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Can we talk about how airport food is actually a better deal than packing snacks?
I used to be the guy who packed a whole carry-on of granola bars and bananas for every flight. Three years ago I flew from Chicago to Phoenix and my ziploc of snacks got squished, the banana turned black, and TSA pulled me aside because of a yogurt cup I forgot about. Then in March I was stuck at O'Hare for 4 hours and bought a $14 chicken wrap at a sit-down spot past security, and it hit the spot way better than warm almonds. Here is the math people ignore: a sandwich from home costs maybe $4 in groceries but I always overbuy, end up tossing half, and I'm still hungry by hour two. An airport meal costs $12 to $16, sure, but it's one purchase, I eat it at a table, and I'm not digging through my bag like a raccoon. Airlines already charge me for a checked bag, so why am I fighting for space with a bunch of crackers. I'm not saying buy a $9 water bottle, that part is still a scam. What I want to know is where everyone draws the line on packing food versus buying it at the gate, because my sister thinks I've lost it.
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rowan9691mo ago
The move I landed on after getting burned too many times is a hybrid. I bring one empty water bottle to fill past security and maybe a couple protein bars, then I buy the actual meal at the airport. Thing is, timing matters way more than people admit. A sit-down spot past security is fine when you have a long layover, but if your flight is already boarding you're paying $15 to eat a wrap standing up. My rule is anything under 2 hours and I pack, anything over 3 and I buy. The real killer isn't the food cost anyway, it's the drink markup, so I never buy bottled water at the gate. That alone saves me more than the snack math ever did.
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