28 August 2012

Travel size toiletries are expensive at airports shock

Airport shopping outlets are exploiting their captive market to maximise profits from travel size toiletries and cosmetics required by security restrictions.

Travellers flying from airports with just hand luggage can still only take liquids in bottles of 100mm or less after the European Commission abandoned plans to drop the restriction last month.

According to research sponsored by travelsupermarket.com, travel sized bottles purchased at an airport could be up to 750% more expensive (per ml) than normal sized bottles purchased in the high street. The worst example was a 150ml can of Dove anti-perspirant spray, available for £1 on the high street. Purchased from the airport branch of WHSmith, the travel sized 35ml travel-sized equivalent costs £1.99.

Of course, if you have checked in luggage you don't need to worry about buying special travel sized toiletries, just throw the normal ones in the suitcase. Otherwise, you can buy refillable bottles and decant your existing supplies (not recommended for aerosols!), M&S do a Travel Essentials Mini Bottle Set of 5 bottles for £4 or simply buy what you need at your destination.

The disparity in prices has grown considerably from last year leading Nick Trend, The Telegraph's consumer travel editor, to comment: "As this survey shows, airports and airport shops are becoming more and more aggressive in the ways they exploit their captive market of travellers and holidaymakers”.

While the differences in "per ml” costs are massive, we are looking at low value items where the additional expense is only a pound or so, greater savings are available in other areas.

Things not to buy at the airport or destination include foreign currency, it's best to buy on-line before travelling to get the best travel money rates also car hire excess insurance, always better to check the hire agreement for exclusions and compare car hire excess insurance before you travel than be ambushed at the car hire collection desk.