UK. Heathrow Airport has unveiled the limited-edition Doris and Edward Bair bears, available exclusively through World Duty Free, Glorious Britain, and the Reserve & Collect service.
Marking their retail debut, the already fur-nomenally popular bears will be available from tomorrow (25 March) at £27.99 (US$37) each.
On that day, travellers sharing their names with the bears will be eligible to receive a complimentary Doris or Edward Bair [too soon, alas, for Doris Davitt’s planned on-location report as he transits through Heathrow en route from Bengaluru to Shannon at the weekend].
The launch also forms part of Heathrow’s celebrations marking the airport’s 80th birthday, commemorating the departure of its first commercial flight.
Doris and Edward Bair made their first appearance in Heathrow’s 2016 Christmas advert, with their love story reaching millions of viewers around the world.
The duo has become widely recognised across the UK and beyond, resonating with families and travellers alike.
Their stories of love, family and reunion have established them as two of the airport’s most familiar characters, capturing the spirit of travel and the anticipation of new journeys shared with loved ones.
The retail launch builds on the duo’s return in October 2025 (see video below), marking the couple’s emergence from long-term hibernation for the first time since 2018 for the ‘Must be Love’ campaign.
{Click on the YouTube icon to watch how Doris and Edward emerged from long-term hibernation late last year for the first time since 2018 to celebrate the ensuing furstive season}
The film follows the couple’s journey, from Heathrow’s Pod Parking to the airport’s bustling boarding gates, highlighting the joyful and memorable moments of the travel experience.
Heathrow Retail Director Fraser Brown said: “Bringing Doris and Edward Bair into our stores has been a real passion project for all of us at Heathrow. The response we have seen to each new chapter in their story has shown just how much passengers love them.
“As we celebrate 80 years of Heathrow connecting people and places, it feels like the perfect moment for them to join our passengers on new adventures.”
Heathrow is tapping into the airport’s strong demand for teddy bears, selling more than 82,000 annually, with an average of over 220 per day. Sales peaked in July and August, as passengers picked up these furry companions for their summer travels.
The most popular purchases at Heathrow include the Harrods bear, London-themed toys, and the beloved Paddington Bear and his merchandise. ✈
Previous Doris and Edward Bair campaigns
2016
Coming Home for Christmas: In which Doris and Edward arrive via Beartish Airways into the welcoming experience of Heathrow Airport arrivals
2017
This edition takes the form of a poignant flashback to the 1960s, when the couple first set eyes on each other. Edward accidentally leaves his (threadbear) coat on an aircraft when returning from a business trip. Doris, the airline’s air stewardess, not wanting her passenger to leave bear-handed, chases after him. As she bears down on him, their eyes meet. Doris returns the coat. He bears her kindness in mind and the rest is history (well, her story too).
2018
The 2018 video opens with Edward soaking up the sun on a lilo in Florida (where apparently he always likes to lie low). But the combination of carol music (O Little Town of Bearthlehem, Santa Claws is Coming to Town and Ding Dong Bearily On High among them), chats with the family and images of ‘home’ make the Bairs realise that Christmas in the sunshine is not what they want and they rush back to Heathrow, backed by English singer/songwriter Paul Young’s Every Time You Go Away.
