Fare go: long-haul costs rise

TRAVELLERS flying home to Australia from Britain in economy class have to pay air passenger duty of £55 ($98), and it will rise to £85 from November. For those in premium economy, business or first class the duty will be doubled.

The British Government raised the charges in November, the rate depending on the distance travelled. Australia is in the ''more than 6000 miles'' bracket and is charged at the highest rate.

Airlines and tourism industry representatives protested about the increased duties, and the president of Virgin Atlantic Airlines, Richard Branson, condemned them as ''unjust taxes''.

The duties were designed as a tax to account for the impact aviation has on the environment, which increases as people travel further. Virgin Atlantic encourages all its passengers to protest against the tax.

Nick Larkworthy of Virgin Atlantic said: ''A further increase in air passenger duty by the UK Government under the guise of an 'environmental' tax will adversely affect Australians travelling to the UK and vice versa.''

The news editor at Travel Weekly, Justin Wastnage, said the tax might appease people's guilt at travelling longer distances.

People might take flights from Britain to the Continent, and fly home from other cities on the Continent, he said. ''There will be dodges and weaves around it.''

A spokesman for Flight Centre, Haydn Long, said that while fares to Britain were cheap people were less likely to care about the taxes.