cheryl
Administrator
Staff member
Why is airport food so expensive? - The Hustle
The reasons you pay a massive markup on a water bottle are more complex than you might think.
Earlier this week, while waiting to board an early morning flight from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, I found myself stranded in Terminal 2, hungry and parched.
My search for sustenance led me to a breakfast bar, where I procured a bagel and a small beverage. The total? $11.50 — more than double the typical street price.
It’s a familiar story for any traveler: Held captive with few purchasing options, we’re often made to shell out 2-3x the going rate for a nibble of food, or pay a 100%+ markup for a water bottle. (Heaven forbid you need a neck pillow, earplugs, or some Advil…)
What exactly makes airports so expensive? The answer is a bit more complicated than “It’s runway robbery!”
The reasons you pay a massive markup on a water bottle are more complex than you might think.
Earlier this week, while waiting to board an early morning flight from San Francisco to Portland, Oregon, I found myself stranded in Terminal 2, hungry and parched.
My search for sustenance led me to a breakfast bar, where I procured a bagel and a small beverage. The total? $11.50 — more than double the typical street price.
It’s a familiar story for any traveler: Held captive with few purchasing options, we’re often made to shell out 2-3x the going rate for a nibble of food, or pay a 100%+ markup for a water bottle. (Heaven forbid you need a neck pillow, earplugs, or some Advil…)
What exactly makes airports so expensive? The answer is a bit more complicated than “It’s runway robbery!”