Flying can be stressful enough without having your wallet cleaned out before you even board the plane. Airport dining has become notorious for sky-high prices that make your hometown restaurant look like a bargain. The combination of captive audiences, astronomical rent costs, and limited competition creates the perfect storm for price gouging.
Here’s a list of 17 airport restaurants that are particularly guilty of emptying travelers’ pockets while serving up mediocre meals.
McDonald’s at JFK Airport, New York
The golden arches lose their luster when you’re paying nearly double for a Big Mac combo. A lunch value meal that costs about $11 at a regular McDonald’s can run you $17 at an airport location. The Terminal 1 and Terminal 4 locations have been particularly notorious for making travelers feel like they need a second mortgage for fast food.
You’d think cheap food would stay cheap, but apparently, airport rent changes the rules of the game.
Starbucks at Gatwick Airport, London
According to 2023 UK consumer reports, Starbucks charges up to 34% more at UK airports, with Gatwick being one of the highest. Your regular morning latte becomes a luxury item faster than you can say ‘boarding call.’ The markup is so steep that some travelers joke about needing a caffeine intervention just to save money.
At least the WiFi is free, which is about the only thing that doesn’t come with a premium price tag.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
TGI Friday’s at DFW Airport, Dallas
The chain may have filed for bankruptcy, but its airport locations were still charging premium prices right up until the end. With five TGI Friday’s locations at DFW Airport, travelers had plenty of opportunities to overpay for reheated appetizers and watered-down cocktails.
The irony is thick when a company going out of business is still gouging customers for sub-par food that costs more than a nice dinner elsewhere.
Burger King at San Francisco International Airport
Remember when Burger King was supposed to be the budget-friendly alternative? Those days are long gone at SFO, where a basic Whopper meal can cost more than a sit-down restaurant burger. One traveler paid $26 for a ‘basic’ Whopper junior meal and an original chicken sandwich, calling it the cheapest option available.
When fast food becomes fine dining prices, you know something’s seriously wrong.
Chili’s at LAX Airport, Los Angeles
The casual dining chain takes casual pricing to ridiculous extremes at LAX. What used to be an affordable family restaurant becomes a wallet-draining experience where even the chips and salsa feel overpriced. The microwave-reheated fajitas that arrive at your table cost more than many steakhouse entrees in the real world.
It’s like paying Ferrari prices for a bicycle ride.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Panera at Charlotte Douglas Airport, North Carolina
Customers have been bashing the chain for its ‘overpriced hospital food’ and small portions. At Charlotte Douglas, that bread bowl you used to love becomes an expensive disappointment that leaves you hungry and broke. The airport location exacerbates Panera’s already questionable value proposition.
You’re paying premium prices for soup that tastes like hospital food served in a bread-based wallet.
Sbarro at Newark Airport, New Jersey
Nothing says ‘welcome to America’ like overpriced pizza that tastes like cardboard. Newark’s Sbarro locations charge Manhattan prices for pizza that wouldn’t pass muster at a high school cafeteria. The cheese slides off faster than your money disappears from your wallet.
It’s the kind of place where you pay $8 for a slice and wonder if you accidentally ordered gold flakes as a topping.
Hard Rock Cafe at Orlando International Airport
Rock and roll comes with a hefty price tag at MCO, where a burger and beer can easily cost $40 before tip. The memorabilia on the walls is probably worth more than the food they’re serving. You’re paying for the atmosphere, but the atmosphere can’t fill your stomach or justify the astronomical prices.
At least the music is loud enough to drown out your wallet crying.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Panda Express at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
Even fast-casual Chinese food gets the airport markup treatment at PHX. What should be a quick, affordable meal becomes an expensive lesson in supply and demand economics.
The orange chicken costs more per pound than actual chicken at the grocery store. You’ll leave wondering if they’re using saffron instead of regular spices to justify the prices.
Wolfgang Puck at Los Angeles International Airport
Celebrity chef prices without the celebrity chef experience pretty much sum up this LAX fixture. You’re paying for the name recognition while getting food that would make the real Wolfgang Puck weep.
The cost per square foot to build out in an airport ranges from $450 to $2,000 compared to the national average of $56, and they’re passing every penny of that cost to customers. It’s like paying for a private chef and getting airline food with a famous name on the box.
Applebee’s at Reagan National Airport, Washington, D.C.
Most dishes arrive frozen and get nuked before hitting your table, but at DCA, you pay premium prices for this microwave magic. The neighborhood grill concept gets lost when your neighborhood charges Manhattan rent. Their famous 2-for-$20 deals become 1-for-$25 deals faster than you can say ‘delayed flight.’
It’s the kind of place where you pay restaurant prices for TV dinner quality.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Dunkin’ at Boston Logan Airport
Coffee and donuts should be affordable and straightforward, but Logan Airport’s Dunkin’ locations prove that wrong daily. Your regular medium coffee becomes a luxury beverage that costs more than some cocktails. The donuts are still the same, but apparently, airport air makes them worth twice as much.
You’ll spend more on breakfast than some people spend on lunch.
Chick-fil-A at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport
Even the beloved chicken sandwich chain isn’t immune to airport pricing madness at the world’s busiest airport. Customers are not impressed by the size of the nuggets for the price of a meal at a sit-down place. Your usual value meal becomes anything but valuable when you’re trapped in Terminal C.
The pleasure is still there, but your bank account won’t be pleased.
Pizza Hut at Denver International Airport
Personal pan pizzas become personal financial disasters at DEN, where a single serving pie costs more than a large pizza in most cities. The mountain air makes cheese more expensive, as these prices are typically higher at high altitudes.
You’ll pay premium prices for pizza that makes frozen grocery store options look gourmet by comparison.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Au Bon Pain at Miami International Airport
French-inspired bakery items with American-sized markups await you at MIA. A simple croissant and coffee combo can easily run $15, making you question whether there’s actual gold baked into the pastry.
The pain in the name becomes literal when you see the receipt. You’re paying bistro prices for what amounts to fancy gas station food.
Subway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Even the sandwich shop that built its reputation on $5 footlongs joins the airport gouging game at SEA-TAC. At Seattle International Airport, employees can expect to pay $75 monthly just for parking, and guess who ultimately pays for that?
Your turkey sandwich costs more than some actual turkey dinners, proving that even the most basic food gets the premium treatment.
Five Guys at John Wayne Airport, Orange County
Some customers are paying as much as $20 at their local Five Guys for a basic cheeseburger, regular fry, and regular-sized drink, and airport locations push these prices even higher. At John Wayne Airport, you’ll pay airline ticket prices for a good burger, but not ‘take out a loan’ good.
The fries might be fresh-cut, but they’re not fresh-cut-from-gold expensive.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
A Sobering Reality Check
Concessions make up as much as 60% of total airport revenue and are extremely integral to their bottom line. This explains why a simple meal can cost more than a fancy dinner in the real world. Airports have become retail empires built on the backs of hungry, time-pressed travelers who have no choice but to pay whatever’s asked.
While the reasons for high prices are understandable from a business perspective, it doesn’t make the shock any less painful when you’re the one footing the bill. Next time you find yourself craving a $12 croissant before takeoff, just remember—you’re not dining, you’re subsidizing terminal real estate. Bon appétit!
More from Travel Pug
- 20 Best Beach Towns in the Carolinas
- 13 Destinations Where Tourists Regularly Regret Their Trip
- 20 Things You Actually Get in First Class
- 20 Small Airports With Aviation Museums
- 20 Places in the U.S. That Are Perfect for a Reset Trip
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.