We love visiting London. It’s familiar, it’s endlessly walkable, and it’s one of those places that always feels worth the trip.
The only thing we don’t love? The bill on the way home. The UK adds a departure tax called Air Passenger Duty (APD), and depending on your route and cabin, it can make the taxes and fees on a return flight feel wildly out of proportion — even when the ticket itself is booked with miles.
UK Air Passenger Duty
The UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) is a tax charged on most passengers departing from UK airports. How much you pay depends on your destination band (distance), the rate that applies to your cabin, and (in some cases) your age.
APD uses four destination bands (distance is measured from London):
- Domestic band: Flights within England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
- Band A: 0 to 2,000 miles
- Band B: 2,001 to 5,500 miles (this is where most UK-to-U.S. flights fall)
- Band C: Over 5,500 miles
Important: APD isn’t officially “economy vs premium.” It’s charged at a reduced rate (the lowest class of travel on the aircraft) or a standard rate (any other class, such as Premium Economy/business/first). There’s also a higher rate that generally applies to certain private-jet-style flights, not to typical commercial tickets.
APD rates (commercial tickets)
From 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026
- Domestic band: £7 (reduced) / £14 (standard)
- Band A: £13 (reduced) / £28 (standard)
- Band B: £90 (reduced) / £216 (standard)
- Band C: £94 (reduced) / £224 (standard)
From 1 April 2026
- Domestic band: £8 (reduced) / £16 (standard)
- Band A: £15 (reduced) / £32 (standard)
- Band B: £102 (reduced) / £244 (standard)
- Band C: £106 (reduced) / £253 (standard)
You can confirm the latest APD bands and rates on the UK government website here:
Rates and allowances for Air Passenger Duty.
If you’re booking a flight departing the UK, this fee is included in the taxes and charges you pay (even on award tickets). On our most recent Premium Economy award ticket, the base fare was £0.00 — but the UK Air Passenger Duty alone was £244.00, making it the single most expensive line item.
If you’re using miles to pay for your ticket, the Air Passenger Duty (APD) will often make up the majority of the taxes and fees you’ll need to pay. For instance, a reward ticket on American Airlines from London to Orlando (with a connection in Charlotte) costs 109,500 miles plus $422 in fees. Out of that fee, $329.70 (which is approximately £244 at the time of booking) is the UK APD line item.
No matter which airline or points program you use, the UK APD amount itself doesn’t change — it’s a government tax based on your destination band and cabin. In practice, it’s the price you pay for departing the United Kingdom (not arriving).
Children under 16 are exempt from APD when traveling in the lowest class of travel, but they’ll pay APD if they’re traveling in a higher cabin (such as Premium Economy, business, or first). Children under 2 who travel without their own seat are exempt from APD regardless of cabin. However, if you buy a seat for an infant, they’re only exempt if they’re traveling in the lowest class of travel.
Yes, there are a few ways to reduce or avoid APD — but for most travelers, it’s simply part of the cost of flying home from the UK, especially if you value convenience over saving a couple of hundred dollars.
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