UK Airport Departure Tax Question

[vetrade]

I'm hoping the brains trust can clarify the status of the following scenario with regard to the UK departure tax.
Part of a proposed OW 318K J itinerary is: KEF - LHR - PMI - LHR - EDI - DUB - LHR - DFW
KEF - LHR - PMI will be a transit through LHR, as will DUB - LHR - DFW (Ireland/Dublin is not part of the UK so no ADT would be payable)

My thought was then to make the middle LHR visit a stopover (to conform with the OW reward rules) by buying separate tickets in Y for both the LHR - EDI and EDI - DUB sectors (EDI - DUB isn't a OW sector so we'd be paying for that anyway). The OW Reward would then pick up again from DUB - LHR but I'm wary that the London/Edinburgh/Dublin stopover (collectively the "London stopover") might be deemed to mean that we are actually departing from the UK on our way home, and therefore liable for the departure tax. We will be spending about 5 days in both EDI and DUB

Am I over-thinking this? Your thoughts?

 

[serfty]

If you book it as -oLHR then the oLHR-DFW would have APD payable.

A good TA may be able to book the DUB segments in conjunction with the other ticket to avoid the APD as long as DUN-LHR and LHE-DFW for a legal transit - I am not certain of this.

The fly in the ointment is that when you book the DFW segment APD would be payable on ticketing - good luck recovering that

 

[vetrade]

Thanks Serfty. There will be a stay in DUB and then I intended to book both the DUB - LHR and LHR - DFW sectors as a transit through LHR with both flights to be on the same PNR as part of the OW RTW reward (using QF points).
Does that get me off the hook with regard to the departure tax or are you saying that, irrespective of the journey home starting in DUB, that it is standard practice for the APD to be added to any LHR - DFW flight whether the journey actually originated in LHR, or not?

 

[serfty]

Does that get me off the hook with regard to the departure tax or are you saying that, irrespective of the journey home starting in DUB, that it is standard practice for the APD to be added to any LHR - DFW flight whether the journey actually originated in LHR, or not?

Yes it can. I misunderstood your question.

Int-Int transits at UK ports are exempt.

FWIW its not just LHR, APD can be applicable for any journey starting in the UK (other than Northern Ireland IIRC) .

 

[vetrade]

You've put my mind at ease. Thanks

 

[mandolino]

Yes it can. I misunderstood your question.

Int-Int transits at UK ports are exempt.

FWIW its not just LHR, APD can be applicable for any journey starting in the UK (other than Northern Ireland IIRC) .

And "Highlands and Islands" which basically means north and west of Inverness - Hebrides, Shetland, Wick etc.

Rates here:

Rates for Air Passenger Duty

Check which rates of Air Passenger Duty you need to pay if you’re a plane operator, and how to fill in your return to HMRC.

www.gov.uk

The Scottish Assembly had promised to halve APD and then abolish it altogether, but backflipped in May after declaring a "Climate Emergency"