Shop the World for Last Minute Gifts, Says Cheapflights.com

Reveals its Global List of Top 10 Airports for Shopping

Boston, MA – December 14, 2011 – Is a busy travel agenda making holiday shopping a last minute scramble? Are you jetting off to make the most of the season and don’t want to arrive empty handed? Then Cheapflights.com, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, is here to help with its Top Airports for Shopping. Strolling through many of the world’s major airports can be a great dose of retail therapy and now, with just 11 days until Christmas, a last minute holiday shopping bonanza. Every breed of traveler – from fashionistas to perfumologists to techy types – can cash in this holiday season on savings at airport stores.

Duty-free shopping may conjure up images of cigarette cartons, discount liquors and high-end candy for some travelers, but frequent international fliers know well that hubs around the globe are stepping up their retail game. Below are five of Cheapflights.com’s Top 10 Airports for Shopping – one each in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia - where travelers can get in some retail therapy, or grab those last minute holiday gifts, as they wait for their flights.

London Heathrow Airport - Heathrow boasts 48,000 square meters of retail space over its five terminals and the prices range from pocket money up to premium. You’ll find perfumes, skin care products, alcohol and chocolates in all terminals, but, if you want designer gear, Terminal 3 is where you'll find brands such as Armani, Dior, Gucci and Cartier. Terminal 5, which opened with much fanfare in 2008, aims to showcase the best of British to departing passengers. Mulberry, Paul Smith, Links of London, and Smythson fly the flag for British design and craftsmanship.

Dubai International Airport - Do buy. Dubai International has been the world’s leading (based on total sales) duty-free retailer for a couple of years now. Alcohol, perfumes and gold are the must-buys in the Sheikh Rashid Terminal (also known as the Concourse), home to the majority of the shops. Open 24/7, there’s 5,400 square meters of retail heaven.

Incheon International Airport - Korea's main international gateway in Seoul is the third-largest for duty-free shopping after Dubai and Heathrow. Its most popular items are perfumes, cosmetics, alcohol and cigarettes. A first for the Shilla Duty Free Shop is Louis Vuitton. The luxury brand picked it as the world's first LV airport shop.

OR Tambo International Airport - Voted best in Africa and winning plaudits for its airport shopping too, Johannesburg has more than 100 shops selling everything from trinkets to accessories to high-end luxury leather goods. It's not the cheapest airport in the world, but still boasts discounts of 40 percent on prices downtown.

Miami International Airport - The United States’ gateway to Latin America has undergone major renovations in the last few years and recently expanded to more than 7 million square feet, covering more than 3,000 acres of land. Lucky for airport frequenters, that means plenty of retail square footage. The terminals feel more like shopping malls than airports, boasting luxury shops like Emporio Armani, convenient technology stores like Sound Balance and great gift giving gems like L’Occitane.

Rounding out the list of Cheapflights’ favorite airports for super shopping are Vancouver International Airport; Amsterdam Airport Schiphol; Hong Kong International Airport; Frankfurt Airport; and Zurich Airport.

As a friendly reminder, for travelers returning to the US with a connecting flight in the US, oversized duty-free liquids are not be permitted through US security checkpoints so make sure to place your purchases in your checked baggage before you re-check them in for your connecting flight.