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| Chanel No.5, a popular in-flight duty-free item |
DUTY-FREE – the preserve of the jetsetter, saviour of last-minute guilty birthday shoppers and a designer fix without the heart-stopping price tag. The cream of luxury names offered up on a silver branded platter – or the sheer boredom of sardine-can air travel – makes instant fashionistas of us all 30,000ft aloft. Avoid the disorienting argle-bargle of clamorous Asian markets and the zombie Dullsville of gargantuan shopping-malls and turn instead to the Mecca of airborne purchasing – and oh, tell the taxman to get stuffed.
Stowed in the seat pocket directly in front of you is one-stop-shopping heaven for couch lubbers and sunburnt beach bums. Grab your Christmas list, cross off your mother-in-law, and let the glossy pages of the inflight magazine seduce your wallet. For some savvy airline duty free shopping tips and comparisons, here’s our airborne guide to in-flight indulgence – just don’t go over your duty-free limit.
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Over the past twenty years duty-free has been through a sea change. Issues of excess-weight and cost-cutting have curtailed plonk and perfume. To survive the choppy skies, airline duty-free has put itself under the knife. Has it taking that face-lift too far over the ears and come out looking like Joan Rivers? No. But it has reinvented itself. Duty-free has broadened its product base from booze and cigars of twenty years ago – don’t panic you can still get your Johnnie Walker one litre, tucked away on the back pages. Hip and fresh new directions are helping shed the cookie-cutter lists of old, embracing fun and frivolous additions, as well as offering a platform for saucy start-up products. Does duty-free still have a raison d’être? Yes. For the simple fact that it is still cheaper to pay at 35,000 feet than to take your hard earned moolah to the street.
Air New Zealand has sounded the death knell for its inflight duty-free, citing weight issues. Financially squeezed airlines are opting for warm paying bodies over cold Johnnie Walkers. Other airlines have taken a different flight path, such as Japan Airlines (JAL), which has supplemented in-flight duty-free with an extensive mail-order service. This has allowed the airline to offer more bulky travel items like luggage, and even bulkier non-travel items like bedroom furniture. Buy your bed at 30,000 feet. Or buy fine Kobe beef. Often, you will pay the tax and have to claim it back at the airport.
JAL may be leading the way for buying buggies on-board and in-flight inflatables, but many more airlines are jumping on the bandwagon. Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways already host mail order subsections while Cathay Pacific is developing a pre-order programme that lists non-travel associated items. “Beyond duty free” is Cathay’s newest concept, for which Camilla Taylor, Inflight Sales and Logistics Manager, says “Creativity and innovation will be the key to success during economic downturn” – that, and a captive audience. Always check delivery costs before purchasing any mail-order items as any relative duty-free merits may be overtaken by other fees.
Some countries impose lower duty-free taxes than others. Japan’s alcohol duty is a gadfly at 20 percent compared to India’s 150 percent killer whale. On the other hand, India’s 30 percent tax on tobacco seems puny when pitched against Thailand’s 60 percent. Hong Kong’s alcohol-tax sits atop the list at 100 percent, but electronics and other designer goodies dodge the taxman’s big stick in this free trade port. But how does the tax-free cope when compared against, say, Hong Kong city prices?
Japan's alcohol duty is a gadfly at 20 percent while India weighs in with a killer whale of a levy at 150 percent ...
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| Armani's amber-crystal high flyer |
Hong Kong is a haven for shoppers. Central’s Landmark, a luxury shopping complex, sells Lancome’s heavenly scented Magnifique at about US$75 up for both the eau de parfum and eau de toilette. Classic scent, Chanel No.5 eau de parfum, is US$91, the eau de toilette fetching a lesser price of US$70. Chanel parfum commands the princely sum of US$114 for the few drops that make up the 7.5ml bottle. Emporio Armani isn’t fussy on watch prices – and who would be at US$200 a pop – a large selection retails at around US$199 in the official Hong Kong accessories shop, including the amber-faced in-flight favourite. And now for the big guns – Mr Johnnie Walker one litre Black label, 12 years, clocks in at an eye-popping US$43 or thereabouts depending on the demise or recovery of the US greenback.
Up in the air things take on a different hue. Here’s a quick comparison of some of the best airline duty-free prices (in US dollars) for 2009.
SriLankan Airline’s Serendib Treasures places a 50ml Magnifique eau de parfum at US$74, while Thai Airways and Lufthansa go two dollars cheaper at $72. SilkAir of Singapore slashes the price to $65. Emirates and Gulf Air provide an extra 25ml, Emirates charging a criminal $95, while Gulf Air plumps for a respectable $80, making its 75ml eau de parfum the best of the bunch for liquid value.
Chanel No.5 is more of a slippery customer, coming in several different guises. Thai Airways sells the 50ml eau de toilette at US$62, and Highlife, by British Airways, offers a very handy 60ml eau de toilette travel edition for $63. Lufthansa’s eau de parfum is $81 while Dragonair asks $83. Cathay Pacific and KrisShop stock the potent 7.5ml parfum for a no quibbles $102. Against shop stock prices, you can save up to $10 on the eau de parfum and $12 on the parfum. But big-shot British Airways wins in this line-up – we love the hand-luggage-friendly set of three 20ml squirts.
Watches enjoy an interesting range throughout duty-free territory, with brands such as Skagen only available sky high – along with their price tags. Emporio Armani men’s watches feature more regularly; the AR0143 sold in Lufthansa for US$226 and British Airways for $216. Both, substantially more than the website and shop retail price of $195 and $199.99 respectively. Cathay Pacific’s version with rose gold face, exclusive to the airline, wields a heftier price tag of US$283. Thai Airways sports the popular amber face with numbers for just $193, two dollars less than the official website. The attractive amber-face design is a bargain of beauty and price making Thai Airways the outright winner of this round – the irony being that once you step off the plane you can buy three for $5, from a toothless old man who’ll swear you bear a striking resemblance to Prince Charles. Unless you fly THAI, crack open the laptop and order online – standard delivery within the United States is free.
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| Johnnie Walker Black Label: bunfight |
We had no problems tracking down the much-travelled Johnnie Walker, one litre Black Label, 12 years old, can be found in every supermarket and airline duty free magazine. The old geezer has been around the block, only occasionally falling out of overhead lockers and concussing unsuspecting passengers. But enough of bygone stories, here’s what the airlines serve up. SriLankan Airlines and Gulf Air stock the 75cl for US$26, a nice option for those who want a tipple without drowning their wallet. Thai Airways and Cathay walk the one-litre-high-wire at US$34, British Airways, SilkAir and KrisShop all a virtuous US$31, while Malaysia Airlines is a middling US$33, and Lufthansa a sinful US$39. Walk on we say. Brits and Singaporeans earn an impressive saving of $12.60.
We are currently flying at 35,000 feet; you may feel some turbulence as we pass over the Himalayas so fasten your seatbelt and hold on to your whiskey as we soar onwards and upwards with our best airline duty-free guide. Some details of offbeat items and duty free prices aboard various airlines that responded to our in-flight duty-free survey follow below.
While smaller carriers like AirAsia stick to a more slim-line selection, even bypassing the Black Labels and XO’s of the liquor cabinet, there is still plenty to choose from, particularly in the skin-care and make-up ranges. Classics you won’t find, which is why AirAsia’s Sky Shop failed to pop up in our quick comparison. The big brands are still there, Estee Lauder, Clarins, Issey Miyake and BVLGARI, representing lesser-known fragrances and the occasional, shameful inclusion of “J-Lo Glow”. Simple and small, AirAsia offers a little bit of everything and avoids gaudy airline-branded products. There is less choice for the male shopper, just a few fragrances and electronic Sudoku.
Lufthansa has a smart collection of goodies, and although it didn’t fare particularly well in the price test, this is often a matter of pennies (or cents) and relies heavily on a fluctuating currency exchange (Euro was strong at the time of writing). Products for men are almost as varied as those for women, making German duty-free a well-balanced affair. Multi-faceted to the extreme, Lufthansa also offers a selection of Shanghai Tang products, otherwise only available through Hong Kong carriers, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair. An interesting buy is the complex “Binary” watch, where simple addition is required to work out the time. You can be strip-searched and come out fully clothed with Lufthansa’s assortment of cashmere jumpers, ties, sunglasses, wallets and belts. German’s love their mod gadgets so prepare for twelve pages of them. More fun for the boys.
Emporium by Dragonair is a weighty contender, exemplifying a larger stock of duty-free. The big brands are all in action, with some exclusive onboard ranges, like Dior’s J’adore gift set, a 30ml eau de parfum with two shades of lip-gloss. Estee Lauder features heavily, but the standout female fragrance is the celebrity factor, Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers eau de toilette in two cute Manga-style bottles. Bobbie Brown, Guerlain and Shu Uemura also make welcome appearances in the makeup and skin-care pages. Mont Blanc, Links and Swarovski mix with lesser-known brands in the jewellery section. Things to look out for include the Oregon Scientific iBalance Ion necklace, Lifetrons gold-plated Internet phone (Cathay Pacific Group exclusive), and Goldkenn GoldBar, a chocolate box set, which could include a one-gram bar of real gold. To round off your shopping spree you could shake out your wallet for a Dragonair model plane or “Rhythms of the Sky” CD – or not.
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| Skagen: wristy performer aloft |
Sibling airlines, Dragonair and Cathay Pacific are all about special editions and inflight exclusives, and each month change to a new product – designer-edition netbook or boxed fountain pen for example. In the race for the newest ideas Cathay went with the oldest; completely new to in-flight sales were a Louis Vuitton antique trunk and Rolex vintage watch in the second and third quarters of 2008. Watch out for these limited items in future editions. Bulgari is well featured with an attractive selection of silk ties – a perfect excuse to splash out. All the regular high-end makeup brands are in attendance, with a good spread from La Prairie and L’Occitane. Savour a flashy “Missy Mo” crystal from Swarovski, or teach yourself Cantonese with a “Rhythmic Cantonese” CD. One of the largest and most varied ranges of watches is a real draw, as is the none-too-gaudy selection of children’s toys and, yes you guessed it, more watches. Unlike Dragonair, which only carries one type of whiskey and two cognacs, Cathay hosts a healthy cabinet of top tipples including a 25-year-old boxed Scotch for the true connoisseur.
Thai Airways has useful “What’s New” and “Seasonal Must-Have” pages to direct you to the deals and steals or the moment. Gift sets are a focus and many are travel exclusives. In the style of a glossy fashion magazine several pages are dedicated to consolidating lips and eye beauty products and duty-free best sellers. Thai, “Smooth as Silk”, does indeed stock the relevant silk scarf and a local development project hand-woven shawl but doesn’t overdo it with destination souvenirs. Look out for the useful Kipling city bag and pocket battery shaver. Alcohol is listed discreetly on the back page.
The Malaysia Airlines duty-free shopping magazine has two Latin lovers posing their way through passion, betrayal and reconciliation
Highlife, the duty-free compilation by British Airways has plenty to occupy the mind and wallet. Product features, destination guides, interviews and how-to articles get the blood pumping before the prices make you faint. Expert reviews are a handy guide amongst this hefty display of brands. Some items are not available onboard but can be ordered through the Highlife website. True to form, British brands feature widely: Jo Malone, Molton Brown, Billy Bag, Gordon’s Gin and Jaeger. If jetting to warmer climes (not hard if departing Britain) “The Saress” wrap-around dress is a must for beach to bar transformations. The comprehensive electronics section includes several digital cameras and camcorders. For a milder sting to the bank balance, the Roberts Word Band radio, in a leather case, makes a stylish and affordable present for any world traveller. Other travelling must-haves are the Global Language Translator, Sonic Mosquito Repeller and Pink Marc de Champagne Truffles…ok, so maybe that one’s just for fun. “Premium Shop!” offers an even more select shopping experience – a hand-picked assortment of bathroom gift sets, leather travel bags and finest quality liquor, including the oldest in our alcohol list, a 36-year old Glenury Royal single malt whiskey.
JAL prefers to present some mind-boggling alternatives. Spy on your neighbours with the one-eyed binocular, hide from prying eyes in some super conservative pyjamas, and then tuck yourself into a special JAL bed – yours for only 205,000 yen. The weighty inflight duty-free shopping magazine is extensive enough to furnish your house, wardrobe and even fridge. Don’t forget to buy your calorie-controlled dinners on the last page. Wagyu beef anyone? Another must-see is the Sarkosy-esque shoes. Stylish leather uppers, with an extra two inches on the lowers. Never be shorter than the French President again.
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| Lancome Magnifique: Gulf Air value |
Gulf Air reads right to left in its bilingual Arabic form. So if you flick a Western left to right then you’ll see an array of audacious gem encrusted jewellery first, with the perfume on the final pages. Gadgets are on top form with products like the super flat MP3 personal speakers, underwater digital camera and a Bluefire roaming SIM card. A record 14 male fragrances are on offer, including some interesting Middle Eastern options, such as Opulent Shaik No.77 and Ajmal, Dahn Al Oudh Shams. Brands Ajmal and Opulent Shaik also feature for women – Opulent Sheik’s No.33 is stunningly designed with a special gift-box and for a mind-bending US$228, it ought to be.
The prize for greatest number of pixels goes to Emirates. The one-per-page general theme for products means that leaving your reading glasses at home is no excuse for failing to take a peek. Emirates hits the airline in-flight duty-free shopping scene with gay abandon, listing seemingly endless reams of perfumes and cosmetics pages. What is surprising is how few of our usual suspects turned up. Jewellery is another area where Emirates says bigger is better, very much reflecting its point of origin, where taller, brasher, brighter is always best. Neither will you be stuck for pens – I counted 12; or gifts for the kids, where Emirates has done very well to include cuddly animals, fragrances, electronic games and airline branded toys. A good spread, although there’ll be no Johnnie Walking on this dry flight.
KrisShop by Singapore Airlines has an extensive collection of well-known perfume brands for both women and men – who will also find some male beauty products amongst the abundant big-brand adverts. The jewellery pages are less inspiring, the plain white background fails to live up to expectations for the duty free magazine, now a multi-media, multi-audience, high-end glossy publication. Children are represented with a Lego watch for boys and a Barbie watch for girls. Mum and dad have a wide selection of alcohol including the exclusive “Singapore Sling” premix pack. The TWG “Grand Explorer Silver Tea Set” is worth scouting out for a more authentic souvenir. Leica present their Minox Leica M3, a miniature digital camera, perfect for ad hoc exploring straight after your explorer breakfast tea. Liquid Oxygen is a unique travel offer, claiming to “revitalise” the jetlagged jetsetter. KrisShop also offers a mail order service for the less portable of its products. Here you will find an anti-stress head massager, a whale-shaped decanter, watch winders and even a projector.
SilkAir is a smaller, regional Singapore-based feeder carrier and offers its Sky Shop. It may be small but it is perfectly formed, ticking all the brand boxes – although failing to host the more regular scents that feature in our price comparison. Jewellery is aimed at a younger crowd with “Pinky Princess Butterfly” necklace and a crystal “Scooter” mobile phone accessory. Interesting extras include Pro-Sportz swimming goggles and Inniskillin Icewine, a sweet liqueur.
SriLankan Airlines hosts a beast of an inflight magazine. Serendib Treasures is an imposing figure of a duty free magazine and loses no time in getting to the nitty-gritty of duty-free. You may well be exhausted after exercising your page turning fingers through the perfume sections, before coming to an abrupt standstill at the puny five-pages of cosmetics. Tens of watches and a glittering array of jewellery make up for this; in particular Frey Willie’s chunky, gold and black creations stand out against the bloated mass of silver and diamond. Pick up some boxed Ceylon tea, brass ornaments, hand-knitted wool shawl and batik wall hangings for your destination gems – and all without haggling once. A simple gadget section precedes the complex undertones of the alcohol on offer.
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| Armani's AR5331, Emirates duty-free |
Malaysia Airlines has called its duty free magazine Temptations and in our edition, devoted 24 pages to the story of two Latin lovers dancing their way through passion, betrayal and reconciliation. I’m slightly ashamed to admit that it held my rapt attention, fleetingly distracted by what was actually being sold. This is an extensive array of big designer brands and lesser-known products, providing probably the best and most varied choice in each category. Grab the heated eyelash styling kit, the coconut oil for hair and body massage, skip the none-too-exciting jewellery and move onto silk bags, scarves and a wide selection for the kids. There are gadgets galore but the chocolates really take the biscuit. Another pleasant change is the “Nicogel” cigarette alternative, albeit placed just before the Cappuccino Cigarillos. A small mail order section finishes up Temptations, and the sexy side-story.
Airlines have managed to avoid an attack of the cookie-cutter monster and are producing magazines with bespoke configurations. A surprising standout is Malaysia Airlines, which provided fun and choice that rivalled the exclusive ranges of British Airways and Cathay Pacific. SriLankan Airlines did well on destination souvenirs, but British Airways pipped it to the post with its bevy of British beauties. Lufthansa impressed on gadget range and the surprising inclusion of China flagship Shanghai Tang. The bigger airlines, despite claiming more pages, were focused solely on the high-end, big brand. Less repetitive were the smaller carriers, like SilkAir, who make an effort to source and represent lesser-known scents and brands.
So there we have it – our detailed guide to airline duty free shopping and onboard price comparisons. Next time you’re fussing over the Johnnie Walker duty free price, just remember, alcohol levies in India are 150 percent. That’s a sobering thought.
Find more tips and a run-down of the rules and regulations at www.dutyfree.com, a handy website explaining duty levels and country allowance limits.
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