multiple duty free in checked luggage

jordylass

We are traveling to Florida as a family of 4 adults, we were only going to take carry on luggage but have decided to pay for one checked luggage so that we can bring home duty free.

There is a concern that only the person who has paid for the checked baggage would be able to have their duty free allowance in the case. I've searched and can't find any information to clarify.

Does anyone know, if we could all put our duty allowance in to the one checked case?

dickydonkin

Why bother? You would only be allowed 4x1 litre bottles of spirit that can be carried on board individually provided they are sealed and receipts showing.

If it is tobacco you are considering bringing back, then again, provided that you intend to adhere to your legal allowance, carrying it in hand baggage or a separate bag should not be an issue.

If you intend stuffing the suitcase beyond your duty free limits, then that is up to you

Personally, I now never bother with duty free as the minimal savings do not justify the inconvenience.

Kernow666

wouldn't be a problem as long as all the persons who's allowances was in the case were there at the time if it was to be checked

richardw

How much cheaper than the duty free price is the booze at Aldi or Lidl or on special offer at Sainsburys Tesco Asda Morrisons Waitrose Marks and Spencer?

How much extra is the checked bag?

If the pound weakens generally on the currency markets, how much extra will the booze cost you?

jordylass

Thanks for replies. We've no intention of going over limits but my daughter likes ciroc vodka and it's about half the price in Walmart. I also want to bring back some of the Michael kors bags. I think it will be worth the cost of one suitcase.

PeacefulWaters

Is it worth buying the case there rather than paying for it in both directions?

pollypenny

jordylass wrote: »

Thanks for replies. We've no intention of going over limits but my daughter likes ciroc vodka and it's about half the price in Walmart. I also want to bring back some of the Michael kors bags. I think it will be worth the cost of one suitcase.

Some of the Michael Kors bags! :eek:

They're not that cheap in the USA, especially with the lousy exchange rate.

zaax

http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Spirits/Ciroc_Vodka_700ml.html

SW17

jordylass wrote: »

Thanks for replies. We've no intention of going over limits but my daughter likes ciroc vodka and it's about half the price in Walmart. I also want to bring back some of the Michael kors bags. I think it will be worth the cost of one suitcase.

Assuming you will all come through UK customs together, the suitcase itself is not the issue, customs allowances are per person.

The government rules are (my bold):

Your duty-free allowance means you can bring in a certain amount of goods for your own use from outside the European Union (EU) without paying duty or tax.

When you’re bringing in goods you must:

transport them yourself
use them yourself or give them away as a gift

You can’t combine allowances with other people to bring in more than your individual allowance.

Outside of dutiable items like alcohol and tobacco, the limit per person for other items (including Michael Kors bags) is £390. While the rules strictly say you can't share allowances, I don't know how strictly that is enforced (if indeed you were stopped at all) and presumably you could get round it by making sure none of you had spent more than a total of £390 on items brought back to the UK.

Franck

We have sometimes in the past been separated at Customs which can cause a problem for the person with the bag. Our solution was to stick a couple of carriers in the Hold bag and having collected the bag from the carousel opened it and sorted the DF items into the carriers so each carrier was one persons individual allowance to then take through Customs. Easy Peasy.

Not withstanding the particular vodka issue like others I suggest you cost up the cost of the hold luggage and the amount you may or may not save against the major and budget supermarkets. If you are going to shop anyway then there will be a hold bag with you anyway.

On my last trip home from Spain I met 3 guys from Corby, Northants who were on a day booze shopping trip with only cabin baggage that came out empty and went back full of booze and cigs. They booked mega cheap day return flts with Ryanair. IF RA had an early and a late flt they would come out on the early, shop downtown and then just sunbathe until their late flt. If RA only had the one flt they would come out on it, shop at the Duty Free and return on the same aircraft. They did this trip apparently at least twice a month.

Voyager2002

A question: when you say "duty free", do you mean bottles bought duty free at the airport when leaving the USA, or bottles bought at Walmart or other shops within the USA?

At US airport you buy after your luggage has been checked in, and the bottles are handed to you as you board the 'plane, and so would be in hand luggage. However, any bottles or fluids that you buy before entering the airport must be in checked luggage and cannot be taken as hand luggage.