Duty-free shopping tips: Buying duty-free goods before getting to the airport

  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
    Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier. 
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  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.
  • Scattered among 20 boutiques, Sydney Airport's departure terminal now boasts offshoots of local foodie favourites such as Danks Street Depo and Bambino Wine Bar alongside international flavours like Montreux Jazz Cafe and the Seafood Bar - Caviar House and Prunier.

For some, airport shops are merely a way of killing time before a flight.

Serious shoppers, however, will welcome the news that they can now reserve duty-free products before they arrive at the terminal and find them on their seats when they board the plane.

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Passengers flying with Thomas Cook can order anything from a bottle of rum to aftershave up to a month in advance of their flight through its new service, Airshoppen.

Beat the airport rush: Passengers can now pre-order their duty-free shopping and have them delivered to their plane seat.
Beat the airport rush: Passengers can now pre-order their duty-free shopping and have them delivered to their plane seat. Photo: iStock

See also: The most expensive day to book flights

The airline claims that a range of 1500 products are on offer at prices between 20 and 65 per cent less than those found on the high street.

Christoph Debus, chief hotels and airlines officer for Thomas Cook, said: "Airshoppen gives Thomas Cook Airlines' customers the chance to experience that [duty-free shopping] holiday excitement in the comfort of their own home before they've even started packing."

He said the service gives customers the opportunity to plan purchases well in advance, avoiding a rush at the airport and ensuring availability.

"Their purchases are on their aircraft seat to take on holiday and they can order again for when they come back," he added.

See also: Fly buys: the world's best airport shops

A pre-order duty-free service is offered by some other airlines already.

British Airways, for example, offers a pre-order service, or Buy Before You Fly, from its High Life shop in November 2013 for most long-haul flights. Orders can be placed three months and up to three days before a customer's flight when ordering online. Home delivery is also available for products such as tobacco, alcohol and some fragrances, which are not applicable due to HM Customs and Excise.

Heathrow Airport also has its own "boutique" service that allows any passengers expecting to fly the chance to first reserve their shopping online, then confirm it up to three days prior to travel, before finally collecting and paying for it at the airport.

World Duty Free, which has branches at Gatwick and Heathrow terminals as well as many others all over the country, has recently introduced an online reservation service also.

Customers can reserve items online and then collect and pay for them in the appropriate airport store from between one month to 24 hours before the flight.

Thomas Cook's service is available to all of its customers from December 7, with the first deliveries due on board flights on January 12, 2016. Passengers are told that they can get a refund if they find the products they have reserved available for a cheaper price at the airport.

Take a look at Sydney Airport's departure terminal in the gallery above.

The Telegraph, London

See also: Cheap flights: The best time to fly at Christmas
See also: Why airport shopping is so hard to avoid

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