If you are going to be able to get to a supermarket, skip the airport duty free and buy your grog at a supermarket - in California, Vons or Ralphs.
Here are some examples:
One example: Veuve Cliquot:
Duty free at airport US$50
Vons US$36.99 less 10% if you bought at least 6 bottles of wine or spirits (6 x 750ml is the exact allowance for 2 pax returning to Aust)
a 750ml Smirnoff was US$10 less 10% if you buy 6 bottles total.
The savings against the duty free were significant - incredible compared with the prices in Australia.
If you join their supermarket club (can be done online) you get even bigger discounts. Our hotel had a membership so we just punched in the phone number at the checkout, no questions asked.
Incidentally, most duty free sell 1 litre bottles although some (NZ for example) do 1.125L. As the lnew imit is 2.25litres, before grabbing 2x 1 Litre bottles, see if it works out better to buy 3 x 750ml as you will get an extra 250ml.
Here are some examples:
One example: Veuve Cliquot:
Duty free at airport US$50
Vons US$36.99 less 10% if you bought at least 6 bottles of wine or spirits (6 x 750ml is the exact allowance for 2 pax returning to Aust)
a 750ml Smirnoff was US$10 less 10% if you buy 6 bottles total.
The savings against the duty free were significant - incredible compared with the prices in Australia.
If you join their supermarket club (can be done online) you get even bigger discounts. Our hotel had a membership so we just punched in the phone number at the checkout, no questions asked.
Incidentally, most duty free sell 1 litre bottles although some (NZ for example) do 1.125L. As the lnew imit is 2.25litres, before grabbing 2x 1 Litre bottles, see if it works out better to buy 3 x 750ml as you will get an extra 250ml.