- there are things that you can’t bring through security but can purchase after security
- you have a limited amount of time to make your purchases
- between the time you get to the airport and the time you board your flight, shopping is usually an easy time-killer
Negating these factors means getting more value out of your travels. Firstly, the new travel ban on liquids has probably created a huge increase in the number of beverage sales in airports. Health experts encourage drinking lots of water on flights and bringing a bottle of water with you. When you put these two together, it means that you have to shell out a lot for bottled water in the terminal. A simple solution is to carry with you an empty water bottle and fill it up at a post-security water fountain. Hooked on the taste of bottled water? Add some drink crystal packages to your carry on and mix it with your water when you get through security.
If you didn’t bring a bottle with you, the best place to find a lower-costing beverage is at a national chain that’s setup post-security. Their prices are usually standardized, no matter how much someone is desperate to buy their product.
When you visit an airport shop, you usually have a limited amount of time to make your purchases (e.g. your friend arrives in 20 minutes or your flight departs in an hour). If you come across something that appears to be a deal, its effect is amplified by your feeling of urgency (“if I don’t get this here and now, I’ll never see something this unique/cheap/cool”). Worse, if you didn’t get someone back home a gift, you’ll think that you can pick up something quickly at the duty-free shop (a subject of an entry in itself). So, you’ll spend $20 on a small maple syrup bottle that has a Canadian flag on it.
To overcome this, do your gift shopping before you come to the airport and realize that almost never is an airport the sole place where something is sold. There are exceptions to this, but you’ll get much better value if you buy these things before you pull up to the terminal.
Lastly, airport stores are great time-killers before the flight. It’s fun to browse the liquor stores and imagine entertaining guests with amazing cocktails. Yes, as long as you make it clear to yourself in advance that you won’t be purchasing anything, it’s OK. Better, though, is to load some funny shows on your laptop/PDA/ipod or, even better yet (from a value perspective), bring a good book you borrowed from the library.
Happy flying!
