Can I see your boarding pass please?

mandragora_2

I'm tight, and only very occasionally, and in extremis shop 'airside ' (once for a greaaat deal on Dior perfume that I've never seen anywhere before or since, at Bristol airport) and once to get a bottle of water when I stupidly had thrown me empty bottle away in error. When I have done so, I've ever shown my boarding card, basically because I leave the 'stuff' with my OH while I nip to the shops. On both occasions, when it threatened to become an issue, and I simply said' 'Oh, don't bother then,' it magically became a non-issue and they sold me the stuff anyway.

redpete

Seems wrong to me that a retailer should be able to avoid paying VAT when I buy something (maybe a new camera) that I will use on holiday for 2 weeks but then use for much longer after I return to the UK. Or for a drink that I purchase and consume whilst still in the UK.

richardw

Westin wrote: »

I find WHSmith, or the London News Company (which is them in disguise) to be the worst for demanding to see a boarding card. Even to buy a newspaper, which is VAT zero rated, they ask for a boarding card. Why?.

I refused at WHS yesterday at Heathrow, I said there's no VAT on the newspaper and it's not duty free, they said it was "regulation", I paid and left. They don't seem to have a free read of the newspaper they sell in their break.

blindman

I'm still trying to work out why MSE's are actually buying anything at airports

Possibly the worst place in the world to buy anything :cool:

Who the hell buys newspapers-never mind in airports.

Tarry

I only tend to buy a bottle of water if I'm flying somewhere at the airport. Don't fly very much though.

duchy

There's a bit of an assumption going on here that everyone airside is flying. When I worked at Heathrow part of the reason a boarding card was needed was to ensure staff didn't buy at duty free rates when not travelling (obviously working at an airport you'd be able to give a far more plausible flight number than a random passenger claiming to be travelling to a different destination )

It's bad enough waiting for someone to locate their boarding pass when they get to the till (I'm sure they are the same people who don't start rootling around for their debit card in supermarkets til all the shopping has been scanned ) without getting stuck behind someone who doesn't have their boarding pass on them/doesn't want to show it and insists on arguing. The staff are told not to sell without a BC and it is classed as gross misconduct to do so by most of the stores . They don't make the rules but are the ones to suffer just because someone has left their BC on the other side of the terminal because their parent or spouse thinks they will lose it .....or someone is trying to make a point (to the people who have no say) and don't care how much they inconvenience and delay those behind them in the queue with their shenanigans.

Just show the wretched BP and get on with your day !!!

SW17

blindman wrote: »

I'm still trying to work out why MSE's are actually buying anything at airports

Possibly the worst place in the world to buy anything :cool:

Not always the case, though you have to be selective about what you are buying and do your research beforehand on prices available elsewhere. The stores that are genuinely taking off the VAT for everyone can provide bargains, especially if you are travelling within the EU, as they are paying it for you. These tend to be the more luxury goods stores at airports like LHR and LGW that have enough non-EU traffic to make the trade off worthwhile to them, and they usually have the margins to bear it.

And, if nobody shopped at airports, ticket prices would likely increase for everyone...

benjus

blindman wrote: »

I'm still trying to work out why MSE's are actually buying anything at airports

Possibly the worst place in the world to buy anything :cool:

Who the hell buys newspapers-never mind in airports.

World of Whiskies sometimes has good prices on single malts (not always though). Plus in many airports you can buy loads and leave it at the airport to collect on your return.

e.g. Ardbeg 10YO is £45.49 / litre at WoW - best I can find in UK retail (based on a quick Google) is about £40/0.7l, so about £57/litre.

zaax

SW17 wrote: »

And, if nobody shopped at airports, ticket prices would likely increase for everyone...

Who told you that one, departure lounges are a cash cow for airport owners - another rip off Britain

SW17

zaax wrote: »

Who told you that one, departure lounges are a cash cow for airport owners - another rip off Britain

The shopping forms part of the negotiation with airlines on airport charges, which flow through to fares.

Do you really think that Ryanair finally agreed to allow a duty free shopping bag onboard at Stansted (and other airports) in addition to cabin baggage allowance without getting something in return? Similar for easyJet in many cases. Of course, airlines may not pass all of that saving on to the customer, but given that they are in the business of lower fares, and in the UK at least they have to advertise fares with these charges included, they are motivated to do so.

British Airways pays Heathrow millions to have the T5 lounge entrance for 1st class passengers which enables them to bypass all the shopping.

Yes, the customer pays in the end one way or another, but how that cost is distributed between individual customers varies.