Duty free section at airports = hell

[Greenleavesandsunshine]

I’m sitting waiting to take off on holiday. I’ve just been through the airport departures which was busy and a bit chaotic but ok. The duty free section was hell on earth. It was bright, it was loud, it smelled of perfume, some of the bright lights flashed. People, music, slippery floors.
Why does anyone actually stay and buy anything rather than running through at top speed. The duty free section is hellish AIBU?
Anyway plane is moving.

I have a friend who works in airports. There’s a duty free that’s been closed for over ten years and she says you can still smell it as you walk past.

Yep. Manchester airport duty free is hell on earth.

Yep. Horrendous places.
Airports in general are vile.
No attempt to make it a nice experience whatsoever.

YANBU. Sensory nightmare!

I love it, it's part of the excitement of going on holiday. Just walk through, don't stop and LIGHTEN UP!!!

Oh god I’m at Manchester in a few weeks! I don’t mind duty free. Something to occupy kids whilst we wait. Omg the prices though!

Oh god when you’re just trying to get through the airport to get on a flight and you’re blocked by crowds of people spraying perfume and browsing Toblerone for about 1/4 of a mile!

It’s fine, I walk through it, I get to the end, I buy a coffee in the chaos that is Pret, and then just sit down with my book.

I'm not a fan. I just walk through/ avoid if possible. Then get a coffee somewhere and sit at the gate

I usually try on a few sunglasses, but never buy any! the smell is very overwhelming though.

At Stansted you can pay to avoid the shops 😆

I also dont understand the psychology of it, I know they want to keep people moving but surely people would buy more if it wasnt such a hellscape!

I have very mild asthma so don't always have a blue spray in my bag. Last time we were in Manchester Airport I didn't have one, so I spent several minutes coughing violently in the Ladies' room.

Personally I'd pay to avoid Stansted !

Yep. We power walk through it as best we can then keep away.

Sorry, that will be me. I don't normally wear perfume but I can't resist trying it on in duty free so I can spend all the first day of my holiday smelling of the most expensive one I could find.

And then I look sadly at all the bargain gin (2 litres of Tanqueray for £22!) that I can't buy because I don't have the luggage allowance or the inclination to take it with me on holiday, drink a bit of it, then bring it all home again.

I take a deep breath and get through as quickly as possible. I cant bear the smell, I cough for ages afterwards.

I hate them with a passion, I hate being forced to walk through them. There is something in a few perfumes that set off my allergies and it’s a nightmare. I try and hold my breath as much as possible but then walking around the rest of the airport with others covered in testers of perfumes can also cause me issues.

Then I get dirty looks on the planes when it looks like I’m travelling with the flu. 🫣

I always plan on buying perfume at the airport! But i know which ones im specifically looking for and dont need to spray them ....
I think the whole experience of an airport (in the uk) itself is busy, loud, overwhelming and sensory overload so I'm not sure why duty free gets singled out. Some smaller airports abroad seem more civilised and less hectic

The overpowering smell and allergens particles in the air from all the mixed perfumes is something you'd think would be a thing of the past by now - airports are very performative about being neurodiversity inclusive but the sensoy assault is worse than a fairground. Additionally the health impact for everyone with asthma and allergies.

Hell might be an exaggeration but it's definitely an unpleasant assault on the senses and for some people the cause of a migraine/ headache/ cough/ irritated eyes and airways.

It's a relic from the 70s and 80s I always think.

I hate it. Travel, and flying in particular, is becoming more and more loud, crowded, intense and stressful. To the point that I mostly refuse to do it now. I just get sensory overload and can't cope.

Not only would I not shop in a Duty Free, it's yet another nail in the coffin of international travel for me.

The best airport experience I have had in the last 10 years was a tiny little local airport. Mine was the first flight of the day, so relatively few people around. No duty free. I can't even remember any coffee shops.

It was bliss and I'd be on 3 or 4 holidays a year if all airports were like that.

Clearly never been to Helsinki airport, its absolutely lovely, even got rocking chairs.

I’m completely with you OP. I run through as quickly as I can. Can’t stand the bright lights, the sparkly floor, the smells. Horrible places.

Used to love the duty free and would buy a new perfume to wear on holiday - something to always remind me afterwards. That wouldn't stop from visiting the perfume shops in the resort either.

The glamour's worn off now for some reason and I just dont get the pleasure I used to. The same as holidays in general really. Mostly it's the sheer volume of people that's the issue.

Is it really that much cheaper than the high street?

The only time I've ever fallen lucky in duty free was on board a ferry to Calais and my favourite perfume (middle of the price range) was on some sort of mega-deal that was less then half price of what I could usually hunt out at home. Other than that I've never seen the need to buy spirits on the way out, I don't smoke and I wear prescription sunnies so even those don't appeal.