Who understands NZ Departure Tax

[albatross710]

Hi,

The Albatross family just returned to Brisbane from an NZ holiday. We were prepared to pay the $25/pax departure tax from CHC this morning but were informed that from 1/7/10 it has been included in the ticket price.

AKL departures have had it included in the ticket price for some time as we didn't have to pay it on a trip last November.

Is the Departure Tax from NZ now included for all ports of exit or on a port by port basis?

Alby

 

[Mal]

Port by Port.

IIRC, WLG (and possibly ZQN?) still charges it, although I'm not totally sure.

Basically the smart airports migrated it to an airport charge (so you still paid it!), and collects the money in other ways.

Administering a system where people pay for "stamps" to leave a country is crazy - especially in Western countries where the cost of hiring people to sell/check/cancel stamps isn't as cheap as other places.

 

[kamchatsky]

Whilst I don't understand it, I know I have to pay for it to leave NZ

Anyway, I believe all tickets should have included departure tax as part of the ticket. Why have people queuing to pay for the tax just makes no sense.

 

[samh004]

It’s especially bad in ZQN where the Travelex (or other brand) counter serves as the departure tax payment area, and quite often they’ll have just one staff member working, a long line of people trying to pay the tax before their plane leaves and some guy at the front exchanging money…

Takes forever. doesn’t help that you need your ticket to pay the tax, you can’t pay first and then check-in when the line is smaller.

 

[Gold Member]

LOL, was just in that ZQN queue 4 days ago thinking how convoluted and backward this departure tax payment system was! And don't start me on the security screening area... The only positive about my ZQN airport experience was the 4 bottles of 1L Bombay waiting for me for $15NZD each

OT, the Koru Club in NZ has to be the smallest and mankiest 'club' I've ever been in despite the kick-cough view over the Remarkables. I realise ZQN is not a major hub for Air NZ, but that place was a joke. I'm glad I only spent 10 minutes in there.

 

[Dave Noble]

Administering a system where people pay for "stamps" to leave a country is crazy - especially in Western countries where the cost of hiring people to sell/check/cancel stamps isn't as cheap as other places.

AT WLG , the collection of the tax is undertaken by the Travelex Bureau de Change, so no additional staff are being employed; the travelex desk would be there regardless I posit

One could reasonably argue that not paying the tax until it becomes due is a positive thing rather than potentially paying it nearly 2 years in advance .

 

[Mal]

AT WLG , the collection of the tax is undertaken by the Travelex Bureau de Change, so no additional staff are being employed; the travelex desk would be there regardless I posit

One could reasonably argue that not paying the tax until it becomes due is a positive thing rather than potentially paying it nearly 2 years in advance .

While Travelex would be there, it is possible that they have 2 people at the desk instead of 1 because they are collecting the tax. There is also the cost of printing stamps, storing stamps, distributing stamps etc, daily reconciliation etc. And I'm pretty sure Travelex wouldn't be offering the service to the airport for free...
For the traveller, they are required to pay it in $NZ, so there is more mucking around. If it can be paid by credit/debit card, then there is overseas transaction fees tacked on.
For a corporate traveller, it is yet another expense they have to claim back from their employer, and more paperwork required, vs it being added to the airfare when originally purchased.

I can't see how it's positive for a traveller to pay at the airport.

 

[Dave Noble]

For a corporate traveller, it is yet another expense they have to claim back from their employer, and more paperwork required, vs it being added to the airfare when originally purchased.

I can't see how it's positive for a traveller to pay at the airport.

When travelling for businessI will be claiming expenses on return so adding one extra entry is trivial effort imo

I see the benefit in that will only be paying it if and when the tax obligation becomes due rather than at time of ticket issuance ; when making a booking changes can occur and the itinerary may well change such that the tax will no longer be due; although refunded, the amount refunded may be different to that paid due to exchange rate changes

It may be easier to pay for taxes over a year before they become due, but I don't see that it is overly beneficial. I don't feel that I have gained anything worthwhile by paying Australian departure taxes already for next june

 

[samh004]

OT, the Koru Club in NZ has to be the smallest and mankiest 'club' I've ever been in despite the kick-cough view over the Remarkables. I realise ZQN is not a major hub for Air NZ, but that place was a joke. I'm glad I only spent 10 minutes in there.

Were you flying J or on ANZ, how did you get in there?

 

[albatross710]

The point of interest for us with 4 people travelling was trying to finesse the foreign currency after settling rental car fuel etc. With four of us travelling we possibly needed NZ$100. Had we been short at check-in means having to run around and find some a source of funds which would have been more expensive on a transaction basis. I don't have any other trips to NZ planned for a while.

FWIIW, my source of funds in NZ was Westpac ATMs. Fee free withdrawals from my oz Westpac account, easily accessible locations. Non-Westpac atms, $5 fee.

 

[albatross710]

One could reasonably argue that not paying the tax until it becomes due is a positive thing rather than potentially paying it nearly 2 years in advance .

Would be good but we are already paying the airline in advance for their fuel, staff and costs. Whether the cost is a tax or an airline cost is unfortunately not recalled easily.

 

[Leumas]

The point of interest for us with 4 people travelling was trying to finesse the foreign currency after settling rental car fuel etc. With four of us travelling we possibly needed NZ$100. Had we been short at check-in means having to run around and find some a source of funds which would have been more expensive on a transaction basis. I don't have any other trips to NZ planned for a while.

FWIIW, my source of funds in NZ was Westpac ATMs. Fee free withdrawals from my oz Westpac account, easily accessible locations. Non-Westpac atms, $5 fee.

ZQN doesn't take credit cards?

WLG takes credit cards. Plus, for QF, the J desks allow you to pay this $25 by credit card at the check-in desks (cc only).

 

[pauly7]

ZQN doesn't take credit cards?

WLG takes credit cards. Plus, for QF, the J desks allow you to pay this $25 by credit card at the check-in desks (cc only).

Yes QF big ticks for this simple but time saving service.

 

[serfty]

Cash only from ROT -> and they have a (different) fee for both Int. and Dom. departures.

 

[SimonM]

Palmerston North International Airport don't seem to operate direct international flights anymore, but have a $5 Domestic Departure Development Levy that I paid at the cafe upstairs.

There was a machine on the wall near check-in, but the AirNZ lady said not to use it.

 

[Flashback]

While Travelex would be there, it is possible that they have 2 people at the desk instead of 1 because they are collecting the tax. There is also the cost of printing stamps, storing stamps, distributing stamps etc, daily reconciliation etc. And I'm pretty sure Travelex wouldn't be offering the service to the airport for free...
For the traveller, they are required to pay it in $NZ, so there is more mucking around. If it can be paid by credit/debit card, then there is overseas transaction fees tacked on.
For a corporate traveller, it is yet another expense they have to claim back from their employer, and more paperwork required, vs it being added to the airfare when originally purchased.

I can't see how it's positive for a traveller to pay at the airport.

ZQN doesn't take credit cards?

WLG takes credit cards. Plus, for QF, the J desks allow you to pay this $25 by credit card at the check-in desks (cc only).

When I last paid at WLG using a credit card, I was advised that it would be a "cash advance" transaction, so that's something to be aware of. As my Wizard CC was still above $0, I wasn't terribly fussed

 

[extracta]

This is posted on the Christchurch Airport website

Departure Fee for International Flights

You no longer need to pay a separate departure charge from Christchurch Airport.

 

[Leumas]

When I last paid at WLG using a credit card, I was advised that it would be a "cash advance" transaction, so that's something to be aware of. As my Wizard CC was still above $0, I wasn't terribly fussed

When was this? Was this at the J desk or at the normal Travelex place where they sell these stamps?

Unless things have changed recently, I've never had this said to me.

 

[Flashback]

When was this? Was this at the J desk or at the normal Travelex place where they sell these stamps?

Unless things have changed recently, I've never had this said to me.

July 2007, checking in at the QF J counter. Wasn't able to pay there so had to do it at Travelex.

 

[Mal]

July 2007, checking in at the QF J counter. Wasn't able to pay there so had to do it at Travelex.

Hmm, Can't recall it ever coming up as a Cash Advance when buying it at the Qantas check-in desks with my CC's. Not sure about the Travelex desks.