Prepare these six things before going abroad to avoid the trap of high airport prices

First submission 09-14 23:23

Update time 09-15 06:52

By bringing empty water bottles, snacks, charging cables, mobile power supplies, toiletries and neck pillows before going abroad, you can save a lot of wasted money and avoid expensive "airport prices". (File photo)

[Financial Channel/Comprehensive Report] When flying abroad, be careful as soon as you pass the security check, your wallet will begin to bleed. The travel website Travelbinger took stock of 14 common purchases at U.S. airports and found that many items that are free at home or don’t cost much at ordinary times jump in price once you enter the airport, and some are even several times more expensive. By bringing empty water bottles, snacks, charging cables, mobile power supplies, toiletries and neck pillows before going out, you can save a lot of wasted money and avoid expensive "airport prices".

The most typical one is bottled water. A bottle of water at US airports costs about US$4.25 (approximately NT$135), and in general stores it costs US$1.89 (approximately NT$60), which is more than twice as expensive. Some passengers even spent US$7.66 (approximately NT$243) on a bottle of water at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. In fact, many airports have free water refill stations. You can save money by bringing your own empty water bottles and refilling them after passing security.

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Even pushing luggage costs money. Renting a luggage trolley at most airports in the United States costs US$5 to US$9 (approximately NT$159 to NT$285) at a time, and it is not a deposit and will not be refunded after use. Being hungry will hurt your wallet even more. An ordinary sandwich may cost more than 15 US dollars (approximately NT$476) at the airport, but preparing it at home only costs a few dollars.

If you want to sit more comfortably, you may also have to pay. Some airports have paid comfortable seats; if you do not have VIP lounge rights provided by credit card, airline membership or cabin class, the temporary purchase of a single admission is about US$35 to US$75 (approximately NT$1,110 to NT$2,378), and some high-end international VIP lounges even cost more than US$100 (approximately NT$3,170).

Other items on the list include paid high-speed Wi-Fi, mobile phone charging services, toiletries such as hand washing and toothbrushes, paper boarding pass printing, neck pillows and blankets, as well as temporarily purchased mobile phone and tablet chargers. For example, if you forget to bring your toothbrush, you may have to spend $6 (approximately NT$190) for emergency help at the airport; if you forget to bring your charging cable, you may have to accept the high prices at airport stores.

In addition, many contents of newspapers and magazines can be read on mobile phones, but you still have to pay for them when you arrive at the airport. If you want to sit on a massage chair or use a rest cabin while waiting for the flight, you may also be charged based on time. The article even mentions "charging" twice. You can hardly feel the cost of plugging in at home, but at the airport, it may become a paid service through charging stations and charging cabinets.

Why are things at the airport so expensive? The article pointed out that passengers have limited choices after passing the security check. In addition, they are in a hurry to board the plane and are temporarily short of things. They often have no time to shop around and can only accept higher prices.

If you want to avoid being a "plate", the method is actually very simple: before going out, bring empty water bottles, snacks, charging cables, mobile power supplies, toiletries and neck pillows, and store your boarding pass in your mobile phone first. When your mobile phone is out of battery, first look for a free socket under the seat, next to the pillar or near the boarding gate. One less last-minute purchase means one less expensive “airport price” to pay.

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