bmi diamond club - Can you go through security twice in T1

Background: I want to buy a MacBook Air from Dixons Travel, but I'm not flying for a few weeks.

My girlfriend is flying out of Heathrow T1 next week. Can she go through security, buy the laptop, come back landside and give me the laptop, then go back through security to get her flight?

She can't use the reserve and collect service as she hasn't booked her return flight and might not use Heathrow.

Ive done it before but it was after a chat with security and they asked me why . Im not sure that would be a good excuse and with the month thats in it and security being tightened it would be risky. I guess worst case your gf has to take it with her.

Is she flying domestic (or to Ireland)? Trivial to get landside again in this case and if security notices that's she's already been through before then she can just say she popped out for a smoke.

All you need to do after shopping is to follow the signs to the domestic gates, then when you pass through the checkpoint where they scan your BP to see your photo you can then follow the path to arrivals and out again.

If she's travelling to another EU destination then I'm not sure how you'd get out the terminal but it's possible.

If she's travelling outside the EU then the item would really be tax free (despite the price paid being the same) and so taking it landside would probably violate customs rules.

If she is on an international flight then she would need to go through immigration and baggage reclaim to get back landside (she can claim to have changed her mind about travelling).

If she is on a UK or Ireland flight she can follow signs to gate 7,8, 77-90 then follow signs for arrivals.

One important thing to note is that she will need to get her boarding pass reprinted by the airline inorder to re-enter T1 departure Lounge as her original boarding pass will not scan through a second time at security.

Background: I want to buy a MacBook Air from Dixons Travel, but I'm not flying for a few weeks.

My girlfriend is flying out of Heathrow T1 next week. Can she go through security, buy the laptop, come back landside and give me the laptop, then go back through security to get her flight?

She can't use the reserve and collect service as she hasn't booked her return flight and might not use Heathrow.Ummmm I think they're duty-free (or whatever passes for that these days) because they're being EXPORTED

Ummmm NO

I've done this with an iMac for my dad when I was flying to DUB, however used the shop and collect service that BAA offer. This meant that he was able to pick it up later that same day. I specifically arranged it with them when I bought it, and he had to show photographic ID, but worked well.

Is she flying domestic (or to Ireland)? Trivial to get landside again in this case and if security notices that's she's already been through before then she can just say she popped out for a smoke.

>>>>>.

How would there be an advantage in buying in the airport in this case? There is no tax benefit afaik.

If you are flying within the EU or within the UK - VAT is payable - but the store discounts the RRP so it looks like it is tax free (in the case of ipads it isnt a discount of 20% though).

If you are flying outside the EU then it is Tax Free as the product is being exported.

The shop makes more margin on an item being exported as it is not discounted.

There is also shop and deliver for within UK/EU which might be of use. Of course shop and deliver is not available if you are flying outside the EU - because the shop want you to take the product out of the EU so VAT is not applied and therefore they don't need to discount it.

I think that dixons at the airport no longer describes itself as tax free, but does guarantee to beat any price on Amazon and a few other websites, so it is still a good deal. I have used the shop and collect service a few times at T5 and there is no reason why you couldn't collect the item if its arranged that way. Alternatively for a small fee i believe dixons will post the item to your home address, if your flight is within the EU, and hence VAT is paid by dixons.

I can't speak for this specific case, but in my experience an Internet search for the best online deal nearly always beats the Heathrow price, even when VAT is taken into account, especially if you use cashback, vouchers, loyalty cards etc.

Yes,

As long as she does not mind the possible arrest for VAT Fraud.

Yes,

As long as she does not mind the possible arrest for VAT Fraud.
So long as she's departing on a domestic or intra-EU flight VAT will be paid on any purchases made airside and therefore no fraud is being committed.

Thanks for all the advice. ^

In the end she's just going to take the MacBook with her, so I'll need to wait an extra week until I get to play with it :(

And she's going to Manchester, so it's just Dixons' profit margin taking a hit. No tax fraud and no need for her to end up in jail ;)