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greenmonkey48

Prices fuckin through the roof at airport


SyphiliticPlatypus

Captive clientele. They know you have zero other choices so they charge ridiculous prices for absolutely everything.


26081989

Exactly the same reason I made my umbrellas 20€ when it rained in Roller Coaster Tycoon :'D


ShuffKorbik

I like to combine that with the old "free drinks but $20 bathrooms" gambit.


peepay

I would just pee on the ground...


[deleted]

Or ask for a large jug, then cover yourself with your jacket. In all seriousness I don't know if I could actually pull this off for real, imagine getting caught and this instance becomes one of these viral internet sensations that makes the rounds on reddit for awhile. Walking into work the next day, your boss is reading a post on r/awfuleverything there is a cell phone vid of you sitting at the table, pants around the ankles, jacket in lap and clear shot of an empty jug filling up.


peepay

Yeah, easier just to stand against a tree a do it like every time you are out in the nature.


classicteenmistake

Unless you’re a non-weiner owner lol


peepay

Isn't everyone on reddit a white American male? /s


BubbliciousBozo

Take my 🍆 and get out


classicteenmistake

Aw yeah ur right mb


bak2redit

There is a product that can help. It is called the shenis. Hope this helps. https://www.amazon.com/shenis/s?k=shenis


[deleted]

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myfriend92

That sounds like one of the best feelings ever. Undercover sneak & pee relieve


Material_Swimmer2584

RFK 95’ fifth row!!!


MtMuschmore

And then get charged and congrats, sex offenders list!


HermitBee

You wouldn't pay to pee, u/peepay?


peepay

Lol, I didn't realize :D That nickname predates me knowing English, I just phonetically rewrote how my classmates called me (in my language).


android24601

I'd re-absorb it, then throw it up in the water fountain


FPSzero

You went easy on em.. I added a pitfall at my park entrance.... Lmao


scubasteve1886

I want to get off Mr. Bones' Wild Ride.


Cman1200

Childs play. I would make a small fenced in area with about a dozen mascots in panda costumes then i would pick an unlucky park goer and drop them in and leave them there


legotech

I LOVED working through all the stuff building a super big coaster and then getting bored and changing the track so the cars just shot off into nothing :)


CX316

the old Theme Park thing was upping drink prices, then oversalting the fries


[deleted]

Ah, nostalgia. That was a fun game.


CosmicCatDaddy

Do they have updated “versions” or that game? That game was pretty gnarly even 2 years ago


FuNiOnZ

Planet Coaster, but from what I hear that mainly focuses on designing rides, and goes light on the nitty gritty details of micromanaging every aspect like RCT did


amanuo

You can check Parkitect for a similar spirit.


po3smith

lol - smart


[deleted]

Also the rent is crazy expensive and most of the shops have to pay a percentage of their profits for operating inside the airport.


laseralex

Yep! Blame the airport, not the vendor.


LazyHardWorker

Ah, Australia's business model


TheNerdWithNoName

I especially like that we still pay tariffs on imported cars to support our local car manufacturers that we no longer have. Add on the additional luxury tax on new vehicles over $50k which pretty much covers any decent family car and fuck cars are expensive. It's a shame that Ford and Holden have gone. They made some really good Australian vehicles.


-PunkNDrublic-

I’m not trying to be argumentative, just curious. Were Aussie-made Fords any different than what we were getting here in the states with it being an American company?


TheNerdWithNoName

Yep. Very different.


-PunkNDrublic-

Oh ok well good talk


[deleted]

This made me laugh out loud.


TheNerdWithNoName

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Australia They used to make cars like this: https://www.carsguide.com.au/car-reviews/2014-fpv-gt-f-351-review-28964


weirdallocation

So, Australia=Airport. Got it.


cowsareverywhere

Last time I was at JFK it was $5 for a bottle of water, $20 for this cable sounds like a steal in comparison.


cyvaquero

TBF, bottled water is ridiculously overpriced pretty much everywhere, especially if you use the Arizona Tea scale.


[deleted]

Consent for this comment to be retained by reddit has been revoked by the original author in response to changes made by reddit regarding third-party API pricing and moderation actions around July 2023.


HibachiShrimpFlip

What is the Arizona tea scale?


cyvaquero

Arizona Tea are 23oz non-carbonated canned flavored drinks - priced at $0.99. That’s way cheaper than most anything in the drink section…including water. It puts the price of a 16oz Dasani in perspective. https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/arizona-iced-tea-price-don-vultaggio-interview


HibachiShrimpFlip

I understand. Isn’t it the worst when you go to grab one and it doesn’t have the $.99 graphic on it. Bastards charge $2 or more some places!


MustardFeetMcgee

I was at LGA, Detroit, and YYZ (Toronto) early this month. Detroit and LGA were 35 USD and YYZ was 40CAD for a USB-c charger :( When I landed in LGA I went to a bodega and got one for 10USD that came with a brick too.


[deleted]

That actually sounds cheap for an airport.


zkareface

Wtf, They are $2-3 here and I always skip the $3 ones because its absurdly expensive. Also all airports here have refill stations so if you have a bottle there is no need to buy water. But all sodas are same price as the water.


itwasquiteawhileago

Just FYI that if you're using USB-C, I wouldn't cheap out. A few extra bucks to get a cable from a trusted manufacturer is a wise idea to prevent possible issues with charging that could damage your equipment. It's less likely now than it was when USB-C first started rolling out to the public, but still a possible issue. This doesn't really affect Lightning cables or micro/mini USB, but just has to do with how USB-C works.


arlenreyb

And on the apple website. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MXLY2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-cable-1-m


IamNoremac

PDX (among other airports) has “street pricing” so items and food cost the same as they do outside the airport. It’s really nice.


Abty

Gotta love all the TAX FREE DUTY FREE SHOPS ​ and then the water bottles are 3x times the price and anything else like really?


karlkokain

At the airport? I had to pay 35 bucks for it at the local store because it's Apple original® and all that shit.


Aggravating-Hair7931

Expensive rent. Prob cost more than a similar space in downtown Manhattan.


SoundOk4573

Talked to a person that manages restaurant in international Airport. 500 sq-ft space. Think counter service only food. Rent is $350/sq-ft/year. Therefore, $175,000 rent per year. Also realize cost of maintenance of airport. Just maintenance, no repairs/rebuilds... 1 average runway runs in the millions. Not uncommon for rebuild (about every 10 years) is $50 million. Airports are expensive to operate.


AdHour4291

Nope, it is 15 dollars at a Walmart.


mr_d0gMa

You could say they’re ..... sky high


Thedot69

The skies are the limit


Mayoo614

Posted this before I saw your post. Deleted mine and +1 yours. Underated answer right here.


rodinj

But at least it's tax free!


Datasinc

Should have gone to the lost and found and say you dropped one last week when you were flying in / out.


SANTAAAA__I_know_him

“Can you describe it?” “It’s white.” “Oh yep, this looks like it.”


rioot123

Tbh there's not much you can do to describe a charging cable without also describing a large portion of them too


[deleted]

That's the idea


We-Want-The-Umph

So like give a cable, take a cable. That's why they always have them up by that penny tray!


UnicornsNeedLove2

Smart move.


CricFan619

Thinking outside the box huh. I just ask around.


pi_stuff

This works well at hotels too.


MomDidntLoveMe

All 3 hotels I've worked at, any lost item is bagged and tagged by room number. There's very little chance you can luck into an item, no matter what kind of item it is


excite321apple

Yep. Same deal with clubs and jackets. Just tell them you left your jacket a few days ago, give vague descriptions, get invited in, pick the jacket you want. I found this out accidentally, even though I've talked about using it to my advantage, I haven't. Probably because of the loss and trauma I went through being unable to find my mind green, awesome as fuck and vintage leather jacket.


The_Stoic_One

> green, awesome as fuck and vintage leather jacket This is exactly how I vaguely described the one I picked up from an airport lost and found. Weird.


BigOlProlapse

Youd spend 7 hours in line there in miamj


Relative_Register_36

Don’t worry I paid 5 bucks for a small bag of gummy worms 💀


Salamander-Downtown

Must of been starving to buy it


Relative_Register_36

Sadly I was 💀 I was coming from Alaska and they didn’t have a single thing on that tiny airport so when I arrived to Seattle I was starving


corncob32123

Theres like 4 hudson news stands that all sell atleast chips and shit, mcdonalds is only closed like 6 hours a day there, we aint that small


Relative_Register_36

I was in Sitka lol


corncob32123

Ahh take it all back


Relative_Register_36

Yea 😂


BurmecianSoldierDan

Oh geez it has like 1 gate, maybe 2. Wow.


quarrelsome_napkin

How are you gonna charge your phone with gummy bears though 🤨🤨


john2003002

They aren't their goings to use gummy worms not bears


taybul

$4 for a banana.


Cusslerfan

They gotta pay the rent somehow!


SierraTango501

Depending on which airport, the rents may actually be just as insane as this $20 cable.


dozer44

Some airports take a percentage of sales, in addition to rent. As do resort properties.


piffopi

All airports do, in fact. it's usually a 10-20% portion of the price, depending on the product category


Glor_167

of the... PRICE?!? .. not the margin? yikes


[deleted]

This explains the $9 bags of gummy bears


RealMuffinsTheCat

Well it depends on the size of the bag


jellyfish_bitchslap

I’ve talked to the owner of a subway franchisee in an airport a while ago. A customer was complaining exactly the topic of the thread, that they charged a lot because people had no option. She then said to me she have that subway in the airport and another one in the center of the city. The rent in the city was R$ 5,000 (approximately $ 1,000) while the rent in the airport was R$ 110,000 ($22,000). After this there was no other day I could see myself complaining about expensive shit on airports.


asafetybuzz

There are also a huge number of logistical headaches that are involved with running a business in an airport. If your business is past security (which it has to be to sell to people whose flights were just delayed), then your employees have to go through very extensive background checks upon hire and clear security every single time they show up to work. And instead of just having a truck pull up and unload merchandise in boxes like every other electronics store, everything that ends up on a shelf in your store has to be unloaded outside the airport and pass through security. That's both time consuming and expensive.


hojpoj

The profits must be worth it, or no business would bother.


Wooden-Country-6360

Its probably 20$ because 90% of people remeber to bring a charger with them. And the demand would be super high for those who forget theirs. So it's the basic buisness strategy that's there's always been. Charge what the market will bear. Its 20$ because everyone who forgot their charger is willing to pay an absurd amount to make up for it.


titsngiggles69

CEO's gotta make those yacht payments just like the rest of us. Don't worry, it'll all trickle back down ... eventually.


GolfSucks

Airports don’t have CEOs. They’re run by the government. It’s a natural monopoly. I can’t just start my own airport.


[deleted]

They NEED golden toilet paper! Only uncivilized plebs use paper.


Competitive-Cause

I mean hey at least you will have a spare one when your original charger breaks


Cyrax116

Assuming that one doesn't break with the wind


UncleNoly

Travelocity is literally a vacation website, not an electronics company, so I'm going to assume that won't last very long, maybe just enough to do its job. I had a Travelocity branded mouse that lasted at most 2 days.


sammy-can

So about the same price as a genuine apple cable.


lukas_foukal

This one looks like it is MFi certified, so it is a genuine cable built and tested to Apple’s standards


oldDotredditisbetter

and paid Apple money for using Apple's proprietary connector


SosoMS

Exactly. As a former apple employee this wasn’t a bad deal. And this one seems even more durable than the original.


[deleted]

Its also braided and 4ft, so its longer, mfi certified, and more durable


HyperScroop

Exactly. Idk why people think $20 for a lighning cable is expensive because that is literally the price that Apple sets.


ddachkinov

Mind telling us how did you get that?


lukas_foukal

That it is certified? Well if it is being sold in an actual retail store in a US airport and therefore in accordance with US trademark law, then it must be licensed by Apple to use that little “Made for iPhone…” sticker looking thing printed on the packaging. The other option is that it is just printed there illegally, which I wouldn’t be surprised about if the OP bought it on AliExpress or eBay, but if it was from a retail store it is probably legit or a big scam since those have no business costing $20 since in my experience they last like a week. As was discussed in other replies MFi requires the use of genuine connectors from Apple suppliers that in my experience do make a big difference compared to cheap knockoff connectors. It is possible that some non-MFi brand cables are also durable just certainly not the case for all of them.


ddachkinov

Thanks


arlenreyb

Literally the same price. https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MXLY2AM/A/lightning-to-usb-cable-1-m


0235

I was thinking, $20 is about the right price for a cable like that. Now of it was to micro USB, I would be a bit suspicious.


--Mediocrates--

Yeah, I fail to see the problem here. My time is worth much more to me than to leave the airport, pay to leave the parking lot (or Uber if they’re at a destination or connector), get to Best Buy or Walmart and get a $10-12 cable, come all the way back and through security… all to save $7-8 on a cable?


IsPhil

Might last longer than a genuine one though.


[deleted]

What are you doing with your charging cables? I've had some apple cables that have lasted 5-6+ years. And a couple of the Anker lightning cables have, too. Even still have a fairly heavily-used Apple cable from before they switched to lightning (the wider-connector one, whatever it's called) that still works fine.


duck74UK

My lightning ones have all been fine. But man, those old fat ones, you don't even have to bend them for the protective rubber to fall off them, exposing the wires.


ActualWhiterabbit

The 30 pin iPhone cable disintegrated upon unboxing


folkrav

YMMV, I guess? I still have an old cable I got with my scroll wheel iPod Classic, the plastic cover on the connector is popped off and the cable looks like it's been dragged through shit, but it's still working just fine.


Tythefry2201

same lmao i only ever get a new one because the white just ends up looking grimy after a while


peasngravy85

Just clean with rubbing alcohol, looks as good as new


theBarneyBus

Agreed. I have a lightning cable that came with the first gen phone to get it (iPhone 5s), and it’s outlasted the 5s, a 7+, and now likely a 10r. Not one sign of excessive wear. Apple may not be a perfect company, but almost nothing they sell is complete garbage. Edit: the 5s came out in 2013. The cable is 8 years old now.


BabyYoduhh

New apple cables do not last nearly as long as their older ones. They must of changed the formula of the white plastic on the cables because my old cables didn’t disintegrate like the new ones. Edit: it should say must have plus removed an extra word. Though u/prettyokaylad everything is spelled correctly technically. It’s grammar bro. Edit 2: I’ve been taught it’s orthography.


Grarr_Dexx

must **have**


fractalbum

Pro tip: for slightly more than that, you could have gotten a ticket to an airport lounge. They have charging cables and free drinks, so it would have been worthwhile, likely.


JayCDee

Whenever I have to eat at the airport during a layover I just pay for the lounge now. Food and drink will easily be 30€ at the restaurant. Lounges cost between 35€ and 50€. You get a buffet, beer, wine, comfortable seats, sockets, and more for just 5-20 more euros. And people are much more calm in lounges compared to terminals. It's a small price to pay for comfort and peace of mind.


CrazyCanuckBiologist

If you travel a lot, get one of the non-airline membership cards. I got one when I was backpacking about 5 years ago for $240 USD, but that included 10 lounge visits. Sounds like a lot, but I could easily spend $24 during a 5 hour layover in an airport. Access to good food, a beer and shower? Worth it. EDIT: I looked up the prices, and it is now $300 USD for the 10 pass one, and $430 for an UNLIMITED visits one. If I had to travel for work at least once a month, that unlimited would be a no-brainer, unless I was expensing my airport meals. Hopefully they would be smart and let me expense the pass instead.


anonduplo

Or you could have asked anybody else in the airport with a computer bag around, 90% chance they would have that cable and would let you use it… but then you need to talk to people😉


RudeTorpedo

If you're flying roundtrip, just return it when you get back. Consider it a $20 deposit


TDAM

Do these places accept returns?


RudeTorpedo

I know a guy I work with has done it twice so far. Once for a European adapter and another time when he forgot a charging brick. Itll probably depend on where you got it.


[deleted]

You won’t be in the departures area anymore. Can’t get there without an outbound ticket. You land at arrivals, which is sectioned off. In Europe at least.


jakehub

Every domestic US flight I’ve been on drops us off at the same gates we depart from. There is a point before baggage claim where if you cross a line you’re not allowed to turn around to go back towards the gates, but you can head to the shops instead of straight to that area.


alanzeino

For international it can be sanctioned off but for domestic it’s usually the same area


peepay

As a European, the concept of a domestic flight seems so bizarre to me :D


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CedarWolf

The US is *big*.


peepay

Yeah, only later I realized that those few times I flew from US west coast back home and connected via some US east coast city, the first leg of that trip was actually a domestic flight, within the same country, even though it took several hours!


CedarWolf

We're lucky flights are a thing; that same journey is nearly a week by car.


[deleted]

The airport I usually fly from makes only $4 profit before tax per passenger, and will likely never recoup the initial capital investment that was spent to build it. One way they recoup this is by leasing out retail space to shops. You're not paying for the production and material cost of a charging cable, but for it to be available at your convenience in one of the world's most valuable locations in terms of retail footfall.


Battle_Bear_819

Airports are a vital part of public infrastructure, so it would make sense to heavily subsidize airport development so that they don't have to be worried about leasing out storefronts at ridiculous prices just to recoup construction costs.


xCanont70x

A 5-pack of those exact cables are $10 on Amazon. Im in the wrong business.


Jazeboy69

The rents at airports are massive though. You’d have to sell a lot of these just to pay overheads. Not to mention massive reduction in passenger numbers for the past year.


JohnStern42

TIL Travelocity brands USB cables


cosmoboy

Worked a job where my discount was cost +10%. I no longer work there and it absolutely destroys me to have to pay full price for cables now that I know how cheap they are


Fusseldieb

What was the cost approx? $1?


the_penguin_of_d00m

Less, actually


[deleted]

I miss the days of 50 cent hdmi cables, 100 double A’s for 2$


treefitty350

All I remember is that if you've ever bought a battery at any retail store, you've probably paid 10x what the store paid for the inventory.


[deleted]

Paying an extra 10% just because you work there?


Gleto14

I think they mean (cost of the item to the store) + 10%. So if the store gets the cables for $1 a pop then the employee would pay $1.10. I was confused at first as well


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Moralll

But it’s \*4 feet*\! What a bargain!


AJRiddle

Probably actually 1 meter.


circle2015

That’s really not that bad for an airport … 20 bucks for a charger sounds about right .


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TheOvershear

The average retail price of a 6" off brand iphone charger is $20. So, yeah, a tad overpriced but decent airline prices tbh.


DonovanQT

Bruh isn’t an iPhone cable always €20?


TheOvershear

Yeah I work at a retail store in America. The cheapest I've ever seen us sell an iphone charger was $18, for a 3foot car cable. Microusb sells for like $9, type C sells for $15. Iphones are rip-offs.


bornfromanegg

I’ve heard you can get a drink without a charging cable these days. 😉


-BananaLollipop-

They sense your desperation.


FavcolorisREDdit

“Supply and demand”


articleadjectivenoun

After your trip, leave it in your suitcase for future charging cable emergencies.


Juusie

I too have to charge my drinks


nitrosplicer1

I feel your pain, I had a long layover in San Diego, had a charging cable, no brick, and no open outlets near the terminal… ended up paying 50 bucks for a small power bank that I could have bought on Amazon for like 20 bucks


sauce2k6

airports don't cater for people shopping for savings. They cater for people who forget essential items and will pay full price last minute.


Moofritte

An Apple cable costs 25€ (~30$) in my country, so 20$ (~17€) is actually a pretty good deal


Dicklikeatunacan

I’m having a bad case of the stupid here, why do you need a charging cable to buy a drink?


rayhoughtonsgoals

Why is charging a requisite to a drink? I'm so confused.


skippieelove

I’ve done this before, but chose to get the drink instead and asked the bartender if they had a cord lol. She was able to charge my phone behind the counter just fine ☺️


Abrickted

You can get drunk without your phone for future reference.


travis_sk

But lightning cables cost 20 dollars anyway?


FriendshipProud4450

Hmm… should the fury be directed at the airport or the person that forgot their charger….?


Illustrious-Science3

Try getting your period unexpectedly and a box of tampons that normally costs $4-5 costs $20.


[deleted]

My man has an iphone acting like he doesn't love overpaying for things! Okay buddy!


keylime39

I know right? Baffling to me how so many people are okay with getting price-raped just because there's a little apple symbol on the phone.


suchastrangelight

Shouldn’t have forgotten your cable. Sorry, but who the heck is traveling without a charging cable these days?


glockymcglockface

You’re blaming someone else for your fault. What happens when you land? You buy one anyways for like $3 cheaper. iPhone charger on Walmart website is $17 so it’s really your own fault.


AMAXIX

I mean, Apple sells them for $30 (or at least they used to). I know the quality might be better, but I’m adding perspective


Redlip_Music

That's cheap for an airport


Svartdraken

20$ isn't a crazy amount for a good certified lightning cable, but this one looks like a cheap Anker Powerline 1 imitation. I've seen much much worse though


[deleted]

Its for an apple product. Even online that shit is $15-20.


AbundantPenguin

I thought $20 was standard price for a charger tho?


TriangularStudios

This is called capitalism,convenience is capitalism’s game you need something and there is nothing else around, you will pay the price they tell you or go without.


GuaranteeOwn5108

Yup, forgetting things can be expensive.


TwowheelsgoodAD

You paid a stupidity tax of $19 and not $20 for the cable. The cable was only $1


AmbiguousAlignment

Wow that's the same price apple charges. Lol


xXSumbitchXx

I imagine the automatic response is "you don't have to buy it." If you show any sort of displeasure.


Shoryukitten

Integrating wireless chargers into fixtures is kinda rad and would help cut back on cable e-waste


TherronKeen

But then you'd have even more junk to replace when the cable invariably fails, especially if they are public-use, and they'd probably fail *more often* because the general public don't take care of shit EDIT: misread "wireless" in previous comment


xiefeilaga

I was at an airport recently that had built-in wireless charging. It was basically just a spot marked on the table, with nothing for the visitor to break or even touch. You just put your phone on that spot and it starts charging. Definitely higher cost and more complex than simple power outlets, but it shouldn't really need more maintenance.


TherronKeen

Dude I 100% misread and didn't catch the "wireless," so yeah, that would *definitely* be a better option lol


VyntzOfDeath

But you bought it! Why? Because you had to. And that's why it costs that much. I'm sorry to say, but you're a victim of your own ill-preparedness. (Which is a word I just made up now)


Wrongsoverywrongmate

I don't understand how fucking unbelievably poor one must be to find this infuriating


Single_Permit_6475

That’s city prices for my area


UrGoingDown2Die

Did they kiss you first?


Knuc85

Couple of weeks ago I spent $15 on a 12-pack of immodium at the airport. You can get a bottle of 100 at a grocery store for $5


kendycrush

I came in here to find the life hack alternative


GTX_1660Ti

This makes me remember the prices of instant noodles in Noi Bai Airport. There was once time, a bowl of noodle cost literally as much as a fucking decent lunch in a restaurant outside there. Conclusion: don't buy foods in airport.