Tag: Duty-Free

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Video Interlude: A Time-Lapse Trip on Scandinavia's Ultra Fancy, Duty-Free Ferry

Where: Finland
February 21, 2013 at 1:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you think cruise shops are pretty fancy, then you haven't stepped onboard a Scandinavian ferry. Indeed, ferries aren't what they used to be—they're so much better, as musty waiting room-like spaces are being replaced with comfortable lounges, entertainment spaces and even airport-style shopping.

The latter is the highlight of the crossing between Stockholm, Sweden and Turku, Finland onboard the Viking Line ferry M/S Grace. The boat stops in Marihamn, a port town which sits pretty on the Åland Islands between the two Baltic Sea cities. These islands are one of those weird territories travelers love to visit, as they have their own government, flag, stamps and patriotism, but still come under some jurisdiction of another country (Finland, in this case). The draw for the ferries and their duty-free shops is that these boats are exempt from Europe's VAT tax. It's literally a booze cruise—buying it, not so much consuming it.

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A $39,000 Bottle of Whiskey Becomes a Simple Souvenir

Where: Maldives
October 23, 2012 at 10:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re hanging out in the Maldives then you are probably already somewhat of a high roller—or you are just really good at collecting those frequent flyer miles. That’s why it doesn’t really surprise us that travelers heading to and through the country’s main airport are faced with big-ticket items in the duty-free shop.

Just like plenty of other airports across the globe there’s a decent selection of luxury goodies at Malé International Airport. One thing that sets this airport apart is the price tags, and they have a bottle of The Balvenie Fifty—a fancy whisky—that sells for roughly $39,000.

Well, we guess we should say they did have this in stock, as apparently a passenger heading to China threw down some cash to take it home only a few days after the bottle of booze hit the shelves. We don’t know if there’s a world record for most expensive duty-free purchase, but this has got to be in the running. We could probably buy this whole machine—cigarettes included—for less than this single bottle.

[Photo of a different whisky: Ethan Prater]

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The Cutest Duty-Free Kiosk This Side of Asia

October 22, 2012 at 3:05 PM | by | Comments (0)

No, this airplane-shaped Duty Free kiosk isn't in Hong Kong airport or even Seoul-Incheon (though its adorableness would suggest that). We spotted it just yesterday at New York-JFK before heading out on Lufthansa flight 401, an A380 which would give even this tubby jet a run for its money.

We would dare you not to be tempted into buying something from it, but alas it's completely filled with cigarette cartons.

Sad face.

[Photo: Jaunted]

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Duty-Free Shopping Must-Haves: Airline Exclusives

September 21, 2012 at 4:42 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you're anything like us, you probably think that the in-flight duty-free shopping catalog can eat up a good chunk of time on long-haul international flights and provide a few giggles or unique gift ideas. This week, we'll dive into the pages of some favorite airline shopping magazines and highlight our picks for the just-can't-live-without items.

Most airlines have a thorough understanding that including some exclusive merchandise in their duty-free catalog will prompt passengers to hand over their cards in exchange for the unique products. In our travels, we have come across a number of items that we had to take a second to think if we actually needed it or had enough room in our carry on. Here are some highlights from our mile high shopping.

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Duty-Free Shopping Must-Haves: Child's Play

September 20, 2012 at 1:58 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you're anything like us, you probably think that the in-flight duty-free shopping catalog can eat up a good chunk of time on long-haul international flights and provide a few giggles or unique gift ideas. This week, we'll dive into the pages of some favorite airline shopping magazines and highlight our picks for the just-can't-live-without items.

Next time your are on an international flight, don't forget about the littlest frequent flyers on your souvenir list. Most duty-free trollies have enough plush animals and plane toys to stock a Toys-R-Us. Long live the days when children were happy with with a set of plastic wings and a visit to the cockpit. Here's some of our favorite options:

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Duty-Free Shopping Must-Haves: Souvenirs and Keepsakes

September 19, 2012 at 12:15 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you're anything like us, you probably think that the in-flight duty-free shopping catalog can eat up a good chunk of time on long-haul international flights and provide a few giggles or unique gift ideas. This week, we'll dive into the pages of some favorite airline shopping magazines and highlight our picks for the just-can't-live-without items.

When browsing an in-flight shopping magazine and flipping past all of the pages of meh watches and perfumes, you may be missing plenty of amazing finds that make for great souvenirs (if only to show that you were actually thinking of your friends and family while away). Many catalogs actually have some items that rival what can be found in typical tourist shops, so let's explore a few:

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Duty-Free Shopping Must-Haves: Ways To Ease Your Arrival

September 18, 2012 at 2:42 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you're anything like us, you probably think that the in-flight duty-free shopping catalog can eat up a good chunk of time on long-haul international flights and provide a few giggles or unique gift ideas. This week, we'll dive into the pages of some favorite airline shopping magazines and highlight our picks for the just-can't-live-without items.

Today, we bring you our recommendations from in-flight catalogs around the world that ease the pressures of traveling to a new land. No matter how many times you get your passport stamped, it is just a little stressful waiting in immigration lines, collecting luggage and getting to your hotel as quickly as possible. Some airlines will help you relieve some of the stress and all you need is a quick browse of their duty-free magazine.

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Duty-Free Shopping Must-Haves: In-Flight Comforts

September 17, 2012 at 1:42 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you're anything like us, you probably think that the in-flight duty-free shopping catalog can eat up a good chunk of time on long-haul international flights and provide a few giggles or unique gift ideas. This week, we'll dive into the pages of some favorite airline shopping magazines and highlight our picks for the just-can't-live-without items.

Today we bring you items that can be purchased on board to use while in-flight. Whether you're using them to make the travel experience a whole lot more comfy or to burn up a few hours before the initial decent into your destination, this is our short list of stuff to keep an eye out while thumbing the pages on your next flight:

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Six Things You Should Totally Buy Onboard an AirAsia Flight

April 25, 2012 at 11:12 AM | by | Comments (0)

Who doesn't love to hate on budget airlines that nickel-and-dime you for every little thing? Ah hem Ryanair and Spirit. Still, despite being branded LCCs (low-cost carriers), some airlines that keep costs down also play it nice, offering items for sale on board that actually make sense.

Just a few days ago, we hopped a 2-hour AirAsia flight from Bali-DPS to Jakarta-CGK and, instead of being prodded to pay more to bring a carryon, we instead were presented with the "AirAsia Cafe meny," a magazine that sells everything from Nasi Goreng and pancakes to Hello Kitty portable speakers and waterproof bags. It's like a duty-free catalog, but then it's not; it's more like duty-free iight.

So long as you've got extra cash (they don't take plastic onboard), here's six things you should buy onboard AirAsia:

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