Qantas is shutting down its inflight duty-free shopping service, with that last watch, universal AC adaptor or bottle of perfume sold above the clouds on New Year's Eve.
The airline this morning confirmed the move, following comments to trade publication TRBusiness by Alpha Flight Services' Manager of Duty Free Lenelle Williams – who oversaw the inflight duty-free operation under contract to Qantas – "that Qantas have made the decision to discontinue their traditional offering of inflight duty free from 1 January 2018, with the last flight departing the Australian ports on 31 December 2017."
As a global trend inflight duty-free sales are said to have been steadily declining over the past decade, driven by improved duty-free retail outlets at airports as well as the greater availability of goods – and greater price competition – through online shopping.
"If you look at what has been happening in Australian retail over the last year or two, there has been a lot of pressure on retailers with online ordering," observed Alpha Flight Services Marketing and Duty Free general manager Pat Osborne. "The recent launch of Amazon in the country is a prime example."
Qantas flights will not only ditch their extensive stock of duty-free but also the In Sky Shopping catalogue which crowds those seat pockets.
We'd like to hear from Australian Business Traveller readers on this: will you miss duty-free shopping on Qantas flights? Indeed, what's the last time you bought any duty-free product on a flight – and what was it, and why?
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Dec 2014
Total posts 43
Last time I bought a duty free product on a plane was back in 2013. I got some model 777s from AC because I forgot to get the kids a souvenir from Canada. I don’t think I’ve ever used QFs service.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
02 Jul 2011
Total posts 1374
Can't remember the last time I bought something, or even flipped a catalogue.
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
Inflight duty free seems to do very well (or at least be a necessary sign of prestige) for the Asian and Middle East carriers - their catalogues can be absolute volumes sometimes.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
28 Oct 2011
Total posts 467
No loss. I don't believe I've ever bought any inflight DF, though I do always browse through the catalogue.
04 Dec 2013
Total posts 156
Compared to the absolute zoo of getting duty free on arrival, the rip-off pricing, the predatory staff who insist on using dynamic currency conversion (a scam which should be banned) and the delay which completely negates the J class advantage of being first off the plane, when it comes to immigration - I've always found in flight duty free to be a reasonably priced alternative to feeding the leaches in the arrivals terminal in Sydney or Melbourne. I'll miss it, to be honest.
25 Sep 2013
Total posts 1242
I'll definitely miss browsing the catalogue, at any rate!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Nov 2011
Total posts 359
No loss, was never even any cheaper anyway. Recently flew CX and can’t see them closing it down anytime soon. They were more interested in pushing their duty free than serving meals and drinks as soon as the plane took off.
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
13 Jan 2015
Total posts 580
Inflight duty free is only good for exclusive items otherwise everything else can be found elsewhere for the same or less
Qantas
20 Nov 2014
Total posts 7
My last purchase was a Qantas wrist watch on a Flt from Manila back in 1994. Still have it, still works with only one battery change.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
29 Jul 2013
Total posts 203
No great loss, nothing on offer was of any better value.
26 Oct 2015
Total posts 7
Smart business decision on Qantas part lest labour involved putting them on there and taking them off all while saving on small portion of fuel across the whole business...
13 Sep 2016
Total posts 174
Smart move, probably very little demand for duty-free these days so plenty of savings in weight and cost and labour and overall 'focus' not being wasted on something like this.
Qantas
19 Apr 2012
Total posts 1429
I think they have it online on the video screen anyway; and they can just add it to the online mall, as a set of QF specials. Tourists (and locals heading off soon) can get their tax back when the leave anyway.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Jun 2014
Total posts 19
Guess that also explains the lack of Sky Shopping catalogues on QF9/10 last month...
24 Oct 2010
Total posts 2563
I've always thought that offering boxed sets of TV shows you have watched on board – not as duty-free per se, but something you could order during the flight and have delivered to your home or work (via third party fulfilment) would work well. Let's say I had some time to kill during a long flight and thought "Oh, I've heard about that Downton Abbey TV show, yeah, let's see what it's like," and watched a few eps and got hooked. If the screen offered me the chance to order boxed sets of the entire season, especially the season I'd just started watching but only got through a handful of episodes, that'd be appealing for sure.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Oct 2016
Total posts 67
I agree, Or if you want to see what happens in seasons 1-3 of a TV show because the IFE only has season 4 onwards.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
04 Oct 2016
Total posts 37
"The recent launch of Amazon in the country is a prime example." Pun intended?
Emirates Airlines - Skywards
30 Nov 2015
Total posts 729
Thank god for that.
17 Jun 2015
Total posts 1
A Good move. Now we only need the airports to do the same and get rid of all the other crap that clutters them up so they go back to being airports rather than low end shopping centres
03 May 2012
Total posts 11
+1
03 May 2012
Total posts 11
I'm glad it will cut down on extra annoying announcements. I don't know how it ever paid for itself based on the handling and associated fuel costs.
01 Jan 1970
Total posts 0
Will there be a closing down sale? :)
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
19 Jul 2017
Total posts 6
Can't say I'll miss it. One less announcement to assault your ears when you've just settled down with headphones on to watch a movie.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
22 Jul 2015
Total posts 219
Spot on! QF is my carrier of choice but it drives me insane occasionally with the announcements. And as for buying anything off DF, last purchase was sunglasses that were shoddy as and lasted two days.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer - Chairmans Lounge
01 Sep 2011
Total posts 416
No big deal at all. Surprised it's lasted this long. Most airports have inbound duty free anyway.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
08 Dec 2011
Total posts 6
no biggie we will all survive and move to cheaper online shopping anyway
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
15 Aug 2017
Total posts 1
Fabulous. Qantas will have room now to bring onboard some limes for the G&Ts!!!!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
21 Mar 2013
Total posts 132
Good for the old seat pitch in Y!
30 Apr 2015
Total posts 6
Look at the duty free stores in the airports, terminals have turned into shopping centres. Great move QF, more room to maybe improve on food and beverage offering. You would think nowadays you could order via IFE onboard and have your purchase ready at the terminal when yo get back. They could get commission on sales. A thought!
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Mar 2014
Total posts 4
I'll be honest, when flying from the States I almost always purchased the Vodafone SIM available from inflight duty free, the deal was invariably better than anything offered once you cleared customs in Australia. Other than that, I have never had any desire to purchase anything.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 687
Years ago, when QF handled on-board DF, there were some truly innovative travel products apart from the usual regimen of perfume, cologne, alcohol and pens / watches. Since the 'outsourcing' of DF at QF, the quality and range of goods has slipped dramatically. Over the last 3-4 years, QF seems not to have put any effort into these sales ~ and are now wondering why sales revenue is down.
On DFW-SYD a week or so ago, there were 2 cabin announcements and an obligatory 30 second dash through the cabin by a disinterested cabin member. I guess even the 'allure' of bonus QF FF points is no big 'pull' these days even?
Forgetting the alcohol and small value items, I wouldn't mnd betting some of the better stuff might just end up on the QF online store eventually .. or perhaps it'll all be gone forever. So where do we get our $30 B787-9 plastic model frames from now?
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
20 Jul 2016
Total posts 1
Most will say good bye to it, but managed to grab a few good items on InSky Shopping over the past year. The price on the Beoplay headphones is usually pretty good, especially when they have the 10% discounts offers from time to time. But you can only own so many headphones I guess...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
14 Sep 2012
Total posts 382
QF inflight duty free is/was quite possibly the worst retail experience I’ve ever had to endure. From totally “has been” average products to tragic Aussie trinkets, if I were QF i’d be furious to be in this position. The likes of SQ, CX offer great range of on ground store products well worth buying.
11 Jan 2012
Total posts 11
Last time I used this service was on a MEL-LAX flight in 2008, ordered online before the flight, and nothing made it to the plane. The order was recorded and on the Cabin Managers list, but nothing found. He did arrange a full refund, which hit my account two days after we landed. So; for me - I wont miss it at all. I only ever read the magazine for something to do.
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