Onboard shopping - yes or no?
 

Do any of you take advantage of onboard shopping on the plane?
Are prices good?
Do you save duty on international flights?

Nope, never occured to me to consider it :-)

What kinds of things are you asking about? Always seems like it was just perfume and such.

no, I don't shop on planes. I don't think the duty would be any different from buying at the airport in the duty-free shops, isn't it the same thing? They sell stuff that I don't need or want, basically. I've seen a few brand name items that weren't too bad a price, but no cheaper than buying them on the ground (eg, some tote bags or things on Air France flights). I don't really like buying things that much, I'll be honest. I hate shopping as an activity.

I have sometimes gotten last minute gifts onboard. It's not so much about the prices but there are sometimes some nice things (watches, inexpensive but nice costumer jewelry, toys etc.) that you wouldn't see elsewhere. Generally the liquor and perfume is not much cheaper. I have gotten some nice samplers though (different fragrances).

I've bought stuffed animals with embroidered airline logos onboard CO, CX, AF and QF. My sister gave me an AA one.

I have bought a few things - but not because they were any sort of bargain. They usually aren't. Mostly travel gadgets of some sort (total impulse purchases) or ocassionally some cosmetic I already use. Never the liquor or Hermes scarves or things like that. Just smaller inexpensive goodies.

And there is always the mega-sized toblerone :)

Ah, Janisj, yes those chocolate bars... now those DID look like a good idea when my seatmate bought one!

I never understood about mega-sized Toblerone: it's such a pain to eat (literally).

I bought a bottle of scotch on a flight from Toronto to Beijing. I don't recollect the price, but I remember thinking that it was less expensive than what I would have paid for it at home.

Suze, I don't know what other airlines offer but Air Canada sells jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, alcohol, and tobacco on their international flights. They must be making money on it otherwise they wouldn't be toting all that weight across the Atlantic or the Pacific. My perception is that it chews up a bit of cabin crew time, too. Sounds like a tedious job.

Anselm

My wife tells me that AC's price for vodka is much better than at the LCBO so we usually get one on the way home.

I bought a Longine watch on a flight, it was my lovely parting gift to myself, departing LAX in route to Europe. I love it and I haven't seen it elsewhere for the price.

On a LONG flight, I look for ANY kind of diversion. So reading the catelog, and watching them wheel the duty-free carts up and down the aisles counts as entertainment, even if I'm not buying.

I bought a bracelet on a flight from London. It's beautiful and the experience gave me just one more opportunity to shop.

Compared to where I live, the duty-free items are much more expensive than what I pay at home. I look at the catalogs though.

It would have to be an emergency of sorts, e.g. no other opportunity to buy a gift for someone very important to me...