When To Purchase From Duty Free? (GRR To ORD To YYZ)

Well, you won't be able to get duty free at GRR as you are not leaving the country. ORD is your only option.
It has been a while since I was at O'Hare but I am not sure that you will have time as you need to take a train between terminals. You sure terminal 12 to terminal 1? I though internationals was at terminal 5? Anyway, 50 minutes is not long.
So, I would buy the booze at a store (it is almost as cheap) and pack it in your bag and forget abut the smokes.

nestleman wrote: ↑ Hi All,

I haven't flown for over 10+ years so this is a newbie question. My friend has asked me to pick up a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of alcohol from the duty free. I will be gone for more than 1 week so exemption is not a concern.

With the itinerary in the thread title, when would be the best time to purchase from the duty free? I take off from GRR and land at ORD Terminal 2. Then I have 50 (Fifty) mins to make the connecting flight at Terminal 1 in ORD (I have to get from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1). I arrive at YYZ Terminal 1.

At which of these airports would it be best to purchase from the duty free? Thank you.

if your friends are looking for canadian smokes..you should get them when you are flying out of YYZ...coming back, the selection of smokes will be mostly american and some international brands..they are expensive but will be what they are used to..coming back they are much cheaper but you are limited on brands (for cdn tobacco brands)

Are you flying by air Canada express operated by jazz by chance? You can order duty free ahead of time and it will be on your last flight.

I prefer this way you pay in Canadian dollars and one less thing to deal with at the airport. Especially with a short connection at probably one of the most annoying major us airports

Need a $49 minimum. Some decent scotches. Pricing better than lcbo, 1litre bottles and no usd bull


https://aircanadaexpressdutyfree.com/liquor.html

The short layover may disqualify you buying duty free at the last U.S. airport as you can't take the stuff with you. It is handed to you by the gate as you board so it has to be loaded on a cart and taken to the gate before boarding starts.

GangStarr wrote: ↑ Are you flying by air Canada express operated by jazz by chance? You can order duty free ahead of time and it will be on your last flight.

I prefer this way you pay in Canadian dollars and one less thing to deal with at the airport. Especially with a short connection at probably one of the most annoying major us airports

Need a $49 minimum. Some decent scotches. Pricing better than lcbo, 1litre bottles and no usd bull


https://aircanadaexpressdutyfree.com/liquor.html

Yes, I always do that on board of AC. Price is competitive with duty free shops.

GangStarr wrote: ↑Are you flying by air Canada express operated by jazz by chance? You can order duty free ahead of time and it will be on your last flight.

I prefer this way you pay in Canadian dollars and one less thing to deal with at the airport. Especially with a short connection at probably one of the most annoying major us airports

Need a $49 minimum. Some decent scotches. Pricing better than lcbo, 1litre bottles and no usd bull

https://aircanadaexpressdutyfree.com/liquor.html

United Airlines all the way from GRR to ORD to YYZ.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑The short layover may disqualify you buying duty free at the last U.S. airport as you can't take the stuff with you. It is handed to you by the gate as you board so it has to be loaded on a cart and taken to the gate before boarding starts.

So the only option is to buy when i'm leaving GRR?

nestleman wrote: ↑ So the only option is to buy when i'm leaving GRR?

Not possible because there is a further stop in the U.S. Even if there was a GRR-YYZ non-stop flight, I doubt GRR has a d-f shop to begin with.

At any rate, liquor prices in the U.S. can be quite cheap depending on state. Usually Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii are quite cheap for liquor and may beat d-f rices, or you get better selection for not much more than d-f. Others such as Washington have a huge tax (20% + ~2-5% depending on alcoholic content). Distributorship arrangement can make a difference. For example, Washington state's liquor prices makes the same stuff, in either 700 or 750 ml bottles, more than 1l bottles on the ferry d-f shop, even before you add the 2 alcohol taxes.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ The short layover may disqualify you buying duty free at the last U.S. airport as you can't take the stuff with you. It is handed to you by the gate as you board so it has to be loaded on a cart and taken to the gate before boarding starts.

I've never actually had an issue with that, normally if you won't make the delivery time, I've just had them hand me the bag. It could depend on the salesperson, though.

ORD is usually a good place, because some of the duty free shops take CAD _at par_. So instead of paying (example, I don't know the current price) $20 USD for a bottle of vodka, which would be $26 CAD, you just pay $20 CAD. I know the duty free across from the AC gates at T2 has that policy on a big sign!

Also, regarding what @Pete_Coach said, T1 and T2 are connected airside, as they both have UA flights. You'd need to walk to T1, which might be 10-20 minutes depending on if you have a B or C gate, since they ended the bus between the E and C gates.