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 🤔

It was rude because you accused her of jumping to conclusions when actually she was helpfully pointing out that the wine would likely be room temperature if you bought it in duty free. Jeez. Perhaps you should have a glass now to calm yourself down.

Bottles of wine in the duty free will not be cheap
A bottle will probably cost more than 2x glasses of wine at the bar

If you get caught drinking the duty free, what will you say ?

You may get stopped from boarding the plane

The point being what you're trying to do isn't that different from the vodka on a park bench scenario.

can’t It’s before 6pm. That wouldn’t be acceptable

Not necessarily true - as a 20 year old on a teaching year out in France, one of my friends (who was also going home to the UK, and terrified of flying) bought a bottle of whiskey duty free, and proceeded to drink a large part of it before the flight, in secret (as per the OPs plan).

She was clearly very drunk but two guys she had befriended carried her on to the plane, and the attendants looked at me and said it was ok, if I agreed to be responsible for her (British Airways). I did, and the minute we sat down I handed her the sick bags, and the flight went without incident, and no mess was made, though she did vomit for most of the flight. I do remember the cabin crew being quite awesome though - there were two of them next to us and the first said “maybe next time, try Valium?” and her mate said “Maybe next time, try Virgin?!” So many years ago but it still makes me laugh! Friend was fine once we landed - though I never flew with her again, can’t imagine why!

Yup 🎯

Try investigating bank accounts which include access to airport lounges. Our NatWest current account, Black Reward does and possibly other NatWest ones too.

Red wine should be served at room temp

It seems a particularly joyless way to mark the start of a holiday. If you don't want to pay the price of getting alcohol in a bar, you don't get to drink alcohol. It's like sitting on a bench in a shopping centre with a bottle of wine instead of going in one of the bars - you're going to get a lot of looks.

Ignore the haters OP- probably a bit envious you are a free spirit and you and your husband do things like this?! Like teenagers again ! I don’t see how it’s any different than those buying a drink in a pub at the airport? I mean I don’t drink at home , only social and I love arriving at the airport and going to the lounge for a glass of fizz! I don’t drink more than 1 and don’t on the flight but it’s a mental. relaxing thing!

But certain mouthwash brands contain alcohol, and I'm pretty sure nail varnish remover would register as something alcoholic. So I could empty my travel bottle of Listerine and my travel bottle of varnish remover. I could replace body lotion with Tia Maria and shampoo with Baileys, and enjoy a particularly foul cocktail.

Actually, scrap that, it's hardly worth the effort, and not being an alcoholic, I can cope without pre-flight drinks.

Do it. No one will care

I let my kids go to counter at Starbucks to get two hot chocolate's and a cappuccino at Alicante €18! Sandwich at WH Smith's €8.99 and they were feeling generous having two twix on offer for €5. I was a bit shocked, damn that delayed flight

You realise this is complete and utter nonsense, don’t you?

I have never done this- it was just a possible solution to the OP's problem of you to cheat the system. What sort of machines are you referring to? Ones which can detect my nefarious intentions as I go into the toilets with some empty juice bottles?

you could try a hip flask 😁 Teasing OP...the prices at airports are ridiculous.

No. You won’t be able to decant it

What is the snarkiness towards people who like a drink on here. How dare people enjoy a drink! I’m not a big drinker but it’s every bloody post about alcohol

Go to any airport and you will see loads of people starting their holiday with a drink, majority not to excess and get drunk but to relax and enjoy. It’s not abnormal

I actually don’t think £10 is that bad for a wine in a London airport. I live in Great Manchester and you can absolutely pay that round my way in the more expensive places. Everything is overpriced in an airport. But we don’t have to purchase.

We always enjoy food and drink at the airport after the security madness and we are on holiday so we save for it all.

It’s the decanting. They won’t be able to decant it

What is? Have you not ever seen the machine? It’s incredible

That’s what I’d do, buy the glass of wine with cover on from M&S or a chilled can and drink it that way.

Oh dear, I've got oddly interested in this question. Googling produces lots of different answers, including that

• it's fine to drink your duty free in Departures, but take your own glass
• airports have started sealing the bottles and not removing the seal until you're in arrivals, so you can't drink it
• you can drink it even on the plane provided you ask staff to pour it for you.

Those are the normal prices of food and drink. You must be living somewhere really cheap

Classy, OP,
classy 😅

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/02/scanner-analyses-fluid-end-liquid-limits-airports-cobalt

cobalt machine

so…..not absolute bollocks is it 😂😂