Much-loved winter sun islands to get more expensive with passengers charged new extra fee
HOLIDAYMAKERS are left hot and bothered after a popular island is slapped with a new travel fee for passengers.
From December 1st, a charge will be applied to those flying out of the coutry.
The Maldives is known for it's stunning beaches, pristine white sand and bright blue waters.
It's a paradise you never want to leave - and now, if you can't pay the price, you can't.
The country, made up of over 1,000 small islands, is now charging an exit fee that will increase by four times.
The fee will depend on which service you are using to fly out, with economy paying the smallest fare and private jet users forking out the biggest.
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The departure charge was announced by the Maldivian Inland Revenue Authority, the Maldives' tax administration body.
They have reassured Maldivians that the fare will not apply to residents, but will be required from all non-Maldivian visitors.
Thankfully, for tourists, this doesn't mean sitting down and doing taxes on your holiday.
The departure fee will be added to the price of your flight to save time and confusion.
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Sneaky sightseers who managed to buy their trip to the Indian Ocean nation before November 30 actually to miss out the charge, which was implemented this month.
Now travellers in economy will have to cough up £41, up from £25, and if you're in business you'll be charged £99, up from £49.
If you want to pay the price for luxury travel you'll need to fork out £198, which was originally £74, in first class, and private jet travellers are charged £396 per person, up from £99.
These fees are aimed to fund the upkeep of The Maldives main airport, Velena International Airport.
It's located on Hulhule Island and is connected to many major airports globally, handling millions of passengers.
Over the past few years Velena Airport in the middle of an expansion project which will develop a new terminal, a runway, and a seaplane terminal.
It is also adding a VIP terminal for any A-listers that was to spend a week in the sun.
The shiny new airport is set to be finished in 2025 and will accommodate up to 7.5 million passengers.
Top tips to become the perfect passenger
- Pay attention to your Safety Briefings
- Flight attendants notice when passengers pay attention during safety briefings.
- Flight attendant Hunter Smith-Lihas notes that attentive passengers stand out and are appreciated.
- Apparently most people are distracted during these announcements, which can be dangerous.
- Chat with your Flight Attendants
- Don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with flight attendants.
- Hunter said that crew members appreciate conversations, especially during quieter moments on long-haul flights.
- Downtime on Long-Haul Flights
- Although flight attendants have busy periods, they often experience downtime and welcome a chat with passengers.
- Sharing recommendations for destinations, such as activities and restaurants, is always appreciated by the crew.