Are Duty Free shops a scam?

[@georgiancrossroads]

Another busted scam! I have been flying since 1978. I have never once bought anything at a duty free store, because it has always seemed like a rip off. Thanks for diving into the 'savings' swamp.

[@500ccRabbit]

I've been flying for decades, I have never seen a bottle of any liquor or cigarettes that have been cheaper than what they sell at the grocery store. If you want real tax free booze, hit an indian reservation

[@kziad1]

At my local airport they made huge discounts in the period right after COVID. Only time I'd ever bought from them

[@janami-dharmam]

@@500ccRabbit Also the middle east airports (dubai, doha etc). Yes, booze is cheapest at Indian airports but other items are expensive.

[@tadassmolskas3014]

Yeah its a double win for them, no tax deductions and charge way higher prices due to lack of consumer options

[@CzechAvailabilitie]

Depends on where you're flying. Here in Iceland alcohol taxes are 90% of the price and anything with any alcohol content is only sold at government liquor stores so buying duty free is a lot cheaper than even the cheapest place within the country.

[@evanchan2270]

It may be duty free, but the prices are so ridiculously marked up it becomes more expensive than just buying from the shops 😭😭

[@janami-dharmam]

In India, every item for consumer sale MUST have a printed label of price (MRP= maxium retail price). Even a bottle of water or a can of Coke carries a different label (much higher printed price) at the airport and even the vending machines.

[@Anti-Taxxer]

Not true. I bought a Montblanc briefcase at a duty free store a few months ago. I paid significantly less than the price listed online.

[@TheBooban]

@@Anti-Taxxerit is common brands have a marketing website where you can compare their higher prices with their distributors so you think you are getting a deal.

[@ArthurvanH0udt]

THIS!!

[@tastyham]

not every products, not in every country and so on... one sample is not a valid conclusion

[@simvag]

I wouldn't mind if the prices at the airports were more expensive but the issue is when they are trying to act like you are saving a lot of money shopping there. That part is super scammy... And yeah, the part of having to go through the store, I noticed that in so many airports :(

[@tobyhallidie1498]

indeed try getting to your gate with out passing through the duty free zone, the food court and the expensive souvenir shops

[@MobilityM]

Always look for the accessible or fast track lanes. They will usually allow you to skip the duty free shop and the former won't cost you any money. At Gatwick you need to follow the accessible route, and at Stansted you just need to go through the set of doors to your left after passing security.

[@bigtrip6344]

I do mind the prices at airports I work here and just to get a mcdouble fries and drink is $12 a 20 piece nugget is like $15 bucks chargers are like $45 taking advantage of people far from home

[@guguigugu]

@@bigtrip6344 if the prices were "reasonable" every shop at an airport would be severely overcrowded, more than tokyo's trains in rush hour

[@complainer406]

Yeah duty free isn't in competition with the local shops, rather the shops where passengers are flying to Plus the increased operating costs from bringing all their supplies/staff through security arguably accounts for the higher prices The false advertising needs to go, as does the fishy tax math

[@BasicCoverMan]

Duty free purchases made a little bit of sense back when you had a pile of unused cash in a foreign currency at the end of a trip but then airport shops stopped taking cash, half of Europe started using the same currency (I know that doesn't apply here) and more recently online banks that provide zero fee exchanges (genuine zero fee, not zero fee but a terrible exchange rate) means many visitors are just using bank cards and not carrying cash anymore and at the end of the trip they can just easily convert back to their home currency with no costs.

[@p0ddie]

great point

[@memovilmx6239]

Indeed it's the only way I buy in airport stores. To spend local cash. Also once I found a very rare tequila in Panama that costed me like 30% less than in Mexico retail stores

[@seribelz]

you could also uhh, go to a currency exchange counter

[@BasicCoverMan]

@@seribelz Literally the one place that will rip you off worse than duty free

[@eemiltarnanen3319]

To be fair, it depends a bit on the country. In finland, the duty-free at the airport is actually a lot cheaper than outside (between 25-40% i'd say). Similar story in other Nordic countries as well. I'd argue that duty-free is still a good deal in countries where alcohol is taxed heavily, and the tax reduction offsets the higher cost of rent and smaller order quantities that the shops can order. So for example Nordics and Singapore are great examples where the tax free still makes sense. Spirits were also generally cheaper in German airports, beer not so much.

[@mirozen_]

I'm surprised that this is news to anyone! The first time I checked out the duty free shop at the airport over 40 years ago I noticed the prices were higher than I had seen in town. I asked the friends I was traveling with what was so special about Duty Free and they laughed! "Yeah, no taxes, but the higher prices make it pointless!". It's nothing new - but I think it's great that you are putting out a video to make this clear to the folks that didn't realize this! Well done guys!!! 👍😁

[@DM-kv9kj]

I find the prices even higher than the standard these days though, but that's kind of everything now is massively hiked prices. This along with the internet, trading in people's private information and app junk are how all these mega billionaires are being created now who control everything.

[@Jackig5000]

Yeah it should be obvious at first glance to anybody. Been like this on both ships and in airports for as long as I have been alive

[@blue_jm]

In Helsinki airport they upgraded the xray machines recently and now you're allowed to pass through with a big bottle of soda or water. I hope other airports follow suit gradually.

[@vitoravila9908]

Same in Rome/Fiumucino

[@neilfoster814]

It always makes me laugh, you are only allowed 100ml of water through security, then once through you can go and buy a 500ml of water/Cola. Huh?

[@MrPeddapee]

​@@neilfoster814Or bring an empty bottle and fill up with tap water. Some airports even have special water taps for bottles, free of course

[@complainer406]

​@neilfoster814 The stated reason for the liquid restrictions is to limit passengers bringing in dangerous/explosive liquids. Coke isn't a dangerous liquid, however someone could disguise one as coke. The coke you buy past security is more traceable, and the people bringing it in have extensive background checks. Limiting the volume limits the amount of damage you could do. Sure you could cooperate with others, but the more people you involve the easier it is to get caught. The bottle size limit is to make it easier to discern the liquid's density. Explosive liquids tend to be very light as part of what makes them explosive is their ability to easily evaporate. X-ray is 2D, which makes it only a proxy for density, but the small and consistent bottle size makes it easier to tell. This is also why liquids must be in a separate bin. Volume limits also prevent passengers from bringing in large quantities of alcohol and getting wasted. Whether it's still in place because it's an effective security measure or because it's an effective business strategy is debatable, but the rules didn't come from nowhere

[@neilfoster814]

@@complainer406 Yes, I know why they do it, it doesn't make a lot of sense.

[@piper998877]

What's odd about Duty-free shops is that unless you're interested in alcohol, cologne,/perfumes, or chocolate, it seems like a weird business model.

[@sadmanh0]

that's mostly what they sell though, and other stuff ppl might want if they forgot something at home or fight got delayed like airpods, chargers and books/magazines

[@peterc4082]

And noise cancelling headphones.

[@2011blueman]

Those are what have traditionally had the highest taxes on them.

[@Leblribrbrrq]

I was never interested in Duty free because they never had something worthwhile to buy. Why would I need a bottle of Vodka on the flight or on my destination? I can understand electronics or drugstore articles you forgot to bring but everything else is boring.

[@XGD5layer]

For souvenirs/presents it's not the worst option at airports. I don't have to bother with fitting any big items into my checked bags.

[@trirain146]

At my last arrival to Prague airport I saved foreign couple from drawing money from that orange ATM at the baggage claim hall which has high fees. It is outrageous that such thing is at the airport at all.

[@janami-dharmam]

I bought the bus ticket at the airport and learnt later that I am eligible to travel free on buses and metro.

[@trirain146]

@@janami-dharmamFortunately the ticket isn't that expensive. Less than 2 euros.

[@CSGOGriefing]

Ah yes. I used to work at the airport in my hometown, because of my actions they removed two EuroNet ATMs as I was pointing out to everyone who tried to use the machines the exchange office which had way better rates 😂

[@vaitti8096]

Not to mention how much you have to pay for changing a name on a ticket

[@trirain146]

@@vaitti8096 What kind of ticket? On public transport? There is no such thing. On air ticket? That is not what is discussed here.

[@aldozampatti]

Sadly, passing a Duty Free store right after Immigration and/or security is already a standard and an ever-growing one. I flew 40 weeks a year for several years and I'm still flying around 6 to 8 times a year nowadays and I keep seeing this phenomenon growing more common. It sucks, but people fall for it ALL OVER THE GLOBE so its here to stay. The only thing we can do about it's what you're doing: EDUCATING people. Thanks!

[@Xgiovi9810xTk]

I will tell you more... forcing people through the duty free shops is considered a best practice to pump up the revenues of the airport, so much of a best practice that it is in literal in airport management manuals!

[@Bludthinkshesnapoleon]

Yep, in Lisbon it's right after the security check in terminal 1 and right before the gates in terminal 2

[@AFlyingCoconut]

Recently travelled from Glasgow to Chicago via Dublin, Chicago was surprisingly the least in-your-face about it. Both Glasgow and Dublin force you to walk through several stores. Glasgow was probably the worst, corridors that feel cramped due to the number of people and rows and rows of stores to walk past or through, even the waiting area is surrounded on 3 sides with stores and bars Dublin was okay, the bulk of the stores were off in their own sections but you still had no choice but to walk through them to reach your terminal Chicago was great, since US Customs and Border Patrol do prechecks at Dublin, once I arrived I could just leave the airport almost immediately, I had to walk past some stores but never *through* a store, and the huge size of O'Hare meant you never have to get close and the signage was quite subtle, even on the way back home through O'Hare, it was mostly just coffee shops, bars and restaurants on the way to my gate

[@llothar68]

In Thailands BKK Airport they make their living from people who step even a meter outside their shops without paying and arresting them for shoplifiting and make them pay a $1000 fee. Even if it is clear that they just wanted to show something to their spouse waiting outside. A real scam, very popular, very well known and documented.

[@rinleez]

Not sure you can educate someone who falls for cheap marketing tricks. Also, if you're shopping for a bottle of booze, chances are, you most likely are aware of the standard prices.

[@sweejulia]

I'm always so amazed by Prague airport having a normal supermarket with regular prices - haven't seen it anywhere else.

[@mememasteryoda7699]

Cologne aswell

[@deandecoursey2334]

7/11 in Thailand airports. They are also all over Thailand. I use them to buy a small bottle of coke at in order to break a large bill. Getting vendors and taxi drivers that carry change is a challenge

[@Ciprianolaurus]

Otopeni aeroport Bucharest has a small Carrefour if I remember correctly

[@DR_1_1]

Cointrin in Switzerland, but you have to go near the station - so out of the transit zone.

[@peteT269]

Zürich airport, Geneva airport... lots of airports having shopping centres within easy walking distance of the terminals.

[@Daniel15au]

Portland (Oregon, USA) airport has a rule stating that prices have to be the same as street pricing - that is, the prices have to be the same as in downtown. Food and drinks are reasonable prices! I wish more airports did that.

[@ZontarDow]

Downtown Portland prices is still fleecing most people going through

[@Daniel15au]

@@ZontarDow I was at PDX recently and prices were definitely cheaper than other airports, both at the restaurants and at the stores. I saw bottles of water for $2.50. I had to take a photo because I couldn't believe it hahaha. The restaurants weren't just the same generic HMSHost restaurants that every US airport seems to have, either.

[@ZontarDow]

@@Daniel15au perhaps but compared to normal prices Downtown Portland isn't exactly cheap or even normal

[@KarelSmout]

Nothing like free market and price competition, as they say in USA...

[@TheBcoolGuy]

Guess that business model doesn't do as well.

[@sahotaquack1]

This was very big in the news in the UK a few years back. Stores such as boots, WH Smiths demanding boarding pass on checkout so they can claim back to VAT even though it was on regular overpriced goods.

[@doru10922]

Still today, nothing changed

[@Laiteux]

so thats why

[@nathonso_edits]

So that's why they do it! thieving bastards..

[@Morisu-Chan]

Normal Chocolate bar: $2.50 Duty Free Chocolate bare: $10 I think Duty Free means that they can relief your wallet from it's heavy cash so you can travel lighter

[@hedgehog3180]

@@Kosin-gf7io In my experience they are usually just impractically large versions of the normal product.

[@asterion2]

​@@hedgehog3180They're just to buy for people you forgot to buy a proper present for 😂

[@barryhaley7430]

I have been flying since 1963. There was once a time where duty free was actually a major saving. It hasn’t been for decades now. Many regular stores sell the same products cheaper. Especially Costco.

[@cajmo8635]

it does make sense sometimes - i fly quite often between the UK and Ireland. in Ireland, the tesco price for a litre of absolut is €33.50 (with clubcard). ryanair sells that onboard for €15, stena line for £10, etc. so it can make sense.

[@ryanimateon]

i found it shocking to see him complain about the low price as if it was a scam. that's cheaper than ive ever seen the 700ml in dublin. its a bargain, buy two!

[@romeonijsse2359]

I am always fascinated by duty free. Just that someone in the customer journey does not pay tax does not mean the retailer will not raise the price if they want 😂

[@m1000-n8w]

If you're Australian, duty free does INDEED work out cheaper. But that's only because our alcohol and tobacco taxes are incredibly exorbitant

[@m1000-n8w]

If you're Australian, duty free does INDEED work out cheaper. But that's only because our alcohol and tobacco taxes are incredibly exorbitant

[@teekue]

@@m1000-n8w But you are only allowed 25 cigarettes or 25g of tobacco duty free. 2.25l of alcoholic beverages though, so quite a bit.

[@cijmo]

Going through customs and walking into a store has been standard in most airports I've been in. I'm not an impulse shopper so I have no problem walking right through it but for the fact that they sell their "duty free" designer perfumes and you can't get away from the stink. By the time you're through there, it's in your sinuses so you can almost taste all the perfumes. I think the reason I get a coffee on the other end is to inhale the coffee beans and clear my sinuses.

[@bmxrichard21]

Where are the youtubers who destroy wallmarts? Here's where you need them. 100 youtubers slip up, destroy a window display of stolen perfumes, and these companies rethink whether it's a good idea to have everyone in duty-free shops (and pay outrageous sums for rights and lobbyists to get people to walk through their stores)

[@johnnyricoMC]

Imagine working at an airport store. Often the husbands came browsing in the store I worked at while the spouses were in the perfume shop trying all the samples. The stench when they finally came over was horrible.

[@aspzx]

The worst thing is if you're late for your flight and you have to run through the maze of stands while attempting to avoid knocking over the towers of bottles or shoppers lazily trying on perfumes. In Stansted they literally changed the layout of the path from security to the lounge from a straight corridor to a S shaped gauntlet of duty free.

[@TheBooban]

But they don’t sell aftershave. Wtf?

[@common_c3nts]

I have never seen that at ORD, IAH, ATL.

[@SkatKat]

A youth addiction to RedBull taught me much about how pricing works in different shops and situations. I can't say I recommend the addiction but I can say to know by heart the local price of at least a bar of chocolate and use that to compare shops.

[@RCmies]

Also these days it's so easy to check prices online. When you see candy go for 10€ it is most likely way overpriced. But people who go through airports are mostly rich and there's no competition and an automatic influx of customers so it's no wonder the prices are high even when they don't have to pay taxes for the products. It's just funny to me they advertise "duty free" when it's basically just them saying they get more money from your purchase than regular retailers, and has no benefit to the buyers.

[@p0ddie]

were you really addicted to Red Bull or was it just general lack of impulse control tho

[@SkatKat]

The caffeine in it creates addiction and there was little incentive to stop so a bit of both, I'd say. Still a good benchmark for prices in shops.@@p0ddie

[@bobikdylan]

Here's a tip. If you want peace and quiet in an airport, and I mean quiet, but don't want to pay for a lounge (which may be full of kids anyway), find the chapel. There's one in every airport, usually tucked away down a corridor where they can't rent shop space. They are blissfully quiet, usually empty, and free. This atheist has used them many times.

[@jorgeeduardodussanvillanue46]

Yoooo best place to take a nap in the airport, don't let more people find out about it 👀👀👀

[@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo]

Be prepared to be kept awake by my very loud byzantine chanting if you ever do such selfish things in my presence. A chapel is a place to pray, not satisfy your earthly desires.

[@hedgehog3180]

@@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo How the fuck can you chant loudly in a nonexistant language? Is this some sort of riddle like the sound of one hand clapping?

[@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo]

@@hedgehog3180 I can assure you that the greek language very much still exists.

[@Ramonatho]

​@@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo ah, the entitled Christian assuming they deserve the space, getting it, and then ruining it for others

[@darialvova6355]

Prices in duty-free shops are at least twice higher than prices in common shops in cities and towns

[@debochando]

In south america many people will buy stuff at the duty free because they sell unique imported products that are not common or easy to find in the country. They are still very expensive and few can afford it, but the ones that buy it do it because of its exclusivity, not because of the prices.

[@mikeklein1779]

That's the main reason I buy stuff at the duty free shops. It's less about the price and more about the "I can't get this anywhere else."

[@TheRealSpeedWolf]

I live in Cancun. Do you want to know what the most annoying aspect is? The majority of souvenirs are made in China, while the locally handcrafted goods are being sold at bus stops for less than nothing. The traditional craft is being lost to the next generation because they cannot make a living. You would think that this is something the government would protect.

[@tobyhallidie1498]

Super sized chocolate bars are my only go to in "Duty Free" shops have never seen them for sale anywhere else.

[@bmxrichard21]

@@mikeklein1779Even hand crafted pencils from japan wood from Japan can be shipped anywhere. I'am sorry for your situation, but buying products in duty-free zones doesnt help it. If you can't buy something in your own country, it's through the laws you are involved in passing. But more often than not, these high-turnover companies don't want to get into a market where they would have to meet covenants such as not abusing animals or providing a warranty. And so they leave the market in those countries.

[@mikeklein1779]

@@bmxrichard21 I appreciate your concern for my desperate situation. I guess a bottle of scotch that is only for sale at Terminal 5 in Heathrow is analogous to some items that would easily fit in my carry-on.

[@mbirth]

Nowadays, airports seem to be malls where you happen to be able to fly from. But look into the former Berlin-Tegel airport. That one was designed like a bus terminal - but for planes. Every gate had its own checkin desk, security checkpoint and waiting area. You basically could arrive 15 minutes before door closing time and STILL make your flight. It was pure awesome to fly from there compared to all those "modern" airports. So sad they closed it down. It was so efficient, that it ran on about 3 times of its design capacity (and 8 times of its original 1974 design capacity) in its last few years. And still coped.

[@Redrally]

Unfortunately, most people that went through Tegel in the last 20 years hated it. It found overcapacity difficult to cope with and people hated walking into queues. From an architectural standpoint, I do personally like it, so I'm glad they're preserving the building(s). Unfortunately, it just could not meet the demands of the huge surge in passengers that arrived end of the 90s

[@ambyungbae]

Its really insane how much tourist traps there are. It just leaves me wondering why people dont think of their own towns and cities when being a tourist in other countries.

[@letecmig]

i most airports, including PRG airport, the vast majority of people flying somewhere are local people.... which makes this even more 'interesting':)

[@SilverSamurai12]

To be fair, if you're from abroad, the shops often have alcohols that aren't available "locally". Always important to compare.

[@lollycopter]

Leisure travel is an affliction of the consumer, who believes that they're more interesting to other people if they have the means to travel far away and spend money on being fancy while they look at foreign stuff in person. There's an excellent ABC Radio National The Minefield episode (titled "Travel is bad for the climate - but what if it’s also bad for us?") that delves into this phenomenon.

[@superslash7254]

@@lollycopter That's a toxic, dishonest, and absurd way of looking at things that was invented by people who I guarantee you will never give up leisure travel and private jets.

[@letecmig]

@@lollycopter I assume you have very shallow social circle. I and none of my friends travel for reasons you mention..... and also do not "spend money on being fancy" :)

[@power4things]

Back in the day (this would be 1970's and 80's) when there was no air travel over the USSR from Asia to Europe, so many flights had connections in Dubai and the duty free there was legendary for cheap electronics, cameras, etc. Today it's not that good in DXB, but still seems a bit better than most airports, and they actually have stuff you would buy, sometimes at just a small premium. As someone else here pointed out, people from countries where it's hard to buy or ship goods will pick up high-end items like laptop PC's, hard drives, high-end mobile phones, good Bose or B&O portable stereos and even fashion items that can be tucked in a bag and can pass for your property at the destination.

[@wiseguyknowsall]

Usually , outside it is 70cl (700 ml). While at the airport, it is 1liter (1000ml).

[@gscott5062]

Apparently Copenhagen airport has a special 'fragrance-free' corridor that avoids the duty-free shop. It's supposed to be for people with allergies, but I have an allergy to overpriced stores, so I guess I'm OK. I flew through Rome recently and getting through the duty-free store was awful.

[@anderspedersen7488]

I fly out of CPH frequently, and I’ll be looking for that corridor. For several years you’ve been led straight from security through a giant duty free store to get to any gate.

[@geirmyrvagnes8718]

Look for a discreetly marked corridor to the left or right before being funneled in to the tax free. I have seen these in Norway, too.

[@Анастасия-у7с6ь]

Hey there! Following your channel for four years now and want to thank you for an amazing job you guys are doing! Here we come, Prague! We'll see you again tomorrow!❤

[@johnnyricoMC]

I worked at an airport duty free store for a few years as a student worker. There are several factors affecting pricing: - Airport store space is generally expensive AF to rent. And some airports even contractually take a cut on every sale their tenants make. This of course affects the price of in-store items to compensate. - If the person travels inside Schengen agreement zone, they still have to pay VAT, but they don't need to declare at customs in the end. Whereas if you travel outside the Schengen agreement zone, you do need to declare those bought items at the destination customs and might have to pay VAT or import taxes there. TIP: if you bought it for yourself, take it out of the packaging and do what you can to make it look a bit used (peel off all protective films, perhaps scuff/scratch it at some places), so the destination customs can't consider it new / import. Bottom line result is: duty free stores definitely aren't cheaper, but neither are they a scam (with the exception of food and non-alcoholic drinks imo. The 100ml fluids ban was BS from the start). If you don't have to pay VAT you might still get lucky but most often, you don't.

[@Superbustr]

Most people don't declare duty free items as you don't need to declare duty free items when it comes to low value goods. It's only usually if you go over the (allowance) quantity / value of goods that you have to pay tax on your goods in your arrival country. If you buy 400 duty free cigarettes you have to pay vat on half of them when entering the UK as the allowance without vat is only 200 cigarettes.

[@TomFromMars]

Food and drinks are the only thing i buy there 😅

[@АлександърРусковски]

Because the security does not permit liquids, the passengers are forced to buy the drinking water from the duty free shops. And there are cases when the drinking water is more expensive than the soft drinks or the beer.

[@madameclem]

No passengers are not "forced" 😅 In every Europe / North American airport you can go through a security with an empty bottle and filling it at the bathroom / fountain after security, I've been doing this all my life (Only in a country where tap water wouldn't be safe I dont do that)

[@TomFromMars]

@@madameclem i live in a "particular part of France" where potability of water is not guaranted, when we have tap water at all that is. Tonight i have tap water, not yesterday and not tommorow...

[@adithyasridhar5804]

I travelled to Germany for the 1st time in 2008 as a student . Back then since I was counting cents spent. I realized that duty free is rip off under most circumstances. Fast forward 16 years, since living and traveling in Germany , I find certain products are only available in certain duty free locations . I bought few special edition whiskey from Macallan in Dubai Duty fee which you normally don’t get even in high end store in Germany . Same applies for certain luxury perfume brands like Tom ford or Guerlain.. but regular alcohol/ chocolate/ perfume.. Best Buy is at your city malls .. Special note to the content creator. I loved watching several video of your regarding Prague. I travel often to Prague ( I live close to Czech border ) and I was scammed once by a taxi driver in Prague few years back but never let another scam happen. Love. Czech Republic. Great culture, lovely and friendly people.

[@llothar68]

Because high end whiskey is also a scam. Germans know this. There is a reason why they all come in great cases. They are show like a Hermes Bag or a $800 Nike sneaker. I tell you that almost nobody in the world can taste a difference after you cross the $50 mark for whiskey.

[@mk5354]

You also have to factor that your normal store sells 750ml, but most duty free shops are selling 1L.

[@SuperOtter]

If you only have a carry on and want to bring, semi, local gifts that contain a lot of liquid the duty free shop is your only choice

[@500ccRabbit]

That is one benefit for sure.

[@timkom2289]

That might be true, on the other hand I wouldn't be surprised if the bottle get cheaper if you just order it from some czech eshop and let it ship to your country.

[@janami-dharmam]

So this is by design, right? Better business.

[@hammalamiri12]

That’s what’s pushed prices up in airports for something like a bottle of water

[@blablak9942]

I always put my wine bottles for example in my main luggage as it’s not banned to do so and I can still save $€£ for bringing gifts for family/friends.

[@yaziyo]

There was a period where duty free alcohol used to be decent value. It's very rarely the case any more. I think it's airports capitalising on the 100ml liquids thing, which thankfully is starting to go away in some airports.

[@DR_1_1]

I got 3 € lower than the local 164 € online price for a bottle of Cognac. I wouldn't have bought it if I knew...

[@p01104]

Whether or not you get a deal at duty free stores really depends.. you just have to be very familiar with the prices to actually score a deal and not get ripped off

[@Sam-vi2ho]

Cigarettes is one of the things you can make MASSIVE savings on, depending on where you're going and where you're coming from.

[@Dantist87]

​@@Sam-vi2hoany place in the world where cigarettes are cheaper in the duty free compared to the price in an average shop outside of the airport?

[@1bluensx]

I love your videos. I learn so much from you. I also love the city of Prague, and you are so informative. Everyone that travels to Prague needs to watch your videos before they go

[@shadoninja]

How the heck is your English so good? You could almost pass for someone born in the US!

[@POLO9999]

Long time ago the Duty Free shops were used to be cheaper due of the fact that each borders had customs with tariffs and it was made almost impossible to get decent prices locally. Since the Schengen agreements and the no-border policy in the EU, it vanished the purpose of those Duty Free shops so they had to "mark up" their prices due of the rent fees of the airport. The only prices that they can't change are cigarettes prices which are stamped locally.

[@shinnam]

If you are going to Nordic countries buy alcohol at the duty free, at least 30% cheaper. A 700 ml bottle of the cheapest vodka in Sweden is about $21. Duty free even in schengen area is cheaper.

[@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo]

@@shinnam The cheap vodka is why we come to Sweden. Only $20 for a bottle of vodka? sign me up!

[@shinnam]

​@@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo😢 Norwegian?

[@TheOneAndOnlyOuuo]

@@shinnam Finland. People in the North go to Haparanda and people in the South go to Tallinn. Norwegians have it even worse... they sometimes come to Finland! (and estonians go to Latvia, and they go to Lithuania or Poland...)

[@sn0y]

I live in Finland and all duty free prices are lower than in Finland. But usually Ill try to buy everything from country that I have visited and I know that most have better prices than duty free. Good video!

[@SMGJohn]

Popular in Finland is to travel to Estonia and previously Russia to buy cheap cheap cheap food and other stuff, Swedish and Norwegians go to Finland for cheap booze, rather ironic.

[@Super-id7bq]

Anyone growing up on a council estate in the UK would remember the days of people randomly selling bin liners full of duty free cigarettes and tobacco after getting back from their "holidays". How times have changed.

[@MobilityM]

Still doable, but not at the same sort of volumes. I always bring back as many packs as I can... legally, even though I never had one myself!

[@PickleThePig]

Still do it. Baccy is £4 to £7 in outside EU airports. £20+ in the Uk

[@PickleThePig]

I don’t live on a council estate tho 😂

[@Paul__Allen]

Nothing wrong with council estates ​@@PickleThePig

[@smike9884]

The £4-7 tobacco is 50g packs and the price here is £35+ not £20! Outrageous. @@PickleThePig

[@skyracer-mk8hg]

I always thought those stores are only to buy some really expensive water in case security took it away from you.

[@yashdawani1909]

The only reason I buy at duty free is the weight of it doesn't (usually) count towards your carry-on baggage. Especially when I am buying liquor and bottles are really heavy....

[@FrancescoCastiglioneChannel]

Changing Prague and the whole of Czechia, for the best. Thank you for your service

[@cancerianlove5783]

Janek and Honza .. good to see you guys doing this .. I never buy ever buy anything from Duty free .. cos I get it cheaper from UK supermarkets then Duty free .. I can’t believe how inflated the prices are

[@teekue]

You are most certainly right. Except for special offers duty free shops don't offer value. But if you are worried that you might be thirsty, just bring an empty bottle and fill it in a bathroom sink after security checks. I also noticed that a lot of airports have cheap water stations nowadays, or even "pay what you want" water stations. Having recently been to Stanstead airport they are trialing the scanner where you can leave your stuff in your bags completely and you are allowed up to 1l of liquid in a single bottle. It is just a matter of time until we see widespread use.

[@user-od3yc8mr6w]

I never once even considered that three stores could NOT be a scam.

[@stuartross282]

Yes duty free is a waste of time

[@thomasrichards294]

The one thing is depending on the alcohol you can’t ship it or get it to bring back unless you go duty free.

[@PROVOCATEURSK]

Why would you buy an addictive poison? Are you a communist?

[@Av-vd3wk]

7:12 - “I think you’re weird!” 😂

[@ardas77]

Actually the one time that I bought a bottle of alcohol in a duty free shop (which yes, slightly more expensive than regular) was when I traveled with only a carry-on baggage. I then took the bottle to the plane and it traveled in my overhead bin which was way more convienient than buiyng additional baggage. Not to mention that we had a overnight stay in another country and I could freely bring in the bottle with me to another flight since it was still sealed in a bag.

[@GodzillaGoesGaga]

They're a scam. Hyper-inflated prices and realistically offer nothing you need.

[@antoineolivier1287]

5:20 I haven't flown in 2+ years due to health reasons, but sadly this is how it is in sooo many airports at least in Europe. In some terminals you just can't get to your gate without walking through a duty free. Good thing I've never been a compulsive buyer.

[@alihorda]

I don't mind it, since they are so ridiculously overpriced that I don't feel forced or pressured to buy anything. Basically they shoot themselves in the foot. I just buy a bottle of water so I don't have to order on the plane (which is more expensive)

[@Mark-vn7et]

@@alihordaorder on the plane? What kind of redneck carriers do you fly with? I’ve only encountered one time where you have to pay for food/drinks on an airplane and that was Ryanair. For an 2 hour flight I can go without a bottle of water

[@kyleanuar9090]

Well you're a man for one thing, 80 percent of buyers are women

[@kyleanuar9090]

Once in the line at the cashier I realised I was the only man there and I left not buying anything.

[@jacoblofquist2004]

My relatives from Sweden would still come out ahead by 40-50% paying those duty free prices compared to their local shops. It depends on whether you have checked luggage, or enough spare weight/room to haul a couple bottles home.

[@4rumani]

you can carry duty free shop stuff on the plane as long as you keep it in the duty free packaging (at least at my airport)

[@eriksvensson2098]

@@4rumani As a Swede i did the misstake once of not taking a duty free bag for my gin (already had a bag, for enviromental reasons and such), forced at the gate to throw it away even though it was clearly a duty free bottle. 60 euro down the drain...

[@OnlyKaerius]

@@4rumani I'm pretty sure he meant wether or not you have the checked luggage space for non-airport booze.

[@olnnn]

Yes it will vary a bit depending on country probably depending on excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco specifically, which won't apply to other goods. Those are very high in Scandinavia so people who are addicted to tobacco products especially can still save a bit compared to buying in a store afterwards if they are in any case on a trip. (Though it may be way cheaper to pick that up to the allowed limit in the country one is visiting depending on where one is travelling if one has luggage space for it)

[@iamagi]

Like me, I will be flying back from none EU country so there is no way it’s not a good deal. Being in one of the cheapest countries from alcohol is not a very good point of reference.

[@renvhoek]

Thanks, I was always suspicious of these prices, nice to know my instincts not to buy were true.

[@bluelionman]

I hate that lots of UK airports make you walk through twisty paths through shops after security with no direct straight path to the terminal area.

[@davidlp6510]

I think most duty-free airport zone are like that. The one here in Chicago is definitely like that too. In the duty-free store, a bottle of Johnnie Walker (green label) costs$64 and in most supermarkets all over the city it costs $49. In Sao Paulo Brazil, I purchased some chocolates for $56. The very same chocolates in a supermarket near the hotel were going for $29. Perfume in the airport CDG in Paris were at least 30% more than in town. I really believe that these duty-free stores are a real scam. Good video there. The content is right on.

[@Kakivikakkukak]

I love this Billa supermarket at Prague airport. I visit it everytime

[@mikelirureta548]

Yes, it's the best choice if you need to buy something for your flight. Unfortunately you can't find normal supermarket in other airports

[@user-jk2zm7uq5s]

Every airport needs a supermarket!

[@Krabspinne]

I look normally for the perfumes at the Duty Free and often they are more expensive than in the internet. But I had in London Stansted also the other way around. The exclusive line from Chanel was there way cheaper than online, because you get these fragrances only in the Chanel Boutique and online at the chanel website. So I think for some especially more pricey items you can make a good deal there. But often its just scam.

[@LegendoftheGalacticHero]

Agreed. I get the fancy brands cosmetics and perfume cheaper even when flying inside EU. Other stuff I don’t bother

[@MissMoontree]

I feel similar. Most is way more expensive, but some luxury like perfume is cheaper.

[@farmersteve129]

All the effort that they go to in order to convince you to buy stuff suggests that it's very profitable for them... which suggests that they're overpriced or at least not giving the best best pricing. Anytime I want to bring anything back from Prague (or anywhere else) I buy it at a local shop and put it in my checked luggage & I've never had a problem!

[@KneeCutter]

I was at the Prague airport a week ago and seeing your videos about scams in Prague makes me relieved, knowing I managed to avoid the majority and made good financial decisions.

[@emb21982]

I have occasionally found high end makeup items which were cheaper in the duty free, however it was only about 10% cheaper than buying it in the store. VAT tax here in the UK is 20% so they were still artificially inflating the prices.

[@aigars2005]

You can't also buy anything in duty free shops without your boarding pass being scanned at the checkout. I guess that's how they tell if you need to pay the EU price or the without VAT price?

[@letecmig]

no, this is how they prove they can claim VAT FOR THEMSELVES! So its really a 'reverse duty free'- THEY get the tax back, you pay regular(or higher) price:)

[@metalfortanks]

Yes, you're correct.

[@pcdispatch]

Which is ridicilous. Many years ago i had some medicin and I needed water. I was not able to buy it after the flight. And remember, before the flight the water was taken away from me by security.

[@Bopzibeel]

Under European law you don't have to provide your boarding pass when buying goods at Duty Free and its an offence if they refuse you service because you refuse to provide it. GDPR breach as your personal information is on the boarding pass barcode. The VAT refund is yours, not theirs and they are in effect stealing.

[@letecmig]

@@Bopzibeel not really…. VAT is paid by seller of goods/services when they biught inputs (goods) frim the supplier….so its the seller who is eligible to claim it back….. in theory the mechanism shoul be they could sell you goods “at loss” knowing they will get the back using scan of you boarding pass as proof the goods were “exported”

[@janami-dharmam]

I had a cup of coffee at the Pargue airport (before the passport control). I almost had a heart attack.

[@thomask4978]

I would say there is a tax on the items sold in the duty free shops. The tax is called airport tax. The owners of the shops still pay rent, water, electricity, etc. Airports are special places so the rent is higher I would say. The craziest airport I have seen was Panama or Cartagena it felt more like a shopping mall with flight connections than an airport.

[@PT-pn5ge]

When I was in the Navy we pulled into Bahrain and there was a duty free store on the dock. I remember buying cartons of Newports for like 10 bucks and there was crazy crazy cheap cigars and alcohol.

[@evan]

I came up against this one time in Heathrow when I thought I'd "save money" by buying an action cam in one of the stores there. I was disappointed to find exactly what you did. Not cheaper than I could get online in any way so I just bought it online anyway. big scam

[@TheParadiseParadox]

Once flying out of Acapulco i was checking out the shops. They were selling some Cuban cigars and i thought okay that's a reasonable price, 200 pesos for a nice cigar, still more than I'd pay elsewhere, but reasonable. Then i realised it was priced in dollars Since then I've never even bothered to look at duty free stores

[@TheDalen2016]

Recently went through Brussels airport and they actually force you through a massive duty free shop while making a connecting flight. Meanwhile at the same airport, if you want to get to Africa, you go sit downstairs and wait for a bus to take you a separate side of the airport. Not like they don't have money to build a train or walkway.

[@t0m_mcc]

Ah yes, good old European colonialist mindset. Let the Africans get the bus, not worth building infrastructure for them.

[@pierrex3226]

So you're implying the airport is racist? You're not too good with numbers are you?

[@letecmig]

These shops at the airports are really tax free! But it works in OPPOSITE direction that most people think. Ever wondered why you need to scan your boarding pass? The shop can prove the goods were 'exported' and can claim the VAT/Tax back. So its duty free.... FOR THE SHOP! .... you pay the regular or higher price, and THEY get the VAT/TAX back. So really, its Duty free, but its the shop who gets the benefit;)

[@flowvisualmedia5993]

so there's sales tax written on the receipt? but how would that work at border crossings shops?

[@worldhello1234]

@2:29 Off course it is comparable. The benchmark is best price.

[@mczeljk]

Seen that in various airports now, that after security the way to the gates starts in a duty free shop

[@roberttwarock2231]

In Germany, most spirits come in 0.7l bottles, so a 1l bottle for a comparable price is a bargain. But you actually did compare litre bottles :-) When I was on duty in Kosovo, the army sold the cigarettes tax-free with a tiny fee and you could buy 200 Gauloises for as little as 6€. While, at the airport or aboard, it was 18-23€…

[@AussieVet]

Australia makes you walk through the store after PP control too, and it winds you around the whole shop before exit.

[@zeeeboss5811]

This walking through a store after & before you board the plane in the UK & Germany... I always take advantage with the test purfumes though that costs over £200 then carry on walking 😂

[@asiamommi]

Same! I'm like, 'Thanks for the Chanel!" 💃

[@zeeeboss5811]

Why not ay😋 @@asiamommi

[@g00glen00b]

5:16 In Brussels Airport you also have to walk through the duty free shop to get to your terminal. I don't fall for the trap, but I hate having to walk through it because it has an overwhelming perfume smell which is really annoying.

[@bangalorebobbel]

Most probably unbeknownst to most passengers, these duty free shops are usually not any small local shops which sell only in a specific airport local goods without local taxes, but are businesses owned and run by a couple of huge multinational duty-free-shop enterprises such as Avolta (formerly known as Dufry), DFS, or Lagardere Tavel Retail, which own sometimes hundreds of such shops all over the world. The probability to find accidentially a great deal in such shops is not really high. Yet one can try to find in advance any special offers on the website which at least some of these airport duty free shops have. Sometimes, one can even order in advance and pick the stuff up during departure. Another chance to get cheap duty free stuff on travels can be inflight shopping of the airlines, where you can get sometimes stuff like cigarettes or alcohol at much cheaper rates than in a supermarket at the departure location. Usually, the inflight shopping offers can be downloaded as catalogue or accessed on the website of the airline, so it is easy to find out the prices before the flight, and you can even order in advance or pay with miles instead of money.

[@jeeeyjey]

there is however one notable exception for this: Scandinavia. If you ever go to Iceland or Norway, it is actually cheaper to buy alcohol at the duty free shop (on arrival) rather than buying it in the supermarket as the taxes on alcohol are so high that the inflated airport price is still cheaper than the supermarket one.

[@janami-dharmam]

Surely you have watched the queue at the Systembolaget?

[@spelix14]

Same in the us

[@fresagrus4490]

Probably true but in Sweden definitely isn't the case

[@armin0815]

4:55 Well you can always put bottles into the regular luggage, just wrap them well. I do it often.

[@mrpepperfish]

Great video. In Australia, Alcohol is very heavily taxed, so its common for Australians to stock up on as much as alcohol as they are allowed to carry when leaving the airport. If you travel here, you might find the Duty Free alcohol is cheaper than in stores outside the airport, but everything else: food, gifts, perfume etc is the same or more expensive inside the airport.

[@БеловБорис-у4щ]

Generally, most popular products prices are pretty close to normal retail price, but 1) range of liqueur is huge and you can buy something rare. Usually rare liqueurs are a bit overpriced in retail. 2) sales - sometimes the are significant 3) gifts. A got travel bag with cognac ~10 years ago. Still using it to go to gym.

[@jaybandu6976]

Depends on the airport. I got a bunch of bottles for super cheap at Dubai a week ago. Planning on grabbing more on my way back

[@aracrg]

One notable exception: perfumes are often cheaper at duty free. Would love to know how they're the only products that really are cheaper.

[@PhiLLyPhiLLz]

Interesting, I didn’t know it was like this in Prague. I’ve never had an issue at duty free, always cheaper than in my city stores.

[@hammer082]

5:25 ... same in basel, but the other way around ... you clear security check, you have to directly walk through a store ...

[@amelie3012]

To me duty free is a place that last minute reminds me that I forgot to bring a gift when visiting my family or in laws.

[@Ludak021]

I remember when I was coming back from Cuba and seeing Cuban cigars for "cheap" in "Duty Free", they were around 1000 times more expensive than what they cost in a HOTEL I was staying. You can get a (wooden) box (50 Cohiba cigars) for around ~$50 at Cuba, or one Cohiba in plastic wrap in Duty Free for a bit less than a $100.

[@macten6819]

I learnt to buy whatever I want in the regular shops and put it in my checked bagage a loooong time ago.

[@jannarkiewicz633]

I figured this would be a 4 second video and you'd say, "No." Then again, I don't drink. Good research. You taught me smoking permitted at the airport. I will never visit Prague. I won't get near cigarettes. Been 25 years. Lots of other places to visit.

[@Contefimur]

This is very valid for EU, UK, US and citizens of other first-world countries. Citizens of multiple countries, including mine, are buying in duty-free shops because the liquor in country is mostly suggogate or the imitation of the original drinks that are just not present in regular stores. We buy from duty free just to be sure that we will present a quality drink to our friends and relatives.

[@WeissWhite]

Unfortunately walking through a store at aiports is very common. I've been to many of airports and almost on every single one I had to walk through a store.

[@janami-dharmam]

This is by design; once I was escorted by a staff and I realized that I really had to walk very little. This happened in Delhi and also in Bangkok.

[@MobilityM]

@@janami-dharmam Every airport I visited had some sort of a shortcut, either through the fast track security lane (e.g. Heathrow Terminal 3, Krakow) or through a hidden corridor (Gatwick South, Stansted). They have to do it to accommodate PMRs and allow quicker movement for staff.

[@matthewswain9]

One exception: if you have a layover in a country and your destination and starting point are 3 distinct countries, you can still get a deal. Ex. I travelled from Spain to Florida with London as my layover, and buying British alcohol at the duty free shops were around half the price of buying them at total wine in the U.S. Got a liter of disaronno for $16, normally would cost around $40 in the U.S.

[@Xrater96]

Here in Vienna you have to pass trough 3 duty stores to get to passport check. Not to mention 100 other stores

[@SwissSpirit]

I think it really depends where you are from, where you fly and what you buy. The best thing is to know the prices of specific items before you go to the airport (prices in your country AND in the country you're flying to). Then you simply compare these with the price in the duty free shop. Globally, Honest Guides are right, but on some specific products, you can have some good deals anyway (happened to me for a perfume, for example, where I could get it 50% less expensive than in my country or Internet)

[@penitent2401]

came back from a holiday few months ago, landed back at home airport and there was a staff standing outside the stores section calling "last chance to buy duty free!" to all passengers as they walk through the gate and pointing to the stores. everything in there was mainly common brand you can get from supermarkets but for double the supermarket's prices. they may removed the tax, but profit margin tripled.

[@CD3MC]

Its things like that that make me so glad my local airport has a policy where vendors MUST have the same price you'd find on the street. They have evicted shops based on this.

[@rinleez]

Nobody shops at duty free because it's cheaper, but because it's convenient. Even with a checked bag, I wouldn't pack a bottle of alcohol in it. As for the prices themselves - yeah, they are marked up higher, but did you ever wonder how expensive rent is at an airport terminal? Everything costs more. Even fast food chains at airports tend to have higher prices. The only problem I have with duty free shops(kind of ironic, as I never bought anything at the reduced, duty free rate) is the misleading marketing. It's being abused and surely the stores will just say "oh, it's the best prices in THIS DUTY FREE ZONE" when called out on it. I still grab the overpriced bottle of whisky for my brother in law when travelling to visit the family, because I won't be able to get that brand at my destination. Anyway, what's next? "Are cinema snacks a scam"?

[@wtfdinges]

Here's a good tip: instead of buying duty free stuff at the airport, you can also shop in the destination country, pay the VAT, and get the VAT reimbursed at the airport once you leave. Most larger airports have these offices and all you have to do is keep the receipts.

[@anj000]

Never buy anything there. Even water. Take empty bottle with you, go through security and then fill that bottle with water from the drinking fountain.

[@aski551]

This is true in almost all duty free shops in every country.

[@rfh9560]

It depends on what you’re buying and where you’re going. I usually buy alcohol when coming home to Ireland, alcohol is highly taxed here, so prices coming from outside the EU are indeed much lower, a litre of Smirnoff can be bought at the Duty free for around €12, at any Irish shop it will be nearly €40. For sweets it is a different story though, at the airport stuff are more than double the street price. You just need to know your local prices before buying stuff on the way home

[@87nsilva]

In Argentina it quites make sense. We have two different currency values: the official one ($897 per USD, as TODAY) and the "blue" one ($1300 per USD, also as today). It's that way because you can't buy as many as you want from official sources, and there is a tax for every transaction in USD. So that difference between taxed or not taxed USD rate makes Tax Free shops cheaper than city stores for any imported product.

[@aarond.2062]

In Norway alcohol is really cheaper at the airport than in vinmonopolet. Also on other Scandinavian airports I usually find some bottle with really nice price tag on it.