Holy crumpets, Batman! They're going to double the tax on flying!

At least that's what Ben Leapman of the Evening Standard is saying. In fact, the British travelers are facing a real doubling -- from the current 20, to 40 pounds -- in surtaxes the government places on long-haul flights. On domestic and European flights, the tax would double, also, from five pounds to ten.

Enviro-tyrant influence?

Leapman notes that, "Chancellor [of the Exchequer] Gordon Brown (pictured) was... said to back the idea as a way to raise 800 million pounds a year for the Treasury, and [to] bolster the Government's 'green' credentials."

The impact of the added taxes will be felt most on the cheapest tickets. A 20 pound increase on a premium-airline ticket from Heathrow to Singapore, one could see, would not have the same impact on travel plans as a five-pound addition to a discount-carrier regional flight. Premium airlines, in fact, are not screaming about the tax increase... but easyJet and Ryanair sure are making a ruckus, threatening to cause as much public awareness as possible, in hopes of derailing the new tax before it starts gaining supporters in tax-hungry Parliament.

FMI: Brown