Cost of Food and Drinks at Airports

MissingThePoint

You always expect to pay a premium price for food and drinks at airports. However prices can vary dramatically. For instance at Gatwick and Heathrow you have a good choice and competition. Wetherspoons, Pret a Manger and Mcdonald are good value for money. However some of overseas airports really charge a lot for inferior products. In the canary Islandsfor instance, prices for both food and drink seem "Sky High". What is anybody else's experience on this issue.

richardw

Eat before you get to the airport.

opinions4u

Fairly sure Paris CDG was the most expensive airport I've been through.

I'm a great believer in taking steps to minimise the need for food and drink in airports and on planes. It can't always be avoided, but it isn't always a necessity.

Assume you'll be ripped off if you don't take your own food (and drink to consume pre-security).

A BA flight (or similar) serving basic snack and drink included in the fare is worthy of consideration.

redmike123

The cost of food and drinks at Faro airport is a disgrace. Its a horrible airport, really busy with a shortage of places to sit. The cafes are really busy, and offer couldn't care less service with a snarl. its a horrible place, best got through quickly.

ibizafan_2

The worst airport I have ever been to is Sharm el Sheikh. What a nightmare! You wouldn't want to pay their prices. Dalaman in Turkey is also very expensive. However, I don't find the Spanish airports too bad and their coffee is cheaper than in the UK. Definitely better to try and eat/ buy before you get to any airport. I am always amazed by the amount people spend at airports when it comes to food and drink.

PaulPonting

The problem really is if you have say a 2 hour delay you have to buy some form of drink as you are not permitted to bring any liquid from outide into the Airside departure lounge. We have found theprice of drinks and food at most Spanish airports to extrememy high. Perhaps at least every airport should supply one of those free water fountains with plastic cups for passengers.

maman

I think Dalaman must be one of the biggest rip-offs I've come across

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g811172-d4137982-r163192962-Dalaman_Airport-Dalaman_Mugla_Province_Turkish_Aegean_Coast.html

I always get the chef at our hotel to make us up some filled baguettes so we don't need to buy food there. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about the drinks other than try to manage until we get on the plane.:(

When I'm flying out I do sometimes eat at the airside restaurants but I always take my own food for the plane. I buy water (generally using points) from Boots.

Moto2

PaulPonting wrote: »

The problem really is if you have say a 2 hour delay you have to buy some form of drink as you are not permitted to bring any liquid from outide into the Airside departure

I've never quite figured out what has happened over the last few years that means people can't go a few hours without a drink.
It never used to be like that, you never saw people walking around with a bottle of water, now it can sometimes seem almost universal.

Some pretty effective marketing going on by the bottled water industry I think

DigForVictory

My father will trade duty-free spot checks & purchases for McDonalds completed free brew cards, as he flies through airports with McDs. He refuses to eat there but the coffee, wifi, free loo combo is one he likes.

That or he's found a way of leave me some face when I ask him to price check things.

totallybored

opinions4u wrote: »

Fairly sure Paris CDG was the most expensive airport I've been through.

.

That was my experience too. I spent nearly €30 for two slices of quiche and 2 cans of beer at one of the snack places between departure gates. My snack that I bought to take on the plane was a box of Laduree macaroons at around €15! I think it is the only airport in the world I've been in that didn't have some sort of chain fast food place to eat. Good selection of handbags though.

wildwestfan

Cost £23 for a dreadful breakfast plus coffee in departures at Stansted recently. Food was pretty well inedible. I saw a lady asking for a refund. She had paid £6 for 4 slices of bread and some butter. She had ordered it from the menu, sounded good:rotfl: