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Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Old Jul 22nd 2011, 11:24 pm
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Default Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Read this:

http://boardingarea.com/blogs/viewfr...kets-tax-free/

I'm not due to do any booking of anything but thought I would share just in case this (a) happens and (b) benefits anyone.
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Old Jul 22nd 2011, 11:36 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Interesting...

I'm assuming that the bill expires at midnight tonight Eastern time?

Cheers

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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 12:21 pm
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Exclamation Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Looks like it happened. Just did a random search on Travelocity for a return from Boston to Chicago on United for next month and taxes and fees were just $14.00 (presumably those are just the security fees etc.)?

If anyone was planning on booking anything I suggest to check now and compare with what you have been seeing recently. I assume the difference may be harder to spot on a European fare as the lion's share of the taxes charged for a return trip would be at the EU end.
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 12:32 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

This seems to be true. Yesterday I priced a ticket for my husband from ORD-IAD and it was 294. Just now it's 262 - showing only $14 under taxes and fees.
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 1:12 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by seawaternow
This seems to be true. Yesterday I priced a ticket for my husband from ORD-IAD and it was 294. Just now it's 262 - showing only $14 under taxes and fees.
Given that the 'taxes and fees' that we both found are identical for two different journeys/fares then I think we can assume that they are other fixed, mandatory fees and not taxes.

It will be interesting if someone has been tracking an international journey yesterday and can now make a comparison.
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 4:33 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by tonrob
Given that the 'taxes and fees' that we both found are identical for two different journeys/fares then I think we can assume that they are other fixed, mandatory fees and not taxes.

It will be interesting if someone has been tracking an international journey yesterday and can now make a comparison.
i did a search yesterday with continental manchester to dulles on 4th october it came back with $798 same search today came back at $697 so it is cheaper
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 4:44 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by redarmy990
i did a search yesterday with continental manchester to dulles on 4th october it came back with $798 same search today came back at $697 so it is cheaper
Excellent - good discount! I hope a few people manage to benefit from this. Wonder how long it will last?
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 6:24 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

didnt come up cheaper for me

I booked in august lon to RDU 310.... now its 323 lol :P
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 6:26 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Virgin America have posted an FAQ on the subject. Looks like people who booked already (and paid taxes) but are flying in the very near future may actually be able to claim a refund of the taxes!

http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/federal-tax-update

Seperately, there are reports on Flyertalk that AA has upped some base fares to swallow the reduction left by the lack of tax. Reports are not unanimous though - some are still finding cheaper AA fares.
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Old Jul 23rd 2011, 6:29 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by britishspouse
didnt come up cheaper for me

I booked in august lon to RDU 310.... now its 323 lol :P
I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Presumably you booked at some point in the past (when?) to travel to Raleigh sometime next month. Now you have re-checked the fare and it is slightly higher than you paid. Is this a single fare from London to RDU or a return? Also which airline are you flying? I'm not sure at all from what you have said whether what I posted is applicable to you.
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Old Jul 24th 2011, 9:56 am
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

I suspect some people will get a nasty shock when they turn up at the airport after the taxes have been reinstated even though the ticket was purchased during the outage. That Virgin link hints at it - the date of travel, not booking.
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Old Jul 24th 2011, 11:37 am
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by GeoffM
I suspect some people will get a nasty shock when they turn up at the airport after the taxes have been reinstated even though the ticket was purchased during the outage. That Virgin link hints at it - the date of travel, not booking.
Hmmm... and as many (but not by any means all) have reported the base airfare increasing to 'absorb' the difference, could this mean that some are effectively 'taxed' twice if they get stung at the airport?

Interesting sidebar: AMEX has stopped the fee for transferring Membership Rewards points to US-based airlines programmes since yesterday too. Apparently this covered some sort of tax - according to The Points Guy.
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Old Jul 24th 2011, 2:51 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by tonrob
Hmmm... and as many (but not by any means all) have reported the base airfare increasing to 'absorb' the difference, could this mean that some are effectively 'taxed' twice if they get stung at the airport
Ah, maybe they're pre-empting the tax coming back so they're absorbing it for now but it'll be used to pay the tax?
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Old Jul 24th 2011, 5:06 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by GeoffM
I suspect some people will get a nasty shock when they turn up at the airport after the taxes have been reinstated even though the ticket was purchased during the outage. That Virgin link hints at it - the date of travel, not booking.
Right, I was under the impression that tax was due on the day you fly at the rate on that day and the airlines collecting it at ticket purchase was just a convenience.
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Old Aug 2nd 2011, 7:18 pm
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Default Re: Tax-free air fares from midnight tonight?

Originally Posted by GeoffM
I suspect some people will get a nasty shock when they turn up at the airport after the taxes have been reinstated even though the ticket was purchased during the outage. That Virgin link hints at it - the date of travel, not booking.
It will completely depend on how congress writes the legislation.


Passengers who are eligible can request a refund from the airline.

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/...html?portlet=6
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