The advice is simple, almost boring. Pack a granola bar. Bring an empty water bottle.
But a personal finance expert’s new analysis of spending patterns suggests most travelers ignore it. The result?
Tens of dollars wasted per trip, hundreds a year for frequent fliers. The expert, who was not named in the analysis, focused on the final stop before boarding: the airport concession stand. Prices there, the analysis found, are routinely higher than at comparable stores outside the terminal.
A single bottle of water can cost several times the grocery store price. A sandwich or salad carries a similar markup.
The cumulative effect, the expert said, can add tens of dollars to the cost of a single trip, and hundreds over the course of a year for frequent flyers. The warning comes as summer travel season peaks. Airports are crowded.
Flight delays are common. The temptation to buy overpriced items at the gate is strong, the expert said. But the analysis concluded the fix is straightforward: pack snacks from home and bring an empty reusable water bottle to fill at a fountain after passing through security.
The Transportation Security Administration permits both items, the expert noted, as long as liquids comply with the 3-1-1 rule. For travelers who do not want to carry food, the analysis suggested checking prices at multiple concession stands before buying.
Not all airport vendors charge the same markup. Some locations offer better value than others, the record shows. The analysis did not name specific airports or vendors.
It did not cite exact price comparisons. Instead, it framed the problem as a failure of planning.
Travelers who arrive at the gate without a packed snack or an empty reusable water bottle are left with few options but to pay premium prices for basic items. That is the mistake, according to the analysis. “You have to be careful,” the expert said.
The advice lands in a specific context. The Transportation Security Administration reported record passenger volumes at many airports this summer. Longer security lines mean less time to compare prices at multiple stands.
Travelers are tired, hungry, and in a hurry. The analysis treats that as a predictable trap, not an excuse.
Reaction among travelers at a major hub was mixed. Some said they already follow the advice. Others admitted they do not.
One traveler, who declined to give his name, said he buys a bottle of water at the gate every time. “I know it’s a ripoff,” he said.
“I just don’t think about it until I’m thirsty.” Another traveler, a woman in her 30s, said she packs snacks but never remembers the water bottle. “I end up buying the $5 water anyway,” she said. The analysis did not offer a cost-benefit breakdown.
It did not suggest travelers boycott airport concessions. It simply pointed out the math. A few dollars per item, multiplied by millions of passengers, adds up.
For the individual traveler, the savings are modest per trip. For the frequent flyer, the analysis said, the cumulative effect can reach hundreds of dollars a year.
The expert’s warning is not new. But the analysis gives it numbers. It gives it a structure.
It gives travelers a reason to stop and think before they hand over a credit card at the gate.
