As we know we "build" sectors to create whole itineraries; I remember a while back someone posted that for eg. SYD-LHR QF1. When one searches SYD-LHR there is 0 award space but if we break up the flights to SYD-DXB and DXB-LHR there is now award space. So is it OK for me to build up the flights like that? If not, happy to stop in DXB for a few days (tick the box, been to another country etc) but meaning I'd have to flight out of LON and pay the premium APD.
I dont think you would be able to have a stopover in DXB, not a OW hub or a US destination. You may be able to transfer in DXB to BA or QR though, that might get you through to the final destination.
I found availability for LHR - SYD on BA and QF but US agent in London said not available for the whole sector, only from LHR to DXB. So after postings, I called US in the US and agent there said OK but kept saying coach available instead first, and gave me the wrong mileage cost. I put itin on hold, another agent got things correct. Yes, the taxes out of LHR are astronomical!
I had a similar issue to
Myrna when I was doing a recent search (in Business, but would likely apply as well if I searched for First). I tried to book QF10 LHR to MEL, but instead found the availability by splitting it at DXB. LHR-DXB in J was fine, but not DXB-MEL. I ended up holding the booking in Y for the DXB-MEL sector before ringing up again later and getting a different agent, who said the sector appeared to be booked in Business anyway! (Not sure if some agents are still a little "block headed" from the *A holdover, as Business award in *A was usually I, whereas in
oneworld it is usually U -
usually being the keyword here...) It was moot in the end as I had found, in the interim, a better routing to get home, so we checked and ticketed that combination.
One thing I was scared about was splitting the flight at DXB so there would be two QF10 flights on the itinerary. US's parent, AA, does not allow this on its award bookings, i.e. you cannot book the same flight number on consecutive flights, so in my case if it was an AAward, QF10 LHR-MEL must be sold as that, not LHR-DXB and DXB-MEL, and thus availability must exist on the marketed LHR-MEL. Similar for something like BA16 SYD-LHR (via SIN). (Note that AAgents may not pick this up immediately when putting the itinerary together, but later when they validate and attempt to ticket, it will fail). I'm not sure whether US has a similar restriction - the saving grace partially might be that the two sectors of QF10 start on different calendar days - but we never found out anyway. My backup plan (before I found a better one) was to try QF2 to DXB to connect to QF10 to MEL (a transit of about 18 hours).
The two big taxes travelling out of London are the UK Air Passenger Duty and the UK Passenger Service Charge. The former one is currently GBP 194 for Band D standard (e.g. London to Australia in Business or First Class), whilst the latter one is GBP 45 (or thereabouts). You can avoid the APD by transiting in London from an international port rather than starting a departure from it, however that said it would rely on finding a port which is close to where you want to be and that the costs of going from that port to London are cheaper than just starting in London and copping the APD. Keep in mind too that shorthaul BA and IB flights to LON to try and avoid the APD will need to account for the fuel surcharge payable; on a short sector, that could be about GBP 40. (You can try AB or AY instead).
Funny enough, next year starting from April 2015, the HMRC will abolish Bands C and D of the APD schedule, resulting in only two bands of APD and the same charge for the Band D flight as above will be GBP 142. I think this will be interesting because APD is collected as at time of booking but only paid when the passenger departs; my sample search of say QF10 on ITA next May doesn't show a reduction in APD mainly I think due to this reason.......
The UK Passenger Service Charge, however, can't be avoided as long as you pass through a UK airport, even in international transit. So the only way to completely avoid the GBP 45 PSC is to avoid the UK altogether.
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