expensive

Passport holders have been told to act in April if they want to avoid spending more money. Failing to do so could lead to people facing more expensive travel fees this summer

UK passport holders are being urged to take action in April as a costly change is about to come into effect. Whether you’re planning a holiday now or in the future, it’s essential you take note if you want to sidestep a heftier bill.

This is because a change coming into force from April 8 could affect how much you’re forking out to travel. Acting before this deadline could mean you’re able to board a flight at a cheaper rate, which is welcome news when virtually everything else seems to be getting pricier by the day.

This comes as the holiday season truly kicks off following the onset of spring. Brits have been advised to pay close attention to the guidance as a significant passport change is set to take effect this month.

The advice was recently brought to the public’s attention by Simi, known as Miss Personal Finance on TikTok, where she laid out everything people need to be aware of. She regularly shares a wealth of useful money saving tips online.

In the clip, Simi said: “From April 8, the cost of getting a passport in the UK is set to increase by 8%. This means that an adult online passport will be going over the value of £100 for the first time.

“The UK Home Office stated that the increase of these costs is to reduce reliance on taxation funding, while covering the cost to produce the passports.”

Following the video, viewers claimed “everything is going up”; nevertheless, those who fail to act promptly when renewing their passports will find themselves facing steeper fees to travel.

According to the UK Government website, there are several key points to be aware of.

These include:

• The price for a standard online application made from within the UK will rise from £94.50 to £102 for adults and from £61.50 to £66.50 for children
• As well as this, postal applications will rise from £107 to £115.50 for adults and from £74 to £80 for children
• The fee for a premium service (one day) application made from within the UK will jump from £222 to £239.50
• There will also be changes to prices for overseas applications which are detailed on the website

Why is it happening?

According to the government website, there are several reasons behind the fee increases. It explains: “The new fees will help the Home Office to continue to move towards a system that meets its costs through those who use it, reducing reliance on funding from general taxation.

“The government does not make any profit from the cost of passport applications. The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders.”

If you need to renew your passport, applicants have been urged to apply well in advance of any travel plans. You can complete this online.

In 2025, where no additional information was needed, it’s reported 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were completed within three weeks or less.

Air Passenger Duty (APD) is set to increase, with the tax usually passed on to passengers

British holidaymakers are being warned that flight prices are soon very likely to rise.

Among many other price hikes Brits are likely to encounter this April, Air Passenger Duty (APD) is poised to rise on flights departing from most parts of the UK from April 1. While APD is levied on airlines and aircraft operators, the costs are typically transferred to passengers at the point of booking. Charges vary depending on the distance travelled, with categories for domestic journeys as well as distances spanning 0 to 2,000 miles, 2,001 to 5,500 miles, and beyond 5,500 miles.

From April onwards, passengers taking an economy domestic flight within the UK will fork out an additional £1, bringing the cost to £8 per leg. Travellers will pay £2 extra for economy short-haul flights, with the rate climbing from £13 to £15. The levy on an economy medium-haul flight – covering 2,001 to 5,500 miles – will jump by £12 to £102, and by £12 – from £94 to £106 – on a long-haul journey.

The surcharge is considerably steeper for those travelling in premium class, escalating to £32 for short-haul, £244 for medium-haul, and £253 for long-haul. And for those opting for private jets, the hike will see APD rocket from £673 to £1,141.

The aforementioned rates exclude Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands and Islands. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) clarifies that passengers on flights departing from airports in the Scottish Highlands and Islands region are exempt. This region encompasses:

• the Highland Region, Western Isles Islands Area, Orkney Islands Area, Shetland Islands Area, Argyll and Bute District, Arran, Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae.
• in the Moray District, it includes the parishes of Aberlour, Cabrach, Dallas, Dyke, Edinkillie, Forres, Inveravon, Kinloss, Kirkmichael, Knockando, Mortlach, Rafford and Rothes.

Passengers on flights from other parts of the UK to airports in this area are not exempt.

Direct long-haul flights leaving from Northern Ireland airports are exempt from APD. However, for domestic and short-haul flights departing Northern Ireland, the standard rates apply.

So much seems to cost too much nowadays.

The expensive nature of everything is a popular topic on Reddit and the subject of countless papers and think pieces.

Plus, every time you drive, you can see the escalating average cost for a gallon of gas throughout the state that ranges from $5.77 in Orange County, $5.78 in San Diego County, $5.80 in Los Angeles County and $5.86 in San Francisco County to the high of $6.57 in Mono County, according to AAA.

It can easily make anyone think having fun is unaffordable.

Fortunately, our Travel and Experiences team has put together a list of 75 fun things to do for under $20.

Here is a selection of those picks, while the entire list should be explored.

(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)

Paddle a swan boat in Echo Park Lake (Echo Park)

Cost: $13 per hour, $7.50 for those under age 18.

On warm days, it’s hard to beat a ride on the swan boats at Echo Park.

They’re powered by foot paddles, and the pedaling is easy because you’re in no hurry. Maybe you’ll want to do a circuit of the lake (really a man-made reservoir). Maybe you’ll sidle up to the towers of whitewater rising from the mid-lake fountain.

Maybe you’ll wait until after dark (because the swans light up).

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Experience L.A.’s esoteric history at the Philosophical Research Society (Los Feliz)

Cost: Free to visit, workshops and lectures from $10 and up.

Located at the intersection of Los Feliz and Griffith Park boulevards, the Philosophical Research Society has long been a place of mystery, intrigue and, for some, apprehension.

The Mayan Revival campus painted in Southwestern shades of clay, cream and sage was built in 1935 by the celebrated author and esoteric lecturer Manly P. Hall.

Today, it hosts a dizzying array of events each week including poetry readings, death cafes, sound baths, a weekly class on Buddhism, tarot and astrology salons and musical performances — some of which have a suggested donation of just $10.

If you visit, make sure to make time to browse the excellently curated metaphysical bookstore.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Find the perfect meditation spot at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine (Pacific Palisades)

Cost: Free.

Whether or not you’re familiar with the work of Paramahansa Yogananda, who founded the Self-Realization Fellowship in 1920, if you live in Los Angeles you owe him a debt of gratitude for the smattering of lush, meditative gardens in Southern California that are still open to the public today.

Among those is Lake Shrine, a beautifully landscaped 10-acre property in the Pacific Palisades surrounding a spring-fed lake that is dotted with quiet meditation spots.

It is free to visit, but you will need to make a reservation online before you go. (Reservations open each Saturday at 10 a.m. for the week ahead, and they can fill up quickly.)

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Cozy up with a flick at the Paramount Drive-In Theater (Paramount)

Cost: $14 per adult, $7 per kid (ages 3-11).

For a night out that feels as cozy as a night in, head to the Paramount Drive-In Theater. In the comfort of your own car, you can spread out, munch popcorn and make all the commentary you want without getting looks from other moviegoers.

Tickets are purchased on arrival, and the parking lot is huge, so you’re bound to secure a good view of the big screen. There is a concession store on site with candy, chips and drinks, but you are free to bring all the snacks you want from home. Recline your seat all the way back, relax and enjoy the show.

Check out the entire list here.

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The outgoing Director General for the BBC, Tim Davie, has spoken out in the defence of the licence fee, which has risen to a huge £15 a month, making it more expensive than multiple streaming services

The BBC is in “crisis,” departing Director General Tim Davie has said. The broadcaster has been criticised for its planned increase to the licence fee, which will rise to £180, from April 1.The increase, required by the 2022 Licence Fee Settlement, will rise by £5.50 for the year. This means a standard colour TV licence will now cost each home £15 a month, more than a subscription to various streaming platforms.

Speaking on The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Davie insisted that the BBC – and other institutions – are certainly in “crisis”. He says: “Trust is built and I’m semi-obsessed by this – trust is built by people absolutely believing that someone is acting in their interest and that they listen to them. And if you think about an old-school broadcaster, it broadcasts….

“I think there have been too many instances where institutions and the BBC is definitely not exempt from this – where, call it what you will, metropolitan, a certain lens on life.”

According to Davie, as long as the BBC is providing value, then there should be no problems about an increase in the licence fee.

“We’re at a consultation phase, but we have set out a very clear preference which is and I would do this to the point about restarting where we’re at – I think there is a model which says: look, if we can deliver value for every household and really work at that, then everyone contributes fairly, and I think that is a model that’s worth fighting for,” he says.

“I don’t see it as something potentially trapped in the past. I actually think it could be something exciting for the future – quite enlightened. You don’t have to go exactly where the market is going currently. You have to make markets, and I think we can do that.”

The BBC have been hit by serious allegations that one of their Panorama documentaries misled viewers by editing a speech by Donald Trump. The BBC’s director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness both resigned in November.

It had been alleged in a leaked internal BBC memo that those working on the Panorama programme edited two parts of the speech together so that Trump appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riot back in 2021. Trump has since launched a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the BBC, which is scheduled to go to trial in February 2027.

He did not explicitly reference any specific errors the BBC had made under his tenure but he said the world was in an age of “weaponisation”, where the broadcaster was under strict scrutiny over one thing – but not referencing all the good work they’ve done.

“We’ve made mistakes, sometimes serious mistakes, which we regret. But weaponisation is selectively taking one fact – it may be a fact, so you’re standing on a fact – but what you’re not standing on is any effort to be proportionate,” he says.

“You’re not saying, look, a thousand stories run, we’re running, and one didn’t get it right, or overall this is where there’s no balance of data. It’s literally just selecting a fact to make a case.”

*Watch or listen to The Rest Is Entertainment however you get your podcasts.

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