How To Order Baby Milk And Baby Supplies From Boots At UK Airports
This was one of my favourite travel hacks when flying through the UK. Anything that helps make flying with a baby easier, or passing through security a breeze is a good idea in my book!
The Boots service enables you to preorder baby supplies (and many other non baby items like make-up, sun lotion etc) and pick up after security. As you can never guarantee what will be available at the airport on the day you fly, this is a genius idea: Saving you space in your case and time preparing liquids for screening if you are buying milk or perfume etc.
A few people have asked me how this service works, so I’ve written the steps.
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What to Order From Boots
You can order almost anything from the Boots website, not just baby milk, nappies/diapers or baby food! This includes all your baby essentials and suntan lotion etc for collection after all security checkpoints. It must meet baggage and security requirements though. (See ‘How Much Can I Order” for more information on this.)
This has saved us some time in the security queue as we have had have less liquids to be checked and more room in our suitcase – at least for a bit!
How much can I order?
- Be aware that if you will be in transit at some point of your journey, you may be checked for liquids over 100ml again. With baby food and milk you will be fine but if you ordered a large suntan lotion bottle, you may have to give that up.
- With baby milk, you can pre-order up to 2 tubs or 56 ready-to-drink cartons of baby milk.
- You are allowed ONE standard airport shopping bag on to your flight in addition to your hand luggage. e.g You can have hand luggage + 1 Boots bag or hand luggage + a standard bag from another airport store.
Please note: Orders cannot be made by telephone.
Ordering Instructions
- We visited Boots here, their online website and added any supplies we needed into our normal online shopping basket. You can order baby milk, food, nappies, bottles, suntan lotion, makeup – basically anything they sell. The only exception is anything sharp and a few other items I’ve listed below. These will be confiscated by security and no refund will be given.
- Select a delivery date at least 3 days before your flight to allow us to prepare your parcel in time. I usually give a day extra.
- The system will ask you to search for a store, please choose your airport. Checkcarefully that you have selected the correct store as some airports have Landside Stores before security, as well as Airside stores (after security) and several terminals. A listing of the airports which have Boots is below.
- It’s really easy to pay as normal. You will need to pay for your order in full by credit, debit or Paypal. Your order will then be delivered to your store within 3 days. Please enter your mobile number online as you will receive a text message when it arrives in store. Don’t forget to sign in for your points!
- The airport Click & Collect service costs £4.50 regardless of the spend. ( Normally click and collect is free if you spend over £15 and £1.50 if lower). We found Boots airport stores will hold orders for 7 days and then they are returned to the warehouse. Once the item is received back at the warehouse, the refund will be processed. Please leave at least 15 minutes to collect your order in store as they are held in a secure area outside of the store.
Items which cannot be ordered for airport delivery include:
- Sharp/pointed items (scissors, tweezers, nail files etc.)
- Nail clippers
- Toy weapons (Nerf guns, water pistols etc.)
- First aid kits containing any sharp/pointed items
- Nail varnish remover
- Hair dye
- Hair lightener
- Sewing kits – I asked and they don’t sell them at the airport – even just the needle!
Boots stores in UK airports (and Ireland) which provide this service.
- Aberdeen – Call this number +44 (0)1224 722537 if you have any special requirements.
- Birmingham International – Airside (If you are flying Ryanair select the South Departure store, please select this store if you are flying with Ryanair. Birmingham Airport Airside is the North Departure Boots store, please select this for any other airline.)
- East Midlands Airport – Castle Donington
- Dublin –
At Boots Dublin Airport, place your order by 12pm, three days before you fly and pick it up from the airside store after 12pm.Unfortunately, click & collect is currently unavailable in Dublin Airport
- Edinburgh
- Glasgow. At Boots Glasgow Airport orders must be placed a minimum of 7 days before flying. For any small quantity orders, you can also phone the store on 0141 889 5222 and request products to be put aside for you. Please note that the selection will be more limited as the store has a smaller range compared with online.
- Leeds Bradlford
- Liverpool – At Boots Liverpool Airport, order at least 48 hours before your flight to ensure your items are delivered on time.
- London City – Boots London City Airport is after security.
- London Gatwick – At Boots Gatwick Airport, once through security, both stores have a pharmacy. So does the South Terminal arrivals store.
- London Heathrow – Available in Terminal, 2,3,4 and 5. At Boots Heathrow Airport, you can have travel vaccinations and malaria prevention treatments in Terminal 3 and 5 (before security) There are numerous stores before, after security, and some in arrivals too.
- London Luton – At Boots Luton Airport there is no Dispensing Chemist or Pharmacy Counter Services available.
- London Stansted. There are two Boots Stansted Airport. One is airside and the other in arrivals.
- Manchester – Repeat prescriptions can be collected from the branch in Terminal 3 after security.
- Newcastle – At Boots Newcastle Airport you can pre-order 5 days in advance.
SAVE SPACE IN YOUR HAND LUGGAGE BY PRE-ORDERING:
- We order Swim Nappies as they are quite bulky. Click here to see the Huggies Little Swimmers available.
Mini versions of our favourite toiletries such as toothpaste, moisturiser, shampoo and conditioner. Click here to see what travel sized toiletries are available.
- Insect repellent is a must for us. Click here to see what insect repellent is available.
- Antiseptic cream for little cuts and grazes. Click here to see the types and sizes available.
- First aid kit containing plasters, bandages and wipes so you can deal with minor injuries. Click here to see the different choices.
- Children’s sun lotion. Click here to see the choice available from Boots.
For more ideas on how to save space in your suitcase, what to pack and a printable packing checklist. Visit here.
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Thank you for your support as always.
Thanks for sharing its really helpful for me
Thank you – that’s good to know!
Hi, we’re flying on Sunday and we had trouble selecting a Sunday for collection. Basically they don’t do a deliver on a Sunday but if you select a day of week before then, then it will be there for you to collect on the Sunday.
I’m struggling to work out how I’m going to take my 7/8 month old abroad. How will it work with her formula feeds? Do I pack it in case and take it that way for the week? Can you buy it over there? How will it work at airport on plane?
Can you not click and collect for Sunday’s as it won’t allow me too??
You should be able to – Is it within the time frame. It seems to range from 3-6 days depending on the airport.
Hi,
Can I just check that I can order baby food to be collected that will be enough to cover 10 days away, so for example, in excess of 30 pouches?
Kind Regards
Jo
Thanks for the information. As far as I can tell (by attempting to make a purchase online at Boots), they only have a Boots store in Terminal 1 of Manchester airport. I am needing to travel domestically first, then internationally. I suppose I will have to risk reserving formula at my layover location.
To get me through Manchester I will have to bring my own milk. Their security website says anything you bring will be subject to a ‘taste test’ by yourself. Has anyone else experienced this? Do they only make you test one bottle?
Hi, thats actually very out of date info. The UK changed the regs in January 2014 so you no longer have to taste milk. It can be subject to other testing by security though, so be prepared if its pre made up formula.
Is there a limit as to how much milk you can buy after security?
Hi Katie- no as long as you don’t go over your hand baggage allowance. Also be aware if you are in transit in another country after the flight from UK, you will be subject to taking the milk through security. The general rule is you are allowed as much as needed for the journey -but everyone’s journey and connection times are different.
Edinburgh airport Boots is now closed. Superdrug has replaced them but do not take orders. I don’t believe they stock milk.
hi Robin, thanks so much for letting me know this. It really helps me keep all the information current. I will amend the info now. Again, thank you for taking the time to let me know! I’ll verify with Superdrug re milk and update that too.
Thanks for letting me know and I’ve updated the information. I’ve contacted Superdrug and they do apparently stock milk too.
No, it doesn't if picked up airside( after security).
Does it count as part of hand luggage.