaya (Reply 22): What will happen to flights which are booked now already, but depart after july 1st? Will we get a refund? I know this sounds stupid, but what will actually be the case?
Yes, people get a refund through their airline or travel organization.
The government actually really need to provide these refunds, as last year, when the tax was introduced, people were obliged to pay the tax even if they had already booked their ticket.
Quoting Prebennorholm (Reply 23): Huh, that's bad new for airports like Brussels, Colone/Bonn, and maybe even Frankfurt
Not so much Frankfurt, but I would include DUS, NRN, BRE and CRL.
However, these airports have always been cheaper than Dutch airports and even after abolishment of flight tax, they'll still be. The flight tax has given those airports lots of free publicity though, and I expect them to still benefit from this. People are more and more used to include departures from German or Belgian airports in their search and I think this habit will stay.
25 Ushermittwoch: You should see DUS and NRN lately. DUS has around 30% Dutch licence plates, NRN 80%+. I was on a full flight out of NRN to DUB last month on FR and t
26 SurfandSnow: That tax seems like it was awfully steep - I can certainly see why people would avoid AMS altogether! I can only imagine the reaction by Americans if
27 Danfearn77: You must be mad arnt you? The last thing the UK Government will do is remove APD on flights. They listent too much to these environmental nut cases t
28 76er: 6 Million?!? That's almost half the population. The most widely reported number in the press is more like 900.000.
29 Joost: I know, I have contributed to these percentages as well It's a pity the ICE Amsterdam-Frankfurt doesn't call at Düsseldorf Fernbahnhof, so you alway
30 Kl911: Great, so what is the chance now of FR creating a base at EIN? They said they were planning it but cancelled the plans due to the tax. NRN got the two
31 Joost: No, that's not true. The "two aircraft"-story is from May 2007, long before the flight tax was announced. It wasn't even on the political agenda back
32 Severnaya: AHO is already served. And what about RIX now after the withdraw from KL on the AMS-RIX route?
33 Joost: Oh sorry, I meant CAG. Same island Not sure if demand is there. KL didn't withdraw from the route for nothing, and FR already serve it from NRN (4 we
34 EXCOASA1982: ZED fare into AMS then connected to my airline. I paid dept. tax but it was much cheaper since I was just transiting and not originating.
35 Bobnwa: The tax applied to fights departing AMS on ZED tickets. The tax is much higher for trans-atlantic than for inter Europe. EUR 11.25 vs EUR 45.00. What
36 Humberside: Easyjet's CEO was quoted on the travel mole website this week saying no AMS expansion until airport costs come down
37 Ikramerica: So, if times weren't difficult, they would continue to support losing 1.3 billion euros a year (or 1,3 for you EU citizens) in economic activity in o
38 EPA001: Unfortunately this is true. The left-wing idealists pushed for an environmental signal by the government. The environment is a hot topic at the momen
39 Copter808: Just refer to AMS an an example of a place that has realized the error of it's ways. You can still refer to the UK and EZE taxes. Figure out how much
40 Copter808: I went through there a few years ago, connecting between TLL and IAH, and got hammered for the tax. The tax for connecting flights was less than if I
41 Babybus: With so many illegal's working and not paying tax, and our high unemployment I think this is our main source of tax in the UK. I agree, get rid of it
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. If you would've been flying Syrian BRU-AMS-Syria or VLM GRQ-AMS-LCY (altough you would still pay the tax) your flight wouldn't originate in AMS.
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