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| Britain |
| Air levy will add £45 to family holiday |
| 2008-07-09 |
| Greenhouse gases and carbon trading schemes coming to the EU, and if the Dems have their way, to the US, too. Watch yer wallets, folks! An average family faces the threat of nearly £45 being added to the cost of a holiday if the European parliament rubber stamps a plan for green curbs on airlines this week. Pick on the airlines and dip into the people's purse is the name o' the game. European MPs will debate the latest proposals for an "emissions trading scheme" (ETS) that the aviation industry fears could see carriers going bust. Let's tax people and industry more and destroy more private enterprise. Last month senior aviation executives, meeting at the industry summit in Istanbul, warned that the rising cost of oil was already threatening the future of low-cost air travel. Hope they were watching their wallets there. Now there is the likelihood of a substantial environmental levy in addition to aviation taxes raised by individual governments. In Britain this additional charge would come on top of an anticipated increase in aviation duties, which some believe could add as much as £170 to the cost of a long-haul family holiday by 2012. This will also be when the emissions trading scheme is due to come into force, which will hit all airlines flying to and from European Union airports. Brussels appears ready to press ahead with the scheme, which is designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation industry, even though oil prices have soared since the plans were first mooted. "Does not affect us, we don't pay taxes. We just institute taxes and you pay them." After prolonged haggling between governments, a compromise package was agreed last month. Well catered, I'm sure. But it still has to be ratified by the European Parliament and this is likely to happen on Wednesday, after which it will become law. "Rubber stamp that sucker and we'll start rakin' in the dough for *ahem* discretionary spending projects." Under the scheme airlines will have to pay for the greenhouse gases they emit via a complex licensing system known as "carbon permits". Which means higher ticket prices. Much higher ticket prices. Every airline will be allocated a ceiling – based on their emissions between 2004 and 2006. In 2012 the cap will be 97 per cent of this level, falling to 95 per cent the following year. Carriers wanting to go above their permitted threshold will have to buy carbon credits to do so. Even those who stay below their agreed ceiling will have to buy permits for 15 per cent of the carbon output, with the money going to national governments. We cheat the other guy and pass the savings on to you. ---Chilkoot Charlie It is estimated that this would cost the aviation industry £2.8 billion a year – equivalent to £5.55 a ticket – or £11.10 for a return flight. "Unless the Government cuts the taxes it imposes on passengers when ETS comes in, it will be a case of fly once and pay twice," said an easyJet spokesman. Maybe people will quit flying and the whole scheme will do nothing but destroy an industry reeling from astronomical fuel prices. The burden for anyone flying to the United States from Britain would be even worse, with Washington considering an emissions trading scheme for American companies. THEM are fighting words! Another battle for American Taxpayers. *sigh* This, it is estimated, would add another £18 to the cost of a transatlantic ticket. Simon Evans, the chief executive of the passengers' watchdog, the Air Transport Users Council, said: "We do accept that passengers have an obligation to mitigate their carbon footprint. But it is not fair that we should be singled out more than anyone else." |
| Posted by:Alaska Paul |
| #9 "Ever wonder about the truth behind (and underneath) the new Denver Airport." Well, DUH! It's LGF's Lizardoid Lair, .5MT. But keep it a secret.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-07-09 21:14 |
| #8 SERIOUS CITATION FOR SLOPPY COMMENT! Air levy will add 45 pounds to family holiday Damn they finally TAXED the the SKY... |
| Posted by: Caliphornia Fart Police 2008-07-09 21:01 |
| #7 It is part of their philosophy. Indeed. Ever wonder about the truth behind (and underneath) the new Denver Airport. Ask Snowy, next time you see him. |
| Posted by: .5MT 2008-07-09 15:05 |
| #6 Air levy will add 45 pounds to family holiday Damn they finally the the SKY... |
| Posted by: RD 2008-07-09 14:02 |
| #5 Have to agree with Anonymoose. Travelling, especially outside of the local culture, expands the mind and creates new ideas. Friend of mine (hippy, the good kind) came out here from Lawrence KS (little berkely on the river) and he was nervous about all the redneck jokes he had heard. Couple weeks later he didn't want to leave, I think he found out he has more in common with us out here then with his crowd back at home. I went to Europe back in '03 worried about going off on my own (I speak various romance languages well enough to get around on my own) worried about all the stuff I hear on the news. Find out none of that existed really outside of the tv. Cousin was about to be stationed in Germany and he was concerned as well and I was able to tell him firsthand that it was all basically bs and he went on to make some good local friends. Associate from Germany came out here thinking USA was fascist police state and realized it was nothing like that. In fact he had to go out of his way to find very thin examples of it. People stay at home they are easier to feed information to. Its like that line in Red October - Capt. Vasili Borodin: I will live in Montana. And I will marry a round American woman and raise rabbits, and she will cook them for me. And I will have a pickup truck... maybe even a "recreational vehicle." And drive from state to state. Do they let you do that? Captain Ramius: I suppose. Capt. Vasili Borodin: No papers? Captain Ramius: No papers, state to state. Capt. Vasili Borodin: Well then, in winter I will live in... Arizona. Actually, I think I will need two wives. Captain Ramius: Oh, at least. Also think that a clampdown on smoking in bars is another prong. People at bars tend to have a comraderie and share ideas and stories. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-07-09 12:20 |
| #4 Thanks. Another reason not to go to Europe. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-07-09 12:13 |
| #3 .....dozen examples of efforts to keep the citizenry bottled up in the cities and out of rural and undeveloped areas.dozen examples of efforts to keep the citizenry bottled up in the cities and out of rural and undeveloped areas. Moose: Please keep me posted on the success of this effort. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-07-09 09:19 |
| #2 The objective here is to force people off of planes. The left does not like or want the common people to travel at all. I know it sounds weird, but I can cite a dozen examples of efforts to keep the citizenry bottled up in the cities and out of rural and undeveloped areas. It is part of their philosophy. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2008-07-09 09:16 |
| #1 Even without this stupid proposal the airline industry is at the brink of collapsing. At some point sufficiently high fuel costs will make air travel unaffordable for most [former] air travelers, so that only the extremely wealthy will be able to afford it. If you don't believe this, invest in an airline of your choice. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2008-07-09 08:00 |