Duty-free
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From: UK and Italy
Duty-free
I spent most of the 1980s flying, returning home only to mow the lawn and iron five shirts. I always used to buy my full duty-free allowance, stashing the outgoing allowance in my hold baggage for the return flight (it never got searched) so I returned to the UK with 2 bottles of spirits and 400 cigarettes. I don't smoke. Once I had accumulated a fine cocktail cabinet I started taking orders from my UK customers for booze and fags. I sold to them at the price I paid, and showed them the receipt. This meant my UK customers were always glad to see me, and I reckon a bottle of single malt whiskey was worth about £ 100,000 in sales. I was popular.
I sold 200 cigarettes a week to Freddie Fox of Plessey Poole, 200 to other customers. Freddie got lung cancer and died of it. I felt that I had had a hand in his death, and after that only sold booze.
In those days duty-free meant exactly that, whereas now in aeroports you are lucky to save 20% VAT compared with online prices.
In Riga, vodka was £ 2 a bottle, and in Johannesburg Zimbabwean tobacco was R4 for 200 Dunhills. It was actually cheaper to buy on the plane than at the aeroport duty-free.
Who'd buy duty-free on the plane now? Even if it was still available?
I sold 200 cigarettes a week to Freddie Fox of Plessey Poole, 200 to other customers. Freddie got lung cancer and died of it. I felt that I had had a hand in his death, and after that only sold booze.
In those days duty-free meant exactly that, whereas now in aeroports you are lucky to save 20% VAT compared with online prices.
In Riga, vodka was £ 2 a bottle, and in Johannesburg Zimbabwean tobacco was R4 for 200 Dunhills. It was actually cheaper to buy on the plane than at the aeroport duty-free.
Who'd buy duty-free on the plane now? Even if it was still available?
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From: Beyond the Blue Horizon
I will bring back Cuban Cigars and obscure Gin if I like them from foreign parts though my Cigar intake is maybe 6 per year so a trip to Shanghai is far worse !!
Cheers
Mr Mac
Cheers
Mr Mac
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From: Beyond the Blue Horizon
I can tell you Cuban Cigars and none UK generated Gin is more expensive in UK. Also Jet 2 Tanqueray on Jet 2 is export strength on their flight minatures ie 48%, BA is Sainsbury std at low 40,s for tax break.
I flew up to Havana to buy a stash of my favourite cigars when on a job in Panama, which will probably see my life out, which was compounded by a grateful client sending me a Humidor complete with cigars on my exit from the company from Cohiba !!
I would suggest you look at what you buy at what price, and see how it works out. For instance I never bought duty free inbound from Munich as most stuff cheaper in the UK though Mrs Mac insisted I buy certain cosmetics and culinary items.
Cheers
Mr Mac
I flew up to Havana to buy a stash of my favourite cigars when on a job in Panama, which will probably see my life out, which was compounded by a grateful client sending me a Humidor complete with cigars on my exit from the company from Cohiba !!
I would suggest you look at what you buy at what price, and see how it works out. For instance I never bought duty free inbound from Munich as most stuff cheaper in the UK though Mrs Mac insisted I buy certain cosmetics and culinary items.
Cheers
Mr Mac
Last edited by Mr Mac; 7th February 2026 at 13:43.
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I forgot about the cigars, yes these are worth buying duty free, and as the smoke doesn't go into your lungs I'm not as worried about the effect on my remaining lung. I like H. Upmann, a very mild smoke with a subtle flavour. Like you, a box of 25 transferred to the humidor will last me years. I don't like a long smoke, I prefer panatelas, I still have some from my last visit to Sheremetyevo some years ago, when you could fly there direct from LHR rather than having to fly via BEG.
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In the halcyon days of being the EU the cigarette prices at Eurotunnel were way more expensive than a tobacco supermarket near Veurne in Belgium.
Duty free must be, for most products, one of the biggest rip-offs in travel (apart from drop off fees).
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From: Deepest, Surrey
As far as I am aware "duty free" is neither tax free nor VAT free. If you are lucky you may get a bit of discount over the high street price but to stop comparisons there are often "airport specials". Most drink is cheaper in Tesco but some bargains can be had overseas.
Last time I was at a Chanel perfume counter in a duty free I was told it was the same price as in John Lewis in Crawley who were doing a special.
Last time I was at a Chanel perfume counter in a duty free I was told it was the same price as in John Lewis in Crawley who were doing a special.
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From: Darkest Lincs
I spent most of the 1980s flying, returning home only to mow the lawn and iron five shirts. I always used to buy my full duty-free allowance, stashing the outgoing allowance in my hold baggage for the return flight (it never got searched) so I returned to the UK with 2 bottles of spirits and 400 cigarettes. I don't smoke. Once I had accumulated a fine cocktail cabinet I started taking orders from my UK customers for booze and fags. I sold to them at the price I paid, and showed them the receipt. This meant my UK customers were always glad to see me, and I reckon a bottle of single malt whiskey was worth about £ 100,000 in sales. I was popular.
I sold 200 cigarettes a week to Freddie Fox of Plessey Poole, 200 to other customers. Freddie got lung cancer and died of it. I felt that I had had a hand in his death, and after that only sold booze.
In those days duty-free meant exactly that, whereas now in aeroports you are lucky to save 20% VAT compared with online prices.
In Riga, vodka was £ 2 a bottle, and in Johannesburg Zimbabwean tobacco was R4 for 200 Dunhills. It was actually cheaper to buy on the plane than at the aeroport duty-free.
Who'd buy duty-free on the plane now? Even if it was still available?
I sold 200 cigarettes a week to Freddie Fox of Plessey Poole, 200 to other customers. Freddie got lung cancer and died of it. I felt that I had had a hand in his death, and after that only sold booze.
In those days duty-free meant exactly that, whereas now in aeroports you are lucky to save 20% VAT compared with online prices.
In Riga, vodka was £ 2 a bottle, and in Johannesburg Zimbabwean tobacco was R4 for 200 Dunhills. It was actually cheaper to buy on the plane than at the aeroport duty-free.
Who'd buy duty-free on the plane now? Even if it was still available?
What Mrs W has found to her cost, however, is that the gin is usually of the 47.3% proof variety (compared to 37.5% as sold in UK supermatkets) and therefore a sligthly less generous pour is required !
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From: Northampton, England
Gordon's gin, 47% ABV, is excellent value as a multibuy on Jet2.
On the other hand Ricard on the channel ferry is considerably more expensive than in Calais hypermarkets.
On the other hand Ricard on the channel ferry is considerably more expensive than in Calais hypermarkets.
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From: Beyond the Blue Horizon
Airbanda
Jet 2 Tanqueray at £30 for two litres of 48% proof is a good value, and you don't have to lug it around the airport. When I was a regular through Munich I always looked at Tanqueray price but it was still north of £30 but it was 48% proof. I cocked up a few autumns ago in that I used one of the 48% proof bottles to make Sloe Gin, this went down very well with some friends at a shoot pre Christmas, though I am not sure the shooting improved !
Cheers
Mr Mac
Jet 2 Tanqueray at £30 for two litres of 48% proof is a good value, and you don't have to lug it around the airport. When I was a regular through Munich I always looked at Tanqueray price but it was still north of £30 but it was 48% proof. I cocked up a few autumns ago in that I used one of the 48% proof bottles to make Sloe Gin, this went down very well with some friends at a shoot pre Christmas, though I am not sure the shooting improved !
Cheers
Mr Mac
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From: Northampton, England
Off to Tenerife on 23/02 so I'll check it out on our return.
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From: Ferrara
It used to be different - I was working in the US in the 70's and one of the guys had assembled a stupendous stereo set, all built at very low cost from components bought in dfifferent duty free's (mainly across Asia but also including LHR !!)
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From: Northumberland
Having spent a long summer dragging pax out of the queue in the Duty Free so tha their flight didn't miss their slots, I might have a slight jaundiced view but it has always baffled me when "safety is our first priority" we are encouraging pax to take on board glass bottles of inflamable liquid - can't imagine why.... 
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From: Darkest Lincs
Having spent a long summer dragging pax out of the queue in the Duty Free so tha their flight didn't miss their slots, I might have a slight jaundiced view but it has always baffled me when "safety is our first priority" we are encouraging pax to take on board glass bottles of inflamable liquid - can't imagine why....
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From: UK and Italy
Having spent a long summer dragging pax out of the queue in the Duty Free so tha their flight didn't miss their slots, I might have a slight jaundiced view but it has always baffled me when "safety is our first priority" we are encouraging pax to take on board glass bottles of inflamable liquid - can't imagine why....
Any form of alcohol was prohibitively expensive in Iceland, so a gift of a bottle of whiskey was always enthusiastically received. Suddenly customers became friends. I don't actually like whiskey that much, so I'd say no need to open it and share a glass, keep it until you can appreciate it at home.
I'm half-Icelandic (thanks mum for the genes) but I've only been there twice. Wild and beautiful, and that's just the women.
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From: Darkest Lincs
In Iceland (haven't flown there recently so I don't know if the rules have changed) you used to be able to buy duty-free as long as you were airside, so you could stock up on arrival at Keflavik. This seems to me a lot more sensible way of selling people duty-free than loading it onto a plane, either for duty-free sales on-board or extra luggage if bought pre-flight with the delays you mention.
Any form of alcohol was prohibitively expensive in Iceland, so a gift of a bottle of whiskey was always enthusiastically received. Suddenly customers became friends. I don't actually like whiskey that much, so I'd say no need to open it and share a glass, keep it until you can appreciate it at home.
I'm half-Icelandic (thanks mum for the genes) but I've only been there twice. Wild and beautiful, and that's just the women.
Any form of alcohol was prohibitively expensive in Iceland, so a gift of a bottle of whiskey was always enthusiastically received. Suddenly customers became friends. I don't actually like whiskey that much, so I'd say no need to open it and share a glass, keep it until you can appreciate it at home.
I'm half-Icelandic (thanks mum for the genes) but I've only been there twice. Wild and beautiful, and that's just the women.
It never seems to have many customers. I think the mind set of passengers at that point is that they just want to get to their final destination, and buying a bottle of cheap spirits is not a priority.
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From: Ferrara
Sometimes the final set of doors opens ahead and you see Uncle Fred waiting for you - and you don't have anything for him... or you get a text when your collecting your bagage saying the wife is there rather than your usual taxi - last minute duty free can be very convenient!!
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From: North Cheshire
Personally, I think the whole concept of 'duty-free' , shops at least in most of Europe, is past it's sell by date, if you'll pardon the pun. Part of the problem is that the business has been taken over by conglomerates who, by the time they have paid the airport for the rent, the lighting(!) and bonuses for the directors, cannot offer a significantly discounted product. A personal favourite, Bacardi Gold, is normally cheaper from people who deliver to your door duty paid, especially if they have an offer running, than it is in duty-free in Europe.
One exception is the duty-free shop in Gibraltar, run by the airport authority. Not a huge choice range, but then it's not a huge airport. There is also a small shop in arrivals before baggage reclaim.
One exception is the duty-free shop in Gibraltar, run by the airport authority. Not a huge choice range, but then it's not a huge airport. There is also a small shop in arrivals before baggage reclaim.
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From: Ferrara
"I'm half-Icelandic (thanks mum for the genes) but I've only been there twice. Wild and beautiful, and that's just the women."
Or a flight of Icelanders waiting to board the plane home at Glasgow or Schipol.............................. certainly wild - beautiful
Or a flight of Icelanders waiting to board the plane home at Glasgow or Schipol.............................. certainly wild - beautiful