Mouthing Off | Hong Kong airport should stop overcharging for food. We’ve paid enough already!
Our taxes helped build the airport and our tickets include airport tax, so why should we pay extra for food and drinks before take-off?
Statistically, Hongkongers are among the world’s most frequent fliers. I, for one, live for the anticipatory ritual of planning an itinerary, packing for a journey, heading to the airport and finding my departure gate.
About the only thing I do not like about travelling is the airport food concessions, which are an exploitative form of ransom.
If you follow airline suggestions, you probably arrive at least an hour or two before a flight. During that waiting time, one inevitably gets a little peckish or thirsty. But after passing security and customs, the restaurants and dining options are extremely limited – and all are overpriced.
Hong Kong is supposed to be a city of open competition. However, the airport is allowed to take advantage of its captive market and maintain an anticompetitive micro-cartel.
A meagre plate of roast pork with rice or an unsatisfactory seafood noodle dish at the food court can cost over HK$100 (US$13), while a McDonald’s combo that would be HK$50 or less in the city is more than HK$70. At the sit-down restaurants with table service, the prices are proportionally even higher than their branches in town.