What a bunch of lager louts.
NYC’s LaGuardia Airport is being shamed for sky high prices on beer. Passengers in need of an adult beverage can expect to pay $12.41 per cold one, the second highest average tariff in North America.
The Big Apple’s littlest airfield comes in behind Cancun International Airport, where tourists are regularly gouged to the terrible tune of $14.92 per cerveza — the highest average price out of any of the 50 largest airports on the continent.
The news, delivered as part of a broader survey of the most and least expensive airports, compiled by Casino.ca, comes as airline ticket prices have skyrocketed by a whopping 25% — the steepest increase since 1989, according to the web site.
Flyers eager to save a buck will do well to avoid the airport President Joe Biden just ten years ago referred to as “some third-world country.”
While the Port Authority has invested a whopping $8 billion in renovations, prices remain a pain point for customers. In 2021, one disgruntled traveler noticed airport concession operator OTG charging a whopping $27.85 for Sam Adams Summer Ale, drawing national attention to the matter.
OTG representatives were quick to suggest that this was a mistake. The Port Authority asked the company to audit their prices at the time.
Exorbitant prices at New York-area airports were once again in the news in 2023, when New York Times columnist David Brooks complained publicly about his $78 meal of a burger, french fries and some kind of liquor in a glass at Newark Airport, also controlled by the Port Authority.
Social media sleuths had a field day, and the operator of the restaurant in question revealed that the bulk of the bill would have been due to the cost of the drink — a double, at $28 or $29.
“Looks like someone was knocking back some serious drinks — Bar tab was almost 80% and he’s complaining about the cost of his meal … keep drinking buddy — we get paid off everything,” the restaurant snarked on its Facebook page.
According to the Casino.ca survey, Newark Airport was also among the most expensive for a glass of beer — an average of $9.40 per tipple. John F. Kennedy International slid in a skosh lower at $8.88.
All three NYC airports comfortably found a slot in the survey’s Ten Most Expensive Airports, overall — this included things like parking and hotel rooms nearby.
Those looking for good value should fly to Portland, Oregon, where Portland International Airport can boast the cheapest beers at just $4.41 each.
Other great destinations for value were Salt Lake City International ($5.10) and Charlotte Douglas International in North Carolina ($5.60).