Reducing cost of ticket - avoiding tax on unused flights

If the tax is included with the ticket, unfortunately, you'll have to pay the tax. If however it's a tax which is paid at the airport (which happens in some countries, though less and less) obviously you don't. Though the taxes paid at the airport are not normally mentioned in the price when looking at flights so sounds like the one you're looking at is the first kind and the tax has to be paid.

UK ruling on 'Departure Tax' states - (quite vaguely though)....
If you don't travel on a paid section of your air ticket, for whatever reason - you are entitled to the tax back.
It all sounds sweet and easy.
One of the favourite and famous 'Howevers' is....
Ryanair will offer you a refund of the tax - but will also charge you an admin fee equal to the refund.
There are t's & c's for a refund - obviously, but I don't know anyone that has bothered with them. I certainly haven't. Seems that a lot of money is in a big pot somewhere.

Trouble is when you dont want the 2nd leg and cancel it (which you'd have to do to get tax back) your flight effectively then becomes a one way and not a return.

This is a 'how can I have my cake and eat it too?', question.

I want the cheaper airline return but I want the country of the return flight to change the law governing how they collect airport taxes.

Prices are based on a business model. Some airlines still do have some routes on which they offer a return ticket at less than a one way. Why they do that is irrelevant so there is no need to go into it. Some airlines these days use a business model in which all prices are one way. Therefore, there will never be a return that is cheaper than a one way in their pricing.

But you don't want any change to the price the airline charges you. You're happy with that cake.

Taxes are collected where required to by the laws of a given country. The airline don't get to collect or not collect at will. If they could, they would never collect them at all since it is really just a financial administration cost to them. They have to pay people to administer the collection of the taxes and payment to the government of the country they are flying to/from. That's a lot of tax departments to work with. So you can imagine they would avoid it if they could.

You want this requirement changed on the return flight. That isnt' within the airline's authority. You don't get to eat the cake too.

So in fact the return you found is not cheaper than the one way with the same airline. It is not cheaper because you do have to pay the taxes on the return. However, that does not mean there is not a cheaper way to fly to your destination with some other carrier. Perhaps you should give the details of the flight and see if anyone has any suggestions that could get you a cheaper fare. That is after all what you are really looking for isn't it?

Flying to where, when, what fare you have found.

If you wish to claim back taxes for an unused ticket all airlines will charge an admin fee and depending on the tax paid this can be as much as the refund.Some airlines may allow a name change and so maybe you could sell your unused ticket and split the fee with the other person as tickets bought earlier are usually cheaper than those bought at the last minute.

Its been 3 days since OP was here out his problem. so maybe we can take it he's sorted

well the op would certainly get out of paying the airport departure tax

I would also advise to look at the fine print on the ticket to see if there is a no show charge it's rare but i have seen it.

Not if tax is in the ticket price already paid. Few airports now collect the tax when you check-in.

hi, just reporting back that I gave in and bought the one way (got a better deal than through original travel agent). Still think this situation is silly, but can't be helped.