Confessions of a Misguided Trio

France adds a Tax

Reading the International Herald Tribune this morning, avoiding Christmas shopping as much as possible, I was encouraged to read that France intends to make its travelers pay more for flying.

Parliament approved the increased tax measures on Thursday which may be applied from July. The Tax will increase airfares by anywhere between €1 and €40 for any seat that departs from a French airport. (The price depends on the class and distance flown.)

So why does a tax hike in France come to the attention of a Misguided One?

President Chirac has pushed for the tax, which is expected to raise €200 million a year to fight AIDS and in support of other aid programs, largely in African countries.

Algeria, Brazil, Britain, Chile and Norway have all publicly backed the idea and have indicated they might follow suit.

Not surprisingly airline industry groups are opposed to the measures...

posted by Mark @ 4:05 PM