Warning! Connecting flights at a European airport? Your duty free may be confiscated.

cuteusmaximus

This happened to me as well, also in Amsterdam. Bought 2L of Absolut at a cracking price, then was told I had to bin them. Told the security people to give the bottles back and run up to the exit to passport control. Found two Dutchmen and gave them one bottle each, "compliment of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II." Better than putting them in the bin or down the security people's gullets!

ericmo

:j I bought 2 bottles of spirits at Vancouver airport and the man who served me was very helpful explaining about the security and problems at stop off airports. He then put the bottles and bill in a tamper evident bag and sealed it. No problems when I transferred at Heathrow to Manchester

Vans_101

I almost fell into this trap when I was travelling back from New York via London. When I went to purchase the duty free, the girl asked where I was flying to and I told her it was to Edinburgh via London. She then advised me that I may have the alcohol confiscated in London. It was nice of her to warn me. Saved me wasting money on something that would just be binned.

aliehs

As is pointed out in article it is a minefield. The rules are not consistent. We could not get duty free in San Francisco as we were flying to Manchester via Heathrow. If we had been going just to London it was ok. It seems so unfair. Hence we avoid Heathrow like the plague. Pity BA have put all their eggs into Heathrow!!

mrsf77

We travelled from Heathrow to Ecuador with a connection in Amsterdam. We bought a bottle of vodka each in the duty free at Heathrow and it was confiscated from us at Amsterdam airport. We were not warned that it might be nor was it put in a tamper proof bag even though we showed the cashier our boarding passes clearing showing we had a connecting flight from Amsterdam and had a conversation about how long it was going to take us to get to our final destination! We didnt complain as by the time we got back from our hols we couldnt find the receipt.

MADCAT19

I was flying from Brazil w/ KLM via Amsterdam back to London.

In Sao Paolo, I spent my last reais on a Giorgio Armani deodorant after much deliberation with the staff on the amounts of liquids I was allowed to purchase. Deo was in sealed bag w/ receipt.

Going thru Amsterdam, it was confiscated by a rude lady who kept repeating "You cannot bring liquids into the EU" and I kept asking "Why?". I did know the rules about carrying them on board, up to 100ml containers and all the rest of the malarkey but this was taking the biscuit. :mad: At some point, I think I exasperated her and she said "Don't you read the papers?!?" at which point I said "NO!" and spared her my views on them and she looked surprised like I said "I don't wear any underwear" or similar...

I was very upset but I realised the fault rested with the Brazilian Duty Free staff for taking my money and not with her. However, I was appauled by her behaviour and that still remains the case. I was so furious after a long-haul flight and an exhausting 3-week round-Brazil trip that I let it go. I was thinking however to grab the bag, rip it, take the deo out and spray it all over just to prove a point. It's a f*cking deodorant! And now it's mine!:eek:

I keep thinking that, if I had just taken it out of the plastic bag and put it in my bag, it'd have made it thru security with no problems. Alas, we live, we learn.

Incapuppy

I just wanted to add that my friend flew to the US from North Terminal Gatwick yesterday and she said that she did see a sign explaining the duty free/stopover regulations.

Griffsa0

I'm just about to do the same Cairo route so thanks for pointing this out. I presume that the "tamper free bag" is the small see-thru one? So if I were to buy say a bottle of brandy, that would also be taken off me at Amsterdam, so have to buy duty free there and not in Cairo?

arealhighlander

Griffsa0 wrote: »

I'm just about to do the same Cairo route so thanks for pointing this out. I presume that the "tamper free bag" is the small see-thru one? So if I were to buy say a bottle of brandy, that would also be taken off me at Amsterdam, so have to buy duty free there and not in Cairo?

Buy your duty free on the way OUT to Cairo, then pack it in your hold baggage on the way back.

If you leave it until you are returning home, in Amsterdam it will not be duty free but duty paid (as you are already in the EU and flight from Amsterdam to UK will not allow you to buy it duty free.

The plastic bak is like a large clear carrier bag size, it is sealed by the shop staff and once its opened you cannot reseal it, its not the ziplock bags you get for going throught securityu with your 100ml liquids.

I have been travelling for a good few years and still see people with bottles of water etc etc arguing with security staff - never mind the duty free problem, a lot of people still seem to have never heard of the no more than 100ml liquid rule, its un believable!

redcharltonfan

Travelling to Salt Lake city with a colleague last week, he bought a bottle of aftershave at Heathrow..and then had it confiscated at Chicago as we had a connection...

So, remember after clearing US customs you need to put any duty free into your case before rechecking your bag at the transfer desk..