Duty free is, as many posters have said, simply a place to rid yourself of "extra" money (which could probably be better used by donating through your airline to charity). Example - a friend here in San Francisco asked me to bring back some Lagavullin Scotch and I got him a bottle at Oddbin's in the Fulham Road last week for 38 pounds, wondering if I was being silly in wanting to pack the darn thing in my suitcase rather than shlepping a bottle through the airport and on the flight with me. To my relief but not great surprise, the "duty free" shop at Heathrow Terminal 3 charged a bit more (I think about 1 1/2 pounds more)! I can't imagine how much the markup is (well I kind of can imagine and that's why the Miller girls are able to marry crown princes...)

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