Englishmum

Come to think of it (after reading Yorkieabroad's comment about not (yet ) needing adult nappies.....that's another thing that a small pharmacy/retail outlet/kiosk could sell at airports. Certainly Newark has lots of seniors flying down to Florida and recently my friend was stuck at the gate for hours when her flight had a mechanical problem and they were turfed off the plane. Btw she doesn't need 'Depends' lol! Actually perhaps they could sell haemorrhoid (sp?) ointment for piles post-security at the airports too!

Englishmum

Oh, and another thing (sorry to the O/P as going off-topic) but which I've never been able to understand; why are the Duty Free shops so rubbish and offer such a limited range of goods at American airports?

Anyone whom has ever been a passenger going through the Heathrow or Gatwick airport terminals, Dubai, Hong Kong, Charles de Gaulle Paris, Singapore etc. can find plenty of shops or can find a huge range of perfumes, booze etc. and it kills time even if you don't want to buy anything (although I've just been through Heathrow last weekend and bought two 1 litre bottles of Bailey's - the Biscotti flavour - as it is hard to find ) Even Birmingham (UK) airport has a decent selection of Duty Free, I imagine that Manchester has too.

I haven't bought anything at a US Duty Free outlet for years - the last time I did I was sitting on the plane and had to be called to go and pick the sealed bag up from the aircraft door as I'd forgotten to pick it up. Do they still do this when leaving the US or do they let you take your items when you buy them?

Uncle_Bob

I found it rather annoying when flying with my two sons from Phoenix to London and have ladies coming up to me asking if i had spare diapers.

Casual Observer

Depends on the airport it is down to State law

scrubbedexpat091

Wouldn't requirements on duty free fall under federal rules?

scrubbedexpat091

I've gone through duty free when leaving Canadian airports, but I am not sure what the fuss about those shops are, all the prices were more money then what the same items would cost in the US (only flown to the US from Canada) yet US bound people were buying.

Maybe I miss the point of duty free? I never saw any value in it.

Yorkieabroad

I hadn't bought duty free for years either, but I bought a bottle of Jack Daniels for Brother in Law when we went back last Christmas. Bought it in IAH Duty Free, collected it as we boarded the aircraft. Landed at Heathrow Terminal Five and had to go through security again to get on the Newcastle Flight. They advised me I either had to ditch the bottle, or check-in my bag with it in. They wouldn't take the sealed duty free bag on its own, it had to go into my carry on and then check that in. What a palaver from a couple of dickhead jobsworths, made all the more annoying when we saw other folk that were transiting from the same flight carrying their own duty free down the aisle.....

Speedwell

There are two compelling reasons to buy something in the airport that would be cheaper at your destination. Either you need last-minute gifts, or you won't have a chance to get the items before you will need them where you're going. Also, duty-free is still cheaper than buying by the drink at the hotel.

Jerseygirl

I agree...I found my local wine store sold booze cheaper than US/UK/CDN duty free. I never buy anything at the airport because I dislike carrying stuff around with me.

dunroving

This is standard practice at transit airports in the US also, and I really can't understand why airports don't have warning signs in huge red letters telling people how to get around it. That information is available but it is far too easy to miss it.

I'm very surprised you saw people being allowed to do that - surely they had to put their duty free through the scanner, which would have picked it up? Maybe they didn't have liquids in there?

Yorkieabroad

In IAH they put the duty free in clear carrier bags and seal them. As long as they remain sealed, anything in those bags is supposed to be out with the 100ml restriction for transiting passengers. I wasn't given a reason as to why mine were deemed to be different - I just hit the "because we're security and we say so" wall.

dunroving

That seems very weird. I've not transited through IAH since all the post-9/11 national security stuff came into force. Worth knowing, if I do, though. No Jack Daniels for me.

Casual Observer

The item in question was alcohol which is the subject matter of the 21st amendment

tonrob

Presumably bought airside at T5.

scrubbedexpat099

I was in Boots at Heathrow and the guy in front of me wanted to buy scissors and could not quite understand why they did not have any.

Airside.