When you visit an airport, you expect to pay high prices at concessions, including for food and drinks. However, not all airports are created equal when it comes to pricing, and there’s a surprising airport where I most consistently see complaints on this topic. I thought it would be interesting to talk about that for a second.
Istanbul Airport might be world’s most expensive
If you asked a random person what airport has the most expensive food and drinks, you’d likely assume it would be one in a very expensive city, like London or New York. However, there’s one airport that seems to “beat” all others in this regard — Istanbul Airport (IST).
What’s wild is that the Turkish Lira (TRY) has devalued massively over the years, and most concessions charge in Euro (EUR). Despite that, the prices will give someone used to the overpriced concessions at Newark (EWR) pause.
In 2024, there was a study by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera comparing food and drink prices across European airports. This looked at the average cost of purchasing five items (a coffee, a bottle of water, a cappuccino, a croissant, and a sandwich). As you can see below, it wasn’t even close, and Istanbul is almost twice as expensive as number two on the list.
Just to look at a few examples on social media, check out these €22.50 turkey sandwiches, or €15.50 pistachio croissants (I’m sure now branded as “Dubai croissants”).
Or who doesn’t like a €32 meat doner with rice?
Or four chicken wings at Popeyes for €17?
Or a Double Whopper with fries and a drink at Burger King for €26.50?
At Starbucks, a venti cold brew will cost you €10, while a venti iced strawberry matcha latte will cost you €13 (see this Instagram post — the below embed is from Istanbul’s other airport, where prices are also high, but not quite as high).
What’s the justification for this pricing, though?
It takes a lot for airport concession pricing to raise eyebrows, given that we’re conditioned to expect high pricing. But this is all next level, no? And what makes it all the worse is that the prices are this high in foreign currencies, while the local currency has devalued at a massive rate.
It raises the question, why does Istanbul Airport have such expensive prices for concessions? What’s the justification? A few thoughts:
- It’s not like “oh, they have a captive audience” is much of a justification, since most airports have that
- There’s probably a lack of third-party regulation given the extent to which the government controls so much in the country, but that applies at all kinds of airport hubs, especially in the Middle East
- Is there some reason that these concessions are significantly more expensive to operate at the airport? Is rent that high (compared to other airports), does the country just struggle to import certain things, or what?
One would think that this would negatively impact the impression travelers have of Turkish Airlines, given that this is the carrier’s global hub. Then again, if you nee to fly from Ashgabat (ASB) to Benghazi (BEN), who else are you going to fly?
Bottom line
Istanbul Airport eclipses virtually every other airport when it comes to concession pricing. Given that Istanbul is otherwise a relatively affordable city (if you’re visiting with “foreign” spending power), the airport is the exception. I’m not sure what the justification is for this, but I’m curious what theories you guys have.
What do you make of Istanbul Airport’s pricing for food and drinks?
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