As a result of the new restrictions, the company was yesterday urging Australians departing on short holidays to pre-order their duty-free goods. This means that they can have their holidays and pick up their duty-free goods on the way back into the country. Australia is one of the few countries where this can be done.

Mr [Strang] said the pre-ordering facility for Australians taking overseas holidays who will be returning to Australia had been in operation for many years.

THE empty aisles at the Downtown Duty Free store next to the United Airlines check-in counter at Sydney airport yesterday afternoon told the story.

Normally busy as hundreds of people buy duty-free goods before they head off on business, holidays or to visit family in the US, theshop assistants had very little to do yesterday.

United Airlines was telling customers they could not take on board anything liquid or in gel form. The ban included alcoholic drinks, sun lotion, perfume, hair gel and liquid cosmetics.

“There is no doubt there is an impact,” said the chief executive of Downtown Duty Free, Christian Strang.

As a result of the new restrictions, the company was yesterday urging Australians departing on short holidays to pre-order their duty-free goods. This means that they can have their holidays and pick up their duty-free goods on the way back into the country. Australia is one of the few countries where this can be done.

“All our shops at international airports around Australia will be affected to some degree. We will be advising all our customers to take advantage of the pre-order facility, particularly customers going to the United States,” Mr Strang said.

“We are also advising customers to check any restrictions with airlines.”

Mr Strang said he had spent yesterday trying to obtain a definitive list of restrictions from Australian airport operators and airlines flying to the US and Britain.

“The issue is that many people don’t know exactly what the restrictions are,” he said. “Some chocolates, for example, are liquid or cream-filled, and we don’t know at this stage whether or not these are restricted.”

Mr Strang said the pre-ordering facility for Australians taking overseas holidays who will be returning to Australia had been in operation for many years.

Also published on news.com.au