When a Salad Costs $27.50: Airport Food Prices Are Becoming a Traveler Issue

By Jennifer Rykaczewski, President - Affordable Skies

For many Americans, flying is an important part of modern life, whether for work, family visits, medical needs, or major events. It is great when you can secure affordable airfare, especially as travelers often plan carefully to manage costs. However, once inside the airport, you enter a closed marketplace where basic food options can cost far more than everyday prices and alternatives are limited. An increasingly common complaint from travelers has nothing to do with turbulence or delays. It is something far more basic: the cost of food inside airports.

What Travelers Are Experiencing

Over the past year, Affordable Skies has heard from travelers across the country who describe paying prices that feel disconnected from everyday reality, not for elaborate meals, but for ordinary items like sandwiches, bottled water, or food for children. In one recent example, a traveler reported paying $27.50 for a basic salad with protein, before taxes and tip, a price that would stand out in almost any setting outside an airport. Another traveler described the experience bluntly as “highway robbery,” reflecting a sense that passengers often feel they have little choice once inside the terminal.

Not an Isolated Concern

Recent headlines suggest this is not an isolated concern. A story reported by Fox News described a family traveling with four children who ordered pizza delivered to the airport during a delay rather than purchasing food inside the terminal. The incident sparked intense online debate and highlighted broader concerns about airport pricing.

You can read the full story here: https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/family-exposes-insanely-expensive-airport-food-pizza-igniting-online-backlash

Their experience resonated with many travelers who argue that once past security, affordable options can become limited or nonexistent, particularly during delays when passengers are confined to the terminal for extended periods.

A Captive Marketplace

Unlike most public places, airport passengers are effectively a captive audience once they pass through security. Leaving to find more affordable options may not be possible without risking missed flights, additional screening, or significant logistical challenges, especially for families, elderly travelers, or those with mobility limitations. Airports also operate under unique economic conditions. Security requirements, space constraints, staffing, and lease agreements all contribute to higher operating costs for vendors, which in turn influence pricing. At the same time, travelers are not asking for anything extraordinary. They are asking whether basic necessities should remain reasonably accessible within transportation hubs that millions rely on every day.

When a Meal Becomes a Financial Strain

Airport leadership has an opportunity to take a more active role in supporting travelers, ensuring that pricing remains fair and that essential needs are not treated solely as a captive revenue source. For families traveling with children, the issue can escalate quickly. A simple meal for four during a delay can exceed $80 or $100, turning an already stressful situation into a financial strain. For passengers on fixed incomes or tight travel budgets, the burden can be even greater, forcing difficult choices between convenience, nutrition, and affordability.

Public Infrastructure, Public Responsibility?

Many airports in the United States are operated by public authorities and function as critical infrastructure rather than purely private retail environments. As gateways to their communities, they play an essential role in supporting commerce, tourism, connectivity, and national mobility. That reality raises an important question about expectations. Should access to reasonably priced food be considered part of the basic traveler experience in facilities that function as public transportation hubs?

Street Pricing Policies

Some airports have experimented with street pricing policies, which require concessionaires to charge no more than they would at comparable locations outside the airport. Where implemented effectively, such policies can help maintain affordability without undermining vendor viability. However, adoption is inconsistent nationwide, and travelers often have little transparency about how prices are set or whether such policies are in place at a given airport.

Practical Steps That Could Help

Affordable Skies is not calling for heavy handed regulation or unrealistic price controls. Airports face real financial pressures, and concession revenue supports operations and improvements that ultimately benefit passengers. However, greater transparency, expanded affordable options, and intentional planning could ease the burden on travelers while maintaining a healthy concessions environment. Simple steps, such as ensuring at least one low-cost option in each terminal or clearly communicating pricing policies, could make a meaningful difference for passengers navigating delays, long connections, or unexpected disruptions.

Keeping the Passenger Experience at the Center

Air travel already requires patience, planning, and significant expense, and access to a basic meal should not become another source of stress. As policymakers, airport authorities, and industry leaders consider the future of aviation, the passenger experience must remain central to the discussion. Travelers are not just consumers passing through terminals; they are the people the system exists to serve. Affordable Skies will continue listening to travelers and bringing their concerns forward in a constructive, solutions-focused way, because getting from point A to point B should not require worrying about whether you can afford lunch along the way.

Travelers who have experienced similar challenges are welcome to share their stories with Affordable Skies, as firsthand accounts help ensure that real experiences inform future discussions about improving air travel.

Affordable Skies is a consumer advocacy group that conducts research and provides education to travelers, bringing real traveler insight into conversations across the aviation community.