The last time I was travelling internationally (last week); as I was browsing through the duty free stores I noticed a couple of things. So I thought I would give a couple of tips about Duty Free.
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Duty Free does not always mean good deal. The price at Duty Free does not include tax but it may be more expensive where you are making the purchase. The solution is to know what a good price is for what you want to buy. In my own case I like scotch. I know roughly what a bottle should cost which allows me to make a good choice.
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If you have the time, you can find better prices outside of the duty free stores at the airport. Of course you may not want to spend your valuable time looking for things but if you know exactly what you want, ask your hotel concierge, or even better, a taxi driver, where you can find the item at a good price.
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On your outbound journey keep a copy of the duty free magazine from your seat pocket. Assuming that you are flying the same airline on the way back, they may have better pricing or different selection of duty free items than you will find at the airport stores. Take a look at it just before your return journey so that you know your alternatives when you go to the duty free store.
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Keep in mind that in some cases you can even collect points on duty free purchases- which can give you other benefits. In this case I am thinking specifically of the BAA Worldpoints program, but I am sure there are others.
Tags: Airports, Saving Money
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