The period when passengers have already passed the security check, and there is still enough time before boarding is announced, is called the “golden hour” at airports – then they are most prone to rash purchases.
Those traveling by plane most often complain about the cost of air tickets, considering this to be the main expense item during the trip. However, flying by plane comes with a lot of less obvious costs.
The cost of getting to the airport, entry fees to its territory, parking fees, drinks and snacks, duty-free goods, and many other expenses can negate all savings on the cost of air travel itself.
Therefore, passengers are urged to avoid purchasing anything at the airport as much as possible unless necessary.
Food and drink
The menus of brightly lit chain restaurants look especially tempting to travelers amid the stress of going through security and other mandatory airport procedures. Moreover, with a high probability, they would never eat in similar establishments in the city, especially at inflated prices – food and drinks are always more expensive at the airport.
And airports are well aware of this – it’s not for nothing that marketing managers call the “golden hour” the period when passengers have already passed security checks, but there is still a lot of time before boarding is announced, so they just hang around the terminal, easily succumbing to advertising.
Additional services
Some may want to pack extra for their luggage, while others may suddenly need something small at the airport, like a travel pillow, new headphones, or sunscreen. But all this can be taken from home or bought cheaper in the city on the eve of departure. Some things, on the contrary, will be cheaper to buy at the place of arrival, such as personal care products.
Of course, in some cases, duty-free shops are a real salvation. For example, if you simply need a bottle of water, which is prohibited from being brought through security control, like all other liquids with a volume of more than 100 milliliters. Also, sometimes there are good deals on alcohol or cosmetics, but most of the spending there is still completely optional and should be resisted with all your might.
Is it possible to go through the airport without spending anything?
Getting from the airport entrance to the gate without spending a penny requires a lot of planning and endurance, as well as a clear understanding of whether you really need this product or this service or if it is just a “want” that you can refuse or which can be replaced with something taken from home.
For example, there is no way you can avoid transportation costs to the airport. However, an expensive taxi ride or airport transfer can in most cases be replaced by cheaper public transport.
If you plan to shop at chain stores or cafes that offer various loyalty programs (points, vouchers, etc.), this will also be a good way to save money at the airport.
An empty bottle can be filled with drinking water at special fountains in the terminal, but we have to admit that not all airports have such a luxury. As for food, you can always take a sandwich, an apple, a chocolate bar, or any other snack allowed in hand luggage with you from home.
We advise you to go to duty-free only when you need a particular product. At the same time, we advise you to study in advance how much it costs in the store at the place of your departure/arrival, because, contrary to popular belief, most goods in stores at the airport are not cheaper.