I’m tempted to say that airport pricing is the bane of civilization, but in reality it doesn’t affect me very much these days. We fly a time or two each year and budget an airport splurge when merited (and when layover times allow).
For instance, there has always been good sushi in Detroit, and a whole brewpub inside the Munich airport. Otherwise, we’ve started packing our own snacks.
You can bring a great many food items into the airport and through security, including sandwiches, fruit, granola, firm (not creamy) cheese, and more. I drink lots of water; keep a refillable bottle handy.
It is true that a degree of price gouging is built into the experience; at the same time, the cost of operating a food service inside an airport is higher than normal. For those consumers not made of money, the best way around the inevitable is to think it through.
The high price of absolutely everything at the airport, by Emily Stewart (Vox)
The airport is hardly a wallet-friendly place to be. Once you step on the premises and get past security, you’re in a sort of economic twilight zone where the cost of anything and everything goes up. You essentially get two choices: fork up and pay for that water or wine or set of headphones because you forgot yours at home, or wait it out and hope your flight doesn’t get delayed if you forgot to bring a snack. It’s true that it’s expensive to operate at an airport; it’s also true that restaurants and shops and airports overall know they’ve got you a little stuck and use it to their advantage to make money.
Reverting to hunter-gatherer by taking along a big bag of homemade trail mix works best for me. We may not be able to overturn the edifice of airport pricing with one bold stroke, but it feels great to assiduously chip away at the edges.
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“Edibles & Potables” is Food & Dining Magazine’s Sunday slot for news and views that range beyond our customary metropolitan Louisville coverage area, as intended to be food (and drink) for thought.
