I came up with a challenge: figure out how to bypass the recent (April 2008) security restrictions that disallow any liquids of any kind in carry-ons, effectively making it impossible for someone like me (who likes to have her own brand of shampoo with her) to take a carry-on bag for an overnight trip. I hate checking luggage!
So I set off to see if I could find any toiletries and perhaps a decent cup of coffee while I was at it. Well, I didn’t find any toiletries (none at all!) but I did make some pleasant discoveries along the way.
- OK, so no toiletries but you can buy quite a lot of handy things:
- Felix Bühler travel supplies including adapters and luggage tags. This brand seems to be stocked in most of the gift shops.
- Foreign language books & mags are widely available at new RELAY outlets all over the airport. I say foreign language but mostly it’s a choice between American or British English. I did spy some German language magazines though.
- Drinks and snacks are available in most of the gift shops. The snacks are limited to Chinese salty snacks, e.g. Sichuan flavored cashews, and the likes of Snickers and M&Ms. But mothers be relieved. While the security guards may have made you dump your kid’s milk out, boxed (UHT) milk is on sale as is Evian water, perfect for mixing up formula.
- Drinking water stations are located throughout the airport after security so you can fill up an empty water bottle if you think to bring one along.
- Briocco Café near Gate B1 serves arguably the best cappuccino in the airport and they have pizza, beer and other snacks. Don’t buy a bottle of water there though, it’s at least 12 rmb more expensive than in the airport shops.
- There’s a first aid station near Gate A3 should you feel queasy.
- There’s also free wi-fi near Gate A3 at the Well Coffee shop and at Chalon near Gates A6 and A7.
