Why does it cost almost $400 to fly into and out of Heathrow Airport?

From where?

Or are you asking about departure fees/taxes? Those are higher out of every UK airport, not just LHR.

From the U.S.

There are no taxes on flights into LHR or any other UK airport.

There is Air Passenger Duty if you are on a flight originating in the UK IF you AREN'T a connecting passenger.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Passenger_Duty

To add, everything else is a cost that normal airlines would include in the headline price but which US airlines use to fool the stupid into thinking they are getting a bargain - but it's the nasty Evul Furrin Guvmint that's making them do it.

cferrb, perhaps you could enlighten us why now costs a British family of four $56 just to visit the US, when we welcome US visitors into the UK free of charge?

I'm asking a simple question. It seemed to me when I was making reservations for a flight to the UK (which happens to be my mother country, although I now reside in the U.S) that it cost significantly more to fly in and out of Heathrow than to fly into other airports in the U.K. I am sure that there is a logical reason for that, I just would like to know it. I'm not trying to imply anything. I just wanted some information.

"<i> I'm asking a simple question. It seemed to me when I was making reservations for a flight to the UK . . . it cost significantly more to fly in and out of Heathrow than to fly into other airports in the U.K.</i>"

The reason you are getting these responses is your observation is simply not true. There may be the odd lower fare by certain airlines into other airports on a case-by-case- basis or special/promotional fares. But it does not 'cost more' to fly into/out of LHR.

As mentioned above -- it does cost more to fly <u>out</u> of all UK airports than out of many other countries

It wouldn't surprise me if airlines are charged more for landing slots at Heathrow than other UK airports. It's where the airlines want to fly to. Equally, they may well think they can mark up what they charge passengers for flying into Heathrow.

Patrick, that makes sense to me. Thanks.

It's reported that a US airline paid £100 million for 2 sets of landing / take off slots. Most other airports virtually have to give them away - or in some cases pay airlines to use their airport

IME (many, many transatlantic flights into London) it does not cost more to fly into LHR whether or not the slots cost more. I find essentially no difference flying into LHR or LGW or MAN or GLA or anywhere.

What does make LOTS of difference is your point of departure ---

to clarify . . . >>What does make LOTS of difference is your <u>Stateside</u> point of departure --- <<

Thanks Alan and Janisj

"it cost significantly more to fly in and out of Heathrow than to fly into other airports in the U.K."

...is, to repeat what janis said, almost always simply untrue. Heathrow's not a particularly expensive place to land a 747, and Continental's practically the only airline that flies scheduled flights from outside Europe to more than one or two UK airports anyway. If you're seeing what look like lower costs from the US to several non-LHR UK airports, you're almost certainly seeing a comparison between a direct flight to LHR with flights that involve changing planes in Dublin or somewhere in mainland Europe.

There are also a couple of locations (like the Orlando and Toronto areas and Kuala Lumpur)outside Europe where low-cost operators fly to non-LHR UK airports, while only legacy airlines use Heathrow, and there are some charter flights between provincial airports and North America.

Otherwise you're just choosing an odd day. Sometimes Continental's got a special on its intermittent flights to Bristol or Edinburgh. But my experience is that scheduled non-stop flights from Birmingham or Manchester to New York are practically always pricier than from Heathrow.