Virgin Atlantic launches APD price deal

Virgin Atlantic Airways today unveiled its own APD – Atlantic's Price Deal - for those passengers stung by the UK Government's increased Air Passenger Duty after they had already booked their flights.

The Chancellor, Gordon Brown, announced last December that anyone flying out of the UK on or after 1st February 2007 would have to pay double the tax currently charged, including passengers who had booked their trips many months before the announcement. The tax rises from £20 to £40 for Economy passengers and from £40 to £80 for Premium Economy and Upper Class passengers for travel after 1 February 2007.

With Virgin APD (Atlantic's Price Deal), those passengers who are liable for additional Air Passenger Duty because they booked their trip on or before 12th December 2006, and have paid it online prior to arriving at the airport, will be given a voucher at the airport which can be exchanged for £20 off a future Economy booking or £40 off a future Premium Economy or Upper Class booking.

Steve Ridgway, Chief Executive of Virgin Atlantic, commented:

“Virgin Atlantic is really disappointed that Gordon Brown took the extraordinary measure of charging additional APD to passengers who had already booked their flights before the announcement was made. Therefore we have decided to offer those passengers paying their additional APD online money off a future flight with Virgin Atlantic. We at Virgin Atlantic, along with our passengers, will be very interested to see whether the additional taxes do indeed go into environmental initiatives as promised by the Government.”

Advice to passengers:

Passengers who booked travel on or before 12 December 2006 and are travelling after 1 February 2007 now owe additional taxes following the Chancellor, Gordon Brown’s decision to increase the duty by £20 for every Economy passenger and £40 for every Premium Economy and Upper Class passenger. Virgin Atlantic will be collecting the additional compulsory taxes on behalf of the Government. Passengers can pay the additional APD in the following ways:

1) Log onto virginatlantic.com/greenorbrown whereby typing in flight details the website will calculate how much tax is owed and allow the passenger to pay this in advance of checking in at the airport. The tax can be paid online up to 48 hours prior to the time of travel and passengers must remember to bring their receipt from this transaction to the airport as proof of payment and in order to receive their money off voucher.

2) Pay at the airport. Any passengers who have been unable to pay the additional APD online prior to the date of travel can pay at the airport instead. Virgin Atlantic staff at the airport will be able to inform passengers if they have outstanding taxes to pay at the airport before they check in.

All passengers who receive a discount voucher can use this for a future flight until 31 December 2008 to any of Virgin Atlantic’s destinations worldwide.

Virgin Atlantic website: virginatlantic.com.