How do you spend your last foreign currency prior to boarding?
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2000
Programs: UA Million Miler (lite). NY Metro area.
Posts: 15,050
How do you spend your last foreign currency prior to boarding?
On my last trip overseas, I spent my last local currency buying chocolate and munchies. My remaining coins were put into a charity donation box.
What do you do with your remaining foreign currency just before you board? What do you buy?
What do you do with your remaining foreign currency just before you board? What do you buy?
#4
Join Date: Dec 2002
Programs: UA MM, Hilton-Dia
Posts: 1,480
I do one of two things:
1) Find out/estimate what I would need for transport to the airport and keep that aside. The rest of the cash - I use towards settling part of the hotel bill.
2) Exchange everything back to home currency at the airport.
I hate keeping currency that I might not use for a long time. NH had a good idea some time back - envelopes in the seat pocket where you could donate your coins to UNICEF.
1) Find out/estimate what I would need for transport to the airport and keep that aside. The rest of the cash - I use towards settling part of the hotel bill.
2) Exchange everything back to home currency at the airport.
I hate keeping currency that I might not use for a long time. NH had a good idea some time back - envelopes in the seat pocket where you could donate your coins to UNICEF.
#5
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: 99654
Programs: Many
Posts: 6,450
Few years back, I bought a delayed passenger something to eat and drink,
but generally I keep my cash for the next trip. Many times I even buy the foreign
currencies from my friends who are less likely to use them again.
but generally I keep my cash for the next trip. Many times I even buy the foreign
currencies from my friends who are less likely to use them again.
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,999
Unfortunately it usually ends up sitting in my drawer after the trip. Usually after check-in I head to the lounge, and before I know it it's time to board with no convenient currency exchange place. I gotta get better at this!
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: NJ
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, UA Silver, dirt elsewhere
Posts: 46,917
I try to spend it at the airport. Once, in BKK, I gave it away to women selling flowers on the street.
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: ORD, MDW
Posts: 219
I don't.
Usually, I keep a small amount of foreign currency from each trip as a souvenir in a silver money clip arranged by country in alphabetical order. In some cases (Mexican peso, Euro), I've spent the money during subsequent trips. In other cases (French franc before its replacement by the Euro, Mozambican metical before its revaluation), I'll never be able to. In one case (South African rand), one of my best friends from college went to Cape Town on his honeymoon, so I slipped some extra rand in a card for the new couple.
#10
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: CGK
Programs: LH SEN (LH*G), HH Diamond, AB Gold (1W Saph)
Posts: 5,677
I usually keep it unless it looks highly unlikely that I'll going back to the country in question within the next three years.
If that's the case, then it's best summed up in one word: beer.
If that's the case, then it's best summed up in one word: beer.
#11
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Motown
Programs: DL, WN, AA, IHG Diamond, Hertz 5*
Posts: 3,399
Smaill coins go into a donation box. If Euros or Pounds, I keep the bills for my next trip. In other countries I usually time my spending so that I have minimal currency by departure time, and will keep a couple of small bills as souvenirs.
#12
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Eco-Conscious Travel, United and Flyertalk Cares
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Fulltime travel/mostly Europe
Programs: UA 1.7 MM;; Accor & Marriott Pt; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 17,822
I keep it. I have it sorted in envelopes that I usually remember to grab before visiting whichever country again. There are very few countries that I haven't or can't imagine ever going back to. Of course, this also means I have a bunch of francs, lira, marks, etc.
#15
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SAN
Programs: PR Premier Elite
Posts: 1,950
I always keep it for future trips. Since almost any currency you can name seems to be going up in value against my US Dollars lately, it will surely be worth much more to me next time I visit the country.