AUSTRALIA. Qantas has become the latest international airline to cease its inflight duty free programme.
The programme had been run by Alpha Flight Services, whose Manager Duty Free Lenelle Williams told The Moodie Davitt Report: “I can confirm that Qantas have made the decision to discontinue their traditional offering of inflight duty free, and are taking the opportunity to realign their retail channels in response to changes in customer demand and retail buying patterns.
“The offering of In Sky Shopping Duty Free will cease on all international flights from 1 January 2018, with the last flight departing the Australian ports on 31 December 2017.”
Qantas outsourced its duty free programme to Alpha Flight Services from 20 April 2004.
Expanded service on Virgin Australia
In more positive news for the concessionaire, Alpha Flight Services has expanded its duty free service to new routes. As reported, the company launched Virgin Australia’s first inflight duty free service between Melbourne and Hong Kong in July.
“Alpha Flight Services will continue to manage the Virgin Australia duty free programme and will be focusing on growing this business as the airline expands,” Williams said.
In October Alpha Flight Services started offering duty free on the Los Angeles routes from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
