Virgin Atlantic today slashed its prices to New York to virtually nothing today, with only taxes and charges to pay.

The airline announced it was putting fares up for sale for £225, the lowest since the immediate aftermath of 9/11 in 2001.

But a check of the airline's website reveals that the fares are even lower, at £205.73.

Half of that is a fuel surcharge. And when the total of £190.73 worth of taxes and charges is stripped out, the return price is just £15 - the equivalent of a transatlantic Ryanair in virtually giving away seats.

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The rock bottom price is the latest in an increasingly urgent firesale by airlines to help fill seats. Two days ago, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways began selling seats to Dubai for £252, the lowest ever seen to the Emirates.

The number of air passengers is collapsing rapidly this year. Yesterday, airport operator BAA said the number of passengers through its airports fell by 2.8 per cent last year.

The decrease sharply increased in the last quarter of 2008, which saw a fall in the total number of Britons travelling abroad for only the second time ever - the previous year being 2001.

The outlook is deeply pessimistic, with the Spanish Tourist Board this week revealing that there was a 20.5 per cent drop in British visitors last month, with 148,000 few visitors from the UK than for January the previous year.

The bleak outlook has forced airlines to slash prices across the board, with BA, Virgin and Bmi having already launched several quick firesales this year. Low-cost airlines including Ryanair now constantly offer sales of a million or more seats for £10.

THOSE £190.73 TAXES AND CHARGES

Fuel surcharge (return) £106
UK insurance and security surcharges (introduced after 9/11) £2.50
US security fee $2.50
UK air passenger duty £40
US International Arrival tax US$15.40
US International Departure tax US$15.40
US Customs fee US$5.50
US Immigration Fee US$7
Heathrow passenger facility charge £12.80
JFK passenger facility charge US$4.50

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