Why Do Port Authorities Plan To Regulate Airport Food and Drink Prices?

It all began with a tweet from the previous summer. The tweet exposed an expensive pint of beer which cost $27 at LaGuardia Airport, and it led the Port Authority to create new policies on pricing not just at LaGuardia but also at John F. Kennedy Airport and Newark Airport.

The tweet was shared by a traveler named Cooper Lund. He had been passing through LaGuardia Airport when he stopped for a beer. The tweet included a picture of the drink menu at Biergarten in terminal C, and in the image, the beers listed ranged in price.

The Sam Adams Summer Ale even cost more than $27. It quickly gathered a lot of retweets and replies from people who experienced it before and those appalled by it. This was what prompted the Port Authority to begin an investigation.

This led to them finding other people with similar experiences. A review claimed that up to 25 people were required to pay more than $27 for a beer, and according to the authority, this is unacceptable.

According to Port Authority, all 25 have been called and refunded for their entire check. The new policy, which is 35-pages long, states that concession costs have to reflect prices on the streets with a maximum surcharge of 10%. The policy also requires vendors to provide less costly food and beverage options.

Other policies demand that vendors justify the prices for name-brand business with other store locations, while non-name brands will have to turn in pricing from three identical shops in the area to justify their pricing.

There will now be random checks by the Port Authority to ensure compliance and travelers have been asked to continue calling out prices they think are too expensive.