Penny pinching at Heathrow

[SLeanne]

We are due to go away soon from Heathrow T4. OH and I like a couple of drinks before the flight (at 9pm). However, I was shocked last time that a glass of wine is over £10 a glass. If we are discreet, could we get away with buying a bottle in Duty Free and drinking it before the flight (and disposing of the empty bottle before boarding). I know it's not allowed but has anyone done it before and got away with it? Quite frankly I'm getting sick of having to spend C 100 quid for something to eat and a couple of drinks each (family of 4) and am looking at ways of cheating the system 🤔

Well I have never been to one. But my kids visit them regularly in their university cities and seem to like what’s on offer 😏

You’re not that young if you remember being pub visiting age and were able to buy Panda Pops!!

There's a Wetherspoons in LHR where wine is under £5 a glass

What nonsense?

And I really don’t expect anyone to stop drinking because of my views here; that would be odd. But I can still contribute to a discussion initiated by someone who has asked ‘AIBU’.

And yes, I do think it’s strange that the OP is penny-pinching. She is wealthy enough to have regular foreign holidays and wants to go to all these lengths to have some cheap alcohol. It’s embarrassing. She asked for opinions. I don't actually approach random drinkers irl and lecture them!

I didn’t know that. I’ve never flown from Heathrow, I used to hang around there and neighbouring towns as a teenager. Stansted was a bit more than the Wetherspoons where I live so I assumed LHR would be the same, if not more.

T4 apparently has the Weatherspoons Star Light airside.

@DaringDrew My DDs would not be seen dead in one even in student days. Plus the owner is awful!

Agree. Dreadful man. But it’s the go-to for all their friends, so 🤷🏼‍♀️

It’s cheap. One of my DDs only drinks a glass of wine with meals and the other one is similar now apart from work dos and might meet up with colleagues occasionally but they tend to use non chain pubs or bars. Hopefully they grow out of wanting a JDW establishment.

Reeks desperation @SLeanne Why not enjoy a reasonably priced bevvy when you get to your destination

Airport lounges are being ruined by people who make it a point to drink the value of the admission price.

We are fortunate to be able to fly business class. I don't drink alcohol but I enjoy the quiet of the lounge.

You don't have an airport price problem, you have a drinking problem!

How is two glasses of wine in a two hour wait, in the evening, a drink problem?!

While I wouldnt do it I do agree that £20 for two glasses of wine is steep. Its yet another example of rip off Britain 🙄

Glad you can see this for what it is...a bunch of better-than-yous with nothing better to do.

I'll take a plastic cup of your duty free wine and raise a toast to your holiday. Cheers!

Most glasses of wine at Weatherspoons Heathrow are not £10 - this is the wine menu from Wetherspoon The Crown Rivers Heathrow. If you really want to save money you could decant some vodka into a water bottle at home and drink it in the toilet before going through Security.

This is what I’d do although I wouldn’t actually want to drink half a bottle of wine before a flight. Head into the loos and fill up your receptacle with wine and then you can sit and sip looking like you’re getting nicely hydrated with water before your long haul flight.

lol you might be surprised to know that I don’t drink at all, so there you go again being judgemental! Even though I don’t drink, I don’t judge other people who want to! You don’t have the right to decide what other people do with their life and time! People come on here to ask a question, not to be judged by stuck up nasty people. Take a long hard look at yourself and work out why you’re so nasty and judgmental!

Sounds like the US system - Unless it's changed very recently that's not what happens at Heathrow.

There you get given your purchase once you've paid and it's fine to walk around the terminal with it in your cabin bag or a carrier bag.

Nothing screams pre holiday indulgence as much as buying a bottle at duty free, then siphoning it into water bottles to sip at your seat.

I mean even thinking about it sounds revolting, the wine won't be at correct temperature and even if it's a red, isn't it meant to sit for a while before being poured and drunk ?

I enjoy a drink sometimes, but all this effort to save a few quid doing something that is definitely frowned upon if not against some aviation rule, to then neck your drink secretly like you're some drunk on a park bench seems bizarre.

I would far rather pay my fiver - as that is what it is - to sip and enjoy a chilled smaller glass of white wine at Wetherspoons, or just go without or wait for my genuine freebie on the plane.

A packet of pringles is presented and tastes the same regardless if you paid 99p for it in Tesco or £3.50 at a cafe bar.

all this effort to save a few quid doing something that is definitely frowned upon if not against some aviation rule,

It might be a breach of airport bylaws, and quite possibly some customs rules, but in terms of UK aviation rules (as in the Air Navigation Order) the requirement is not to be drunk on board or on boarding ..and there’s also usually something in the ticket T&Cs about not drinking your own alcohol on board.

You say that you don't want to eat or drink on the flight but you want a few drinks befóre? Is that because of the timing of your flight? Or maybe you're afraid of flying and need the alcohol to fall asleep on the plane?

I don't think this is an alcohol issue really it's just a being sick of being ripped off. Even at East Mids recently we paid £30+ for 4 x tea and toast! Which actually is cheap for airports as like OP I've paid £100 for breakfast in Heathrow. You don't always get a cheap option you have to go where there's space which is often the more expensive places. And just because you can afford a holiday doesn't mean you want to be ripped off. People have often scrimped to get on holiday and then want to keep their hard earned cash to spend once there not on some shitty burnt breakfast in the airport. That said I couldn't be doing with drinking duty free like a naughty schoolgirl. Lounges are good if you get at the right price but again that's £140 per family - not exactly value.

Can I ask which card company offers this. Many thanks

Lounges? American Express. Though not the British Airways Amex oddly.

Maybe she likes to start off her holiday on a relaxed note, I bet you’re fun to travel with!

You can make judgy digs at others too. People in glass houses etc.