Only the well off will be able to fly in future

The association called on travellers to write to their MPs and sign up to an online petition to stop the government increasing the tax burden on families as they head off for their summer holidays.

APD is due to go up on November 1 so that a family of four flying to Florida will pay £180 in tax but this will rise to £240 next year when the aviation tax is set to rise again.

The UK is the only government in the world to tax air passengers in this way and these rises will hit families particularly hard as they struggle with the impact of the recession, ABTA argued.

The Dominican Republic and other Caribbean destinations will see a family of four having their bill increase to £200 from November and £300 a year later. Those families flying to Australia and New Zealand will pay £220 this year and £340 in 2010.

The tax for those opting to travel in premium economy and business class fares will all be double those applied to economy fares.

ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “One of the great successes of the travel industry has been that we have made it possible for families on a budget to head overseas for holidays or to visit loved ones.

“These steep rises in taxation at a time when families are already feeling the pinch will only help to take us back to the days when only the well off could afford to fly.”

The online petition calling on the government to stop these unfair tax hikes can be accessed from this link or www.abta.com

Air Passenger Duty increases from 1/11/09 and 1/11/10

Four geographical bands will come into effect based on the distance from London to the capital city of the country concerned (with the exception of the Russian Federation which is split east and west of the Urals):

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