Flyers are a captive audience. Stuck behind security, choices for restaurants and bars are limited within an airport—and food and drink are priced accordingly. Fortunately, that’s about to change (at least for New York area airports) and it’s all thanks to a viral social media post.
Last year, Tweets showing a menu at a LaGuardia airport bar that listed a standard Sam Adams draft beer for $27.85 (plus a 10 percent “COVID recovery fee”) sparked outrage and complaints about price gouging.
These posts spurred an investigation by the Office of Inspector General (OIG), which resulted in new rules from The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Under the new policy, all concession costs at New York area airports must not exceed 10 percent of local, off-airport “street prices.”
“All airport customers should rightly expect that policies which limit the pricing of food and beverages at concessions will be followed and enforced,” said Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole in a public statement. “Nobody should have to fork over such an exorbitant amount for a beer.”
The new policy will also require concessionaires to “offer low-priced food and beverage options to provide a wider range of value for customers,” which means that flyers will soon see cheaper options for sale around the airport. “In addition to outlining clear, specific and detailed steps that must be followed to adhere to the street pricing policy, it also redoubles the emphasis on including lower-priced value items at every concessionaire,” explained Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton.
These rules will apply to all airport concessionaires, including grab & go stores, fast food restaurants, and sit down restaurants.
You Might Also Like:
• Children Flying Alone: What Every Parent Should Know About Unaccompanied Minors• How Early Should I Get to the Airport?
• The Best Over-the-Counter Sleeping Pills for Long-Haul Flights
• What Happens If I Miss My Connecting Flight Through No Fault of My Own?
• Carry-On and Personal Item Size Limits for 32 Major Airlines
We hand-pick everything we recommend and select items through testing and reviews. Some products are sent to us free of charge with no incentive to offer a favorable review. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. All items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time of publication. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
Related
Top Fares From
Today's Top Travel Deals
Brought to you by ShermansTravel
Ireland: 9-Night Dublin, Kilkenny, Killarney, Galway...
Brendan Vacations
vacation $3875+16-Night Hawaiian Islands Cruise Over Christmas...
Princess Cruises
cruise $1579+Ohio: Daily Car Rentals from Cincinnati
85OFF.com
Car Rental $19+