Flight attendant warns against 12 overpriced airport purchases

Flight attendant Carin Ryan, drawing on 12 years of experience, has identified 12 categories of items that travelers should avoid purchasing at airports due to high markups and low quality.

According to reports from Travel + Leisure, airports often capitalize on the psychological state of travelers facing long wait times or urgent needs. The items identified as high-priced ‘emergency consumption’ include bottled water, snacks, and beverages. Travelers are advised to bring reusable water bottles to use at airport hydration stations and to pack their own snacks or electrolyte powders to save money.

Other discouraged purchases include electronics like charging cables and headphones, which are often sold at double the market rate. Travel essentials such as blankets, neck pillows, and toiletry kits are also flagged as being overpriced or of inferior quality compared to items purchased beforehand. Additionally, travelers are cautioned against buying physical books, large perfumes at duty-free shops, and over-the-counter medications at airport pharmacies, suggesting that digital books, TSA-compliant travel containers, and personal medicine kits are more cost-effective alternatives.