Why are the taxes on international tickets so much more than on domestic tickets?
In a nutshell the answer is fuel surcharges and more governments involved! Let’s look at two examples:
| Dulles to Los Angeles roundtrip Sep 15-21: | |
|---|---|
| Base fare | $342.32 |
| Security Fee | $5.00 |
| U.S. Tax | $25.68 |
| Passenger Facility Charges | $9.00 |
| Federal Segment Fees | $7.80 |
| Total | $389.80 |
| (taxes/fees added about 12%) | |
| Dulles to London roundtrip Sep 15-21: | |
| Base fare | $926.00 |
| Security Fee | $2.50 |
| U.S. Arrival/Departure Tax | $34.40 |
| Passenger Facility Charges | $4.50 |
| APHIS Inspection Fee | $5.00 |
| U.S. Customs User Fee | $5.50 |
| U.S. Immigration User Fee | $7.00 |
| British Taxes and Fees | $165.10 |
| Airline Fuel Surcharge | $458.00 |
| U.S. Immigration User Fee | $7.00 |
| Total | $1608.00 |
| (taxes/fees added about 42%) | |