Returning from overseas - duty free worth it?
Is it worth my time to purchase alcohol from duty free as opposed to Dan Murphy etc? Also id it is, do you usually buy when you touch down in AU or overseas when you board the plane?
Comments
+1 voteUsually, particularly if it's on special. It also depends where you're coming from. From NZ, www.dutyfreestores.co.nz have some really good prices, but you have to order online a few days in advance and pick up in NZ. For example, 1L of Cointreau is $64.99 at Dan's and NZ$33 (~$27) from dutyfreestores at the moment.
Compare with prices from duty free store webpages before you go, that way you know what to expect and can plan what to buy.
gaurav1504 on 13/04/2013 - 10:56 ¶I agree, I'd rate Sing, Dubai, Malaysia, Bangkok, HK and then Mel/Syd to buy duty free alcohol (in this order)
+1 voteYou should always buy your alcohol at your last stop, because different airports might have different liquids regulations, and you'll need to put all your liquids in your check-in luggage. It's a bit risky that way because they might break and you'll end up having alcohol soiled clothes. :) Not every airport will tell you to throw away your liquids over the limit or put them in your check-in luggage, but I remembered at Shanghai airport going to Beijing, they won't even let me take a small bottle of contact lens solution on board (it is exempt at Melbourne Airport).
So far, I've not found AU airport to be any cheaper than Dan Murphy. I only find duty free to be worth buying if I am travelling back from an Asian country (eg Malaysia) where it is much cheaper. So, I buy before I board the plane to come home and rarely buy after I touch down.
You're able to compare the local duty free prices with Dan Murphy as most of their alchohol are now online. You can even pre-purchase and collect when you're at the airport. But like someone else above said, if they have special promotions for something you're after, then it may work out to be cheaper.
photonaturally on 07/03/2013 - 15:43 ¶Off topic,
I got a nice bottle of sake at a convenient store in Hirafu, (hokkaido, japan) for less than $15 (1,200 yen)
The same bottle is $39.99 at Dan'sJohnny Walker black 22,000 yen (under $30)
Getting piss is expensive.
+4 votesTheAviator1992 on 07/03/2013 - 16:17 ¶Always cheaper than Dan Murphys etc. However I recommend you write down the prices at the Duty Free store on the way out of Australia and then compare to the prices you find overseas, as I found that the duty free prices in Sydney were much higher than elsewhere. We found that the cheapest option on our last overseas trip was to actually purchase the duty free from the in flight store (flew with Scoot) and it saved us a significant amount of money over the prices found in the Sydney Airport duty free
+1 votepianissimo on 07/03/2013 - 22:23 ¶There'll probably be some exceptions but it is generally markedly cheaper overseas duty free than duty free back in Oz, which is cheaper again than non duty-free in Oz.
Depending on where you're flying in from, don't leave it too late to buy it - I remember in Dubai missing out on cheap booze coz they refused to sell less than an hour or 90 minutes (not quite sure) before the flight. BUT once you buy it, they package it up for you and bring it to the gate right before the flight so you don't have to lug it around the airport.
zerocritical on 08/03/2013 - 07:20 ¶Though buying alcohol from Asian duty free is cheaper, due to stupid Australian laws you cannot get alcohol from there. Specially from countries like Thailand, Hong Kong. They do not warn you while buying it but confiscate it just before boarding. My Glenfedich 18 yr was confiscated at Thai airport. :-|
- zerocritical on 08/03/2013 - 07:25 ¶
Australian law does not prohibit you getting alcohol directly, but it prohibits you taking it as a carry on as it's more than 100 ml liquid even though it's bought from duty free. Haven't faced this issue in any other country.
highdealer on 08/03/2013 - 10:57 ¶No duty free products are allow. The reason they dont want you to carry liquid on board because they are scare of bomb making chemical. Duty free products are obviously verified and be approve to be sold in duty free.
- +1 votezerocritical on 08/03/2013 - 11:01 ¶
http://www.thaiairways.com.au/thai_special_offers_desc.asp?s...
Please read the last line:
"Any items carried as hand luggage or sold by Duty Free retail shops at airports outside of Thailand for carriage as hand luggage on flights to Australia, consisting of individual items over 100mls, irrespective of being in a sealed bag, will be confiscated and destroyed. This includes bottles of duty free alcohol, perfume and cosmetics."Also here: http://www.sydneyairport.com.au/prepare/security/what-you-ca...
"Passengers are not permitted to carry individual LAG items in excess of 100mL through the security screening point. This includes duty free liquids, aerosols and gels such as alcohol, perfume or cosmetics, regardless of where they were purchased before the security screening point. These items may need to be surrendered at the security screening point. New duty free LAG rules also apply to passengers arriving on international flights transiting in Australia, and passengers travelling on a domestic leg of an international flight within Australia."
- zerocritical on 08/03/2013 - 11:13 ¶
A few more instances:
http://www.smh.com.au/travel/traveller-tips/tripologist-sobe...I have stopped buying duty free stuff from outside Sydney airport while returning to Sydney. I only buy stuff from Sydney Duty free now even though their prices are much higher than duty free in other countries. For instance, Johnny walker Gold label is for ~$45 in India, Thailand and others but is for ~$85 at Sydney Airport. Rip Off!!
But no other choice left.Another option is to purchase it from other duty free on your onward journey and put it in as a check in bag when on return journey.
-3 votesI only buy Duty Free once arriving back into Melbourne, never really compared prices cause I usually just buy a top shelf bottle that I probably wouldnt consider buying from here anyway.
They confiscated an un-opened bottle of water off me that I purchased after clearly all the securtiy checks in Bali, I got so angry and yelled and screamed at securtiy and made a huge scene… and it was only water, imgine how ropable I would have been if it was 18yr Glenfedich. Not taking the risk anymore cause no matter what you research before hand the fact is you are powerless when you are at the gate and they insist that its not going on the plane.
+2 votesJust buy it overseas (non duty free) and put it in your suitcase. Best to keep it simple.
You can carry up to 2250mL that way, which is just over three bottles of spirits.
The only time I muck around with duty free is when I am leaving Australia and I want something to drink on the plane.
- zerocritical on 11/03/2013 - 07:00 ¶
I've traveled about 8 times this route. Bangkok swarnabhoomi airport to Sydney. The second screening as mentioned happens every time at the gate just before boarding the aircraft.
bargainbee on 09/03/2013 - 08:13 ¶Just came back from overseas trip. I can say that Singapore has the best range and price. KL was not as cheap and the range was limited, but still cheap compared to Oz. You can safely assume that most other overseas airports will be cheaper than Oz, due to the strong A$.
If you are travelling through the Gulf Staes all duty free bottles get sealed bags and they are send as checked luggage before boarding. That was 2 years ago for Emirates and Etihad. I don't drink but their cigarettes are so cheap, 5 cartons in sealed package(Marlboro/Dunhill) 45 USD.
+1 votespirits will almost ALWAYS be cheaper when purchased duty free, whether you buy it from an overseas airport or your arrival airport. Wine and Champagne is a different story. I have seen Moet & Chandon Grand Imperial more expensive in duty free stores than it is in First Choice/Dan Murphy's
1
alcohol is so much cheaper duty free.. electronics and stuff not so much