The food and drink at airports It has been expensive for what it is for a long time. The impossibility of bringing it from home means that many people are forced to pay extremely high prices when they have no choice, as occurs during long layovers, and it is common to hear complaints about it. Until now, that was the issue.
But the prohibitive menus of the airports could be coming to an end . At least this is the case for those in New York, a city that has been working for some time to make its three airports places Nicer.
From the construction of new terminals to the modernization of their interiors, through more agile security controls , there are significant changes in the flying experience to and from the city.
And one of the most important proposed measures, especially for the well-being of travellers, is the food and beverage price limit announced this past May.
John F. Kennedy International Airport, in New York.
It was a social media complaint what started this initiative. A passenger of LaGuardia airport he mentioned last summer that he had been charged twenty-seven dollars for a single specialty beer. This forced the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , which carries the airports of The guard, jfk Y Newark , to review the prices of these establishments.
"Nobody should have to shell out that kind of money to have a beer," he said. Kevin O'Toole , president of the institution, in a statement. It indicates that, at the beginning of the investigation, it was discovered that “additional costs were added to the already high prices of some products for no reason”.
The establishment in question was forced to return money to multiple customers , But it did not stop there. The regulation that fixes the prices of food and beverages in the three airports in a maximum of 10% above its retail price.
They thus seek to prevent businesses from increasing their prices indefinitely, but without forgetting that the costs faced by airport restaurants are higher than usual.
It was the protest of a client before the prices of a trade in LaGuardia airport, in New York, that began the investigation.
The 35-page manual with which this new policy is launched will be accompanied by a careful monitoring to ensure compliance . “Strict and proactive measures will be taken to ensure that the regulations are followed now that they have been clearly and unequivocally set out,” explains O'Toole.
This should leave very little room for maneuver for food and beverage suppliers at airports, as they will have to present quarterly reports of its 40 best-selling products and the prices of all your inventory once a year. The agency will also random checks to verify that prices comply with the new regulations.
With the increase in flight prices , an initiative like this is much appreciated, even if it is limited to one city for the time being. It is comforting to know, at least, that protesting does lead somewhere. Who knows, maybe soon this custom will start to spread and you can enjoy a beer, a coffee, a bottle of water or a sandwich at a Reasonable price while you wait for boarding.
This report was published in May 2022 in Condé Nast Traveler.