By james art The survey found that one in 10 Britons may be eligible, but that more than three-quarters of us didn’t know we could be owed a refund from our airlines.
Air Passenger Charge (APD), sometimes referred to as airport tax, is an excise tax on flights from the United Kingdom designed to raise funds for the government and encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport.
Although airlines are required to pay the tax, the cost is often passed on to the customer in the ticket price.
However, the tax is only paid after the passenger has flown, meaning that anyone who bought a ticket but then did not travel should be able to claim the tax back – even for a non-refundable ticket.
Go.Compare found that up to 3.6 million adults in the UK could be owing the refund without even realising.
It is now urging everyone to check whether they are eligible to claim their money back.
Tourists can get a tax refund if they miss a flight and have to buy a second ticket, cancel a non-refundable airline ticket reservation, or don’t fly because their flight was canceled.
Eligible passengers may be owed up to £224 depending on the destination and flight class of their journey and can claim by contacting the airline and providing their travel details.
More information on how to request an APD refund can be found on the Go.Compare website.
Rhys Jones, travel insurance expert at Go.Compare, says: “Very few travelers know what air passenger liability is and understand how it works. This means millions could be entitled to money from their airline without even realizing it.
“Your right to a refund and the amount you can claim depends on the circumstances of your trip, so you’ll need to check if you’re entitled to anything first.
“Note that you’re only likely to be reimbursed if you didn’t travel, so if you were put on another flight as a result of a cancellation, for example, you probably won’t be eligible because you flew anyway.
“But if, for example, you missed your flight and have to buy another ticket for a later departure, you can claim back the tax on the original ticket because you paid APD twice but only flew once.
“Some airlines do impose a deadline and an administration fee to apply, which may mean it’s not worth it for some journeys, but not all do, so it’s worth looking into for your journey.
“You won’t be able to claim any extra costs as a result of an incomplete trip here, that’s what your travel insurance is for. But it’s a great way to take the sting out of a frustrating day at the airport.