Hundreds of dollars: how much travelers spend on food at the airport due to a flight delay
'29.08.2022'
Olga Derkach
The surge in flight delays across the country continues to wreak havoc on New Yorkers' travel plans on a daily basis, but delays hit wallets as hard as they hit plans. While waiting, travelers incur significant costs by spending money on prohibitively expensive meals, snacks and drinks at the airport. How many New Yorkers leave at airports, the publication found out Silive.
This is especially troublesome and expensive if travelers have special dietary requirements or children.
New Yorkers spend 29% of their airfares — or $239 more per trip — because of the high cost of food and drink at airports, according to a new study.
In neighboring New Jersey, where the Newark Liberty International Airport is, this cost is even higher.
Airports are notorious for overpriced food and drinks.
In fact, a $28 beer at LaGuardia Airport recently made headlines for being overpriced.
A study by FamilyDestinationsGuide.com analyzed flight data, including the average airfare per family in each state, to determine how much is being literally eaten up by flight delays.
It turned out that the average family flying out of New York airports spends $239,95 at airports due to flight delays.
New Yorkers' extra spending is just below the national average of $240,51, or 26% of an airfare.
On the subject: Top 3 things to do at JFK to help you get through a long layover or flight delay
In New Jersey, where a large number of Staten Islanders fly, the average family spends $250,34 on food and drink purchases at airports. This is 48% of the cost of the air ticket, plus vacation expenses.
When analyzed by state, Delaware airports found the highest rates for families in terms of additional spending on food and beverages. There, the average family spends an incredible 87% of the cost of a flight on these purchases.
By comparison, those who fly out of airports in Alaska spend 16% of their flight cost on food.
In the rankings, New Jersey was ranked second among the states where families spend the most on food and drink at the airport due to flight delays. According to the poll, New York ranked tenth. The top five looks like this:
- Delaware
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Ohio
- Rhode Island
And these are the 5 airports with the lowest family spending on food and drink at the airport due to delays:
- Idaho
- Montana
- Massachusetts
- Wyoming
- Alaska
Rose Ackermann of FamilyDestinationsGuide.com encourages travelers to be patient.
“Flight delays can leave parents and children impatient and in a bad mood before the holidays even start,” she said. “Easier said than done, but it is important to understand that the travel system is trying to restore balance as passenger numbers return to pre-pandemic levels.”
It's always a good idea to bring spare snacks with you in case of a delay, Ackermann says, offering a minimal lunch box for kids, especially those with dietary restrictions.
