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Topics: Martin Lewis, Travel, Money, Hacks, Holiday, UK News, World News
Tom Earnshaw
Topics: Martin Lewis, Travel, Money, Hacks, Holiday, UK News, World News
One reader of Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert newsletter has revealed she claimed back £600 from following the finance guru's advice when it came to flying abroad - or rather, not taking to the skies.
Lewis regularly gives us advice when it comes to saving money. From a few quid here to a small fortune, he's become one of the most trusted names in the UK for all things relating to keeping more cash in our bank accounts.
I myself managed to claim hundreds back using his advice after my flight back to Britain was delayed by more than four hours.
And I'm not the only one, with Lewis revealing that another of his fans has secured a significant refund when it comes to air travel.
Except this time, it did not revolve around a delayed flight. Rather, this was a little-known rule concerning your rights if you miss a flight or you have to cancel your ticket for one.
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Contacting Lewis, he shared the message from the fan - dubbed 'Mrs P' - who said: "We claimed an Air Passenger Duty (APD) refund through our travel agents, as we'd booked a package holiday but had to cancel at short notice due to sickness.
"We got our money back for the holiday through our travel insurance but it didn't cover APD.
"Then we saw the MSE weekly email and decided to follow up. Success! We were refunded £594. Thank you Martin and team."
Air Passenger Duty is essentially a tax that is added to every flight you book that flies you outside of the United Kingdom.
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The government makes airlines add this to the cost of every passenger booking and is included in the price that you pay when you book, with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) getting the cash once you take to the skies.
What you pay depends on where you're going and the length of your journey, with the A band tax put on flights up to 2,000 miles from London (think France or Spain) and the B band tax placed on those destinations that are more than 2,000 miles from the capital but less than 5,500 miles, such as Egypt.
Band C flights are those above the 5,500 mile mark, such as Australia.
Critically with APD, it is only paid if you fly. If, for whatever reason, you don't get on your flight (we're talking sickness or simply missing it due to traffic on your way to departures) you can claim it back.
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What the APD on your flight is depends on where you're going, with it starting at £7 per person and being as much as £202.
It applies to non-refundable tickets, with those with refund protection usually getting everything back, including the section of the ticket that goes to the airline.
The Money Saving Expert (MSE) website says that while most airlines aren't legally obliged to refund, they will do so according to their terms and conditions. MSE also stresses that there is no deadline for claiming APD, so you can go back years when claiming what is owed to you.
Some airlines might impose their own deadlines, so don't think the money is a sure thing.
Depending on whether your airline charges a fee to handle the refund request, the claim might be cancelled out if it is closer to the £7 mark.
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On the other hand, MSE stresses that the airline could refund other fees on your ticket, so you could get more than you bargained for.
And if you're more a case similar to that of Mrs P, then you should definitely take the time to fill out an APD request. It's your money sat waiting for you.