Need Advice on Whether to Buy Alcohol from Retail Stores or Duty Free?

Knocks1 on 12/01/2020 - 11:29
Last edited 12/01/2020 - 11:30

So I'll soon be travelling to India from Melbourne with a lay over at Kuala Lumpur. I need to buy alcohol for my father and grandfather and I'm just confused as to which place is the best to buy it.

I'm looking at buying the following: -
1. Glenfiddich Single Malt or Glen Morangie Single Malt - 2 cases (whichever brand is cheaper)
2. 2 Bottles of red wine. Now, I'm not really sure of the good ones and could use your help in finding 2 different good Red Wine brands for under $25. The wine will be used on a very regular basis, something that goes well with snacks before dinner.

So I have a couple of questions that I need help on -

  1. Is duty free the cheapest place to buy alcohol from or should I purchase it from Melbourne, pack into my check-in luggage?
  2. If its duty free, should I buy from Melbourne duty free store or Kuala Lumpur Duty Free?
  3. If I were to buy it from a retail store in Melbourne, how much would I be allowed to take with me in my check-in luggage? I have an allowance of 30kgs and weight wont be an issue, just wondering about the quantity allowed. I'm travelling via Malaysia Airlines
  4. I'll also have a carry-on bag with me and I read that only 1 carry-on bag is allowed for international flights. So would it be a cause for concern if I were to buy alcohol from the duty free store and the airline creates an issue out of it, given the fact that I'll now have 2 carry-on bags?

I look forward to hearing from you guys soon. Thank You!

Travel

Comments

  • crashloaded on 12/01/2020 - 11:39

    The duty free limit for India is 2L. You can pack more than this but will need to declare it at customs, if you don't and they find it, it may just get confiscated.

    If you plan on taking more than 2L your only option is packing it in a checked bag.

    It is cheaper to buy duty free in your local currency. As you will pay fees for conversion otherwise.

    • Knocks1 on 12/01/2020 - 12:17

      Yes, I was of aware of the 2L limit. I wasn't sure whether it would be cheaper in India but I'll have to look into it as that seems like the safest option in the grand scheme of things.

  • Hellfire on 12/01/2020 - 11:41

    I think your biggest problem will be bringing the alcohol into India. You'll need to pay tax/duty on it as you'll be over the duty free allowance. I'm not sure how much that is so consider if it's actually better to just buy the scotch in India. It's also possible that it will be confiscated because it might be considered a commercial quantity.

    I also doubt that a duty free store will be willing to sell you 2 cases of scotch. You won't be able to carry and store it on the plane. Just the wine would be ok though.

    Your only option would be to purchase the scotch before you go and weight may be a concern depending on how much other stuff you bring. 2 cases probably weighs 15kgs.

    • stirlo on 12/01/2020 - 11:50

      I'm going to just assume that the OP has become confused between cases and casks.

      For 2 bottles of each you'll probably be just over the duty free limit.

      If India has duty free on arrival I'd bet it would be far the cheapest option (Malaysia is Muslim and Melbourne airport prices are only just below retail).

      • Knocks1 on 12/01/2020 - 12:22

        From what I read on Tripadvisor, there does seem to be a duty free on arrival at the Mumbai airport. I'll probably take a bottle of wine from Melbourne and buy the rest from there. Any recommendations for a good red wine?

        • crashloaded on 12/01/2020 - 12:39

          Anything Spanish will be a good choice in that price range. Spain make great wine that is relatively cheap.

    • Knocks1 on 12/01/2020 - 12:18

      That's a valid point that I completely ignored. I guess I'll be better off buying it from India once I land.

    • Lexan on 12/01/2020 - 14:05
      +1

      As far as I know any purchase from duty free shop doesn't count as carry on weight.

  • brad1-8tsi on 13/01/2020 - 11:43

    Most of the alcohol in the Syd terminal duty free is more than dan Murphy. I assume Melbourne would be similar. The prices are on both companies web sites so check there.

    2 Bottles of red wine. Now, I'm not really sure of the good ones and could use your help in finding 2 different good Red Wine brands for under $25. The wine will be used on a very regular basis, something that goes well with snacks before dinner.

    I can't see how 2 bottles of red can last beyond maybe 4 pre-dinner drinks session (depending on number of people). There are 6 glasses of wine in a bottle.
    $25 will get you something nice but not amazing. Do your people want a heavy red like a Shiraz or something lighter like a Pinot Noir? Personally, a heavy red before dinner doesn't work. A slightly chilled (20c) pinot noir, valpolicella or rose would be better (IMO). Even a chilled dry sherry is nicer.

    You can't do carry on with the bottles. They exceed the maximum amount for liquids

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