Port Authority Agrees With Internet: $27 Airport Beer Is A Ripoff

NEWARK, NJ — Investigators with the Port Authority have officially reached the same conclusion that many travelers in New Jersey and New York have been hollering about for years: you shouldn’t be paying $27 for a beer at the airport.

On Thursday, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it will be launching a series of measures to ensure that any goods being sold at its airports are being sold for “street prices” – with a maximum of 10 percent extra.

And yes, that includes beer.

According to the Port Authority, which manages Newark, JFK and LaGuardia airports, here are the current rules when it comes to selling food and drinks:

“The policy caps all concession prices at local, off-airport ‘street prices’ plus a maximum surcharge of 10 percent, and requires concessionaries to offer lower-priced food and beverage options to provide a wider range of value for customers.”

The Port Authority said its independent Office of Inspector General (OIG) launched a review of prices at the three airports in July 2021, after a traveler’s complaint about a $27 beer at LaGuardia Airport went viral on social media.

Here’s what OIG inspectors found after carrying out their review, according to the Port Authority:

“In reviewing the records and assessing all charges associated with the vendor, the OIG determined that certain beer prices included an erroneously added surcharge on top of an inflated base price. Based on a detailed review of the concessionaire’s records, the OIG determined that a total of 25 customers were charged the totally indefensible amounts of $23 or $27 (depending on size) for a beer. The OIG further confirmed that, as a corrective action, the concessionaire had contacted all 25 customers and refunded the entire check of their order.”

It isn’t just booze that costs an arm and a leg at Newark, JFK and LaGuardia, either.

Last year, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne Jr. of New Jersey’s 10th District joined three of his colleagues in a scathing letter to the inspector general of the Port Authority. In their letter, the congress members blasted prices of food and drinks at the three airports, which also included $11 fries and a $4 small orange juice. Referencing a recent report from the New York Post, the congressmen said that the region has become "the object of ridicule and scorn."

"Simply put: travel is stressful enough," they wrote. "Being bamboozled at the bar for a bottle of beer is no way for our region to greet or wave goodbye to our neighbors."

• Read More: $11 Fries At Newark Airport Are 'Price Gouging,' Congressman Says

‘AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT FOR A BEER’

Part of the problem may be fuzzy regulations surrounding what’s expected of anyone who does business at the airport, inspectors said.

According to the Port Authority:

“In assessing a range of other products and concessionaires, the OIG further determined certain aspects of the previous iteration of the street pricing policy were too vague and lacked adequate specificity to enable concessionaries to know with precision what they were expected to do to comply with the policy.”

The new measures revise the agency’s 35-page “Concessionaire Street Pricing Standards and Procedures Manual,” which can be seen online here. Restaurants, bars and other businesses must report pricing for all products and services, and must make sure the products match the quality, options and functionality of those selling outside the airport.

Vendors who operate at the three airports have been advised about the new policy, Port Authority officials said.

The Port Authority said any customer who suspects a pricing violation is taking place can report it via social media by tagging the relevant airport: @EWRAirport, @JFKAirport, or @LGAAirport.

“All airport customers should rightly expect that policies which limit the pricing of food and beverages at concessions will be followed and enforced,” Port Authority Chairman Kevin O’Toole said.

“Nobody should have to fork over such an exorbitant amount for a beer,” O’Toole added. “The Aviation Department’s new compliance and enforcement measures announced today make it crystal clear that all prices at concessions will be routinely monitored to ensure they are aligned with the regional marketplace.”

• See related article: Nearly 8% Inflation Is Highest In 40 Years: What It Means In NJ

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.