The UK's Air Passenger Duty went up in April. Here's what it adds to your London fare
Theo Marsh, co-founder & CTO · July 22, 2026
Open the price breakdown on any New York–London round trip on our site and you'll see a long list under the base fare. On a typical economy round trip from Heathrow, government taxes and airport charges come to roughly $280, and the largest item is the UK's Air Passenger Duty.
Air Passenger Duty
APD is charged on flights departing the UK. Since 1 April 2026 the long-haul rate to the US is £102 in economy and £244 in any higher cabin (premium economy, business, first). You pay it once per round trip, on the flight home. At today's exchange rate that is about $137 in economy and $327 in premium cabins, which is part of why premium economy to London costs so much more than the seat alone would suggest.
The other lines
- UK Passenger Service Charge: Heathrow's charge for each departing passenger, about £57 ($76); Gatwick's is lower.
- US taxes and fees: the international transportation tax on departure and arrival ($23.40 each), the September 11th security fee, and customs, immigration and agriculture inspection fees on the way in. Together about $71.
- Carrier-imposed charges: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American and Delta add their own surcharge to transatlantic fares; on this route it is roughly $340–$370 round trip in economy. United and JetBlue don't add one, which is one reason their basic fares are often the cheapest.
Why we show it all
The airline's base fare is often the smallest part of a basic economy ticket to London. We show every line so you can see what you are paying for, and so our own service fee is on its own line too.