Have you noticed how bottled water prices have skyrocketed ever since the increased security measures were put into place? In SFO for example, after security (international departures) the cost of a very small bottle is $3.75 in the news stand / snack areas. I travel through there regularly and it went from $2.20 to $3.25 to $3.75 in the period of about three months after the 'water through security' restriction went into place.

Restaurant operators that have locations in the city are barred from jacking prices (Peets Coffee for example is supposed to charge 'street' prices) but the retail operators can rob you blind now that pax are barred from carrying water through security.

It was always a ripoff before, but now that pax are restricted airports should enforce their price gouging prohibitions!!

ive never seen it more than $2 post security, and lately <$2 inc tax. still expensive but not the prices you're seeing.

for 20oz dasani.

I almost always see water in the $2.25-$2.50 range. I don't fly through SFO much, so no comment there. When I see vendors doing this kind of stuff, it will make me not buy anything from them.

my cheap a$$ usually carries an empty plastic water bottle that I fill when through security.

Mrs Sweet Willie usually just :rolleyes:

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I don't think I've paid more than $2.75 for a 20-oz. (or thereabouts) bottle, and I didn't notice prices rising after the TSA smackdown. But I'll look when I'm at SFO on Saturday. It would be nice if the government, having prohibited us from bringing cheap bottled water through security, would ensure that we didn't get gouged ... but I'm not holding my breath, frankly!

I don't think I've paid more than $2.75 for a 20-oz. (or thereabouts) bottle, and I didn't notice prices rising after the TSA smackdown. But I'll look when I'm at SFO on Saturday. It would be nice if the government, having prohibited us from bringing cheap bottled water through security, would ensure that we didn't get gouged ... but I'm not holding my breath, frankly!

Maybe I just got ripped off / overcharged being jetlagged ... would love to hear back if it is now $17.50!!

Have you noticed how bottled water prices have skyrocketed ever since the increased security measures were put into place? In SFO for example, after security (international departures) the cost of a very small bottle is $3.75 in the news stand / snack areas. I travel through there regularly and it went from $2.20 to $3.25 to $3.75 in the period of about three months after the 'water through security' restriction went into place.

Restaurant operators that have locations in the city are barred from jacking prices (Peets Coffee for example is supposed to charge 'street' prices) but the retail operators can rob you blind now that pax are barred from carrying water through security.

It was always a ripoff before, but now that pax are restricted airports should enforce their price gouging prohibitions!!



For those prices you should just drink beer! :p I can't imagine paying over $2.50 per bottle for water. It still burns me when I have to pay $2.00 or more for any kind of 20 oz. bottled drink.

Worst beverage rip-off I've experienced:

I ordered a draft beer at the Blue Note in Memphis and paid $8.50. Needless to say I though that was drastically overpriced!

I wanna say at Fenway Park, Boston, you could buy the small bottled waters for $4.50 a piece during a game. I think they still let you bring your own in but some day there will be rules against that too for security reasons./ Anything over like $1.30 is highway robbery in my book! Sad that people even pay more!

It's quite strange, but I'd almost want to suggest that there has, in fact, been the opposite trend. A few years ago, truly outrageous water bills, $3, and sometimes even $4 and up, were quite common. More recently, however, there seem to be water "sales," and often bottles can be had at bargain prices ($1.75) formerly unheard of at airports.

This thread reminds me of a customer of mine who had a friend who was a local soft drink bottler for one of the major household name cola giants. He also was in the bottled water business....and lovin' every obscenely profitable minute of it.

"You don't have to MAKE anything. You get your product from a hole in the ground, then charge as much as you do for the stuff you manufacture....or even MORE"!

The prices have increased a bit at some airports but I haven't seen the increase in prices you describe but I'm not surprised. They were already ripping off the customer before, it's now a totally captive audience instead of just those that forget/don't want to carry with them. That said - I only buy spring water (none of that dasani or aquafina stuff for me) and a lot of it at that. My experience is in the UA terminals across the country. Now that UA is going to once again be carrying spring water, I'm hoping to reduce the amount I buy and carry by a bit as its really hit the wallet hard.

SFO is the one airport where I refuse to purchase water or only buy a single bottle if I'm desperate. Their prices are absolutely ridiculous since before the food court area re-opened. Not sure why but they are out of line with downtown and other airports by a significant degree.

At DEN, there is a store in the atrium area that sells spring water (most of the merchants only do filtered) that is priced high but not insane. That's my stop.

At IAD, they are also a bit higher than outside (but much more than the 25cent bottles in the back of my car :( ) but not ludicrous and you have your choice of the Paradies/Hudson stores or Starbucks if you want to carry the liter with you. It's sad when I think 1.75 for a .75l bottle is a good price but that is market across many airports.

ORD is similar for the most part, the good thing there is I can also buy a diet mountain dew at the Grove ;)

does no one cart around an empty water bottle, as I do, and fill it post-security?

does no one cart around an empty water bottle, as I do, and fill it post-security?
I drink spring water, what would an empty bottle do for me? :confused:

does no one cart around an empty water bottle, as I do, and fill it post-security?


Absolutely!

And when at home, I fill a 20oz soda bottle for the car with soda from my 2 liter bottle in the fridge. I don't consider myself particularly frugal, but given that the little bottle usually costs more than the big one, I save around twenty bucks a month that I can spend on other stuff.

(Coke Zero is my tipple of choice, BTW).

Thirst for bottled water may hurt environment

America's infatuation with drinking high-priced "natural" water from a bottle rather than from the tap is contributing to global warming and could even qualify as an immoral act


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/312412_botwaterweb.html

Thirst for bottled water may hurt environment

America's infatuation with drinking high-priced "natural" water from a bottle rather than from the tap is contributing to global warming and could even qualify as an immoral act


http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/312412_botwaterweb.html
They regard the industrial purchase and repackaging at a much higher resale price of this basic resource as an unethical trend. (Bottled watercosts about 1,000 times more than tap water.)

The target is mostly against the purified water resellers and I totally agree that its a waste. Their reference to the "privatization" of water is very interesting.

The target is mostly against the purified water resellers and I totally agree that its a waste. Their reference to the "privatization" of water is very interesting.
The most delicious (yes, delicious!) water I've had is from a private well on our family property in the San Juan Islands, Washington. If we weren't being advised to "go easy" on the water table (and I had a little more business acumen), I'd start bottling and selling it myself!

does no one cart around an empty water bottle, as I do, and fill it post-security?

Sometimes I do but with all the clutter one has to travel with nowadays to head overseas (in-seat power cords, mobile phone cord, laptop cord, adapters, blah blah blah) a reusable bottle is the first to go if I'm space constrained ... definitely use one at home and the office.

For those prices you should just drink beer! :p I can't imagine paying over $2.50 per bottle for water. It still burns me when I have to pay $2.00 or more for any kind of 20 oz. bottled drink.

Worst beverage rip-off I've experienced:

I ordered a draft beer at the Blue Note in Memphis and paid $8.50. Needless to say I though that was drastically overpriced!

Not a bad idea ...

I drink spring water, what would an empty bottle do for me? :confused:

You'd be surprised - in many Western countries studies have shown tap water is actually better quality than most spring water. I refill bottles all the time. Unfortunately, at some airports/terminals this won't work since security controls are located directly at the gate (TXL and at least one of the terminals at VIE come to mind).

I'd rather pay $300 to join a lounge and get all the water I want. That'll show them!

I'd rather pay $300 to join a lounge and get all the water I want. That'll show them!
:confused: Most lounges don't serve spring or even bottled water, unless you're looking for the sparkling stuff.

I drink spring water, what would an empty bottle do for me? :confused:

Nothing. Thus, pay the price for your precious spring water.

The OP's SFO example is odd, since we have some of the best-tasting tap water in the nation here in the Bay Area (Sierra snow melt).

Nothing. Thus, pay the price for your precious spring water.

The OP's SFO example is odd, since we have some of the best-tasting tap water in the nation here in the Bay Area (Sierra snow melt).
What's with the attitude? :confused: This thread is about purchasing bottled water and the high and sometimes increased prices beyond security. I am selective in what I drink and know I have to pay for it, but I'd rather not be gouged just like anyone else.

What's with the attitude? :confused: This thread is about purchasing bottled water and the high and sometimes increased prices beyond security. I am selective in what I drink and know I have to pay for it, but I'd rather not be gouged just like anyone else.

I didn't mean to sound nasty, but it seems rather obvious to me that if you're going to require something that is pure luxury, you're not in a position to complain about the price. Tap water in the Bay Area tastes great and it's free, so compaining about the price of sping water to me is akin to complaining about the price of a Rolex.

my cheap a$$ usually carries an empty plastic water bottle that I fill when through security.
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I tried this in Amsterdam and they would not let an empty bottle, with no cap on it, go through. They actually had to throw it away for me.
It was on top of an open bag, I guess next time I need to put it under things. I really had no idea they would not let an empty, clear, plastic bottle through.

I tried this in Amsterdam and they would not let an empty bottle, with no cap on it, go through. They actually had to throw it away for me.
It was on top of an open bag, I guess next time I need to put it under things. I really had no idea they would not let an empty, clear, plastic bottle through.

was this recently? The TS/S forum had a bunch of stories like this at the beginning of the current madness - I recall ZRH figured prominently - but I had no idea this was still going on. Of course technically they won't LET you refill if you read the EU regulations - all the BS about sealed duty-free with proof of purchase, yada yada.
That's one of my number 1 gripes about the current regime. Since when exactly is it DG Transport's job to provide duty-free stores with a source of monopoly rents!:td: :td:

was this recently?

About 2 weeks ago, the first part of May.

What's with the attitude? :confused: This thread is about purchasing bottled water and the high and sometimes increased prices beyond security. I am selective in what I drink and know I have to pay for it, but I'd rather not be gouged just like anyone else.

Agreed, gouging is bad. :mad: But, IMHO, given that when one buys bottled water one is essentially paying for something which is the same as or not as good as what is available for free it is hard to get too excited about bottled water overcharges. :)

Bottled water is not really a luxury. Since the bottled stuff is no better than tap. It is pretty much just conspicuous consumption, a la Thorstein Veblin (you could look it up :D ).

Drink tap water. And carry a refill bottle. Avoid gougers. @:-)

By the way, the tastiest water I've had includes, NYC tap, LA tap (where it comes from the Sierras, not the Colorado) and Chicago tap. Really don't like Evian, do like the fizzies such as San Pelegrino and Perrier, but my favorite is seltzer in an Egg Cream. ^

:rolleyes: ... price gouging is UNACCEPTABLE under any circumstances, but particularly when being protected by the government shenanigans currently happening both here and by the US' influence, abroad.

If this was a bottle of coke that went from 1.29 to 3.29 - would that bother you more? Great then consider it coke being discussed and let it rot your teeth in the process. :p

For those that think tap water = bottled spring water ... I'm glad I don't have your taste buds! G'day all.

...For those that think tap water = bottled spring water ... I'm glad I don't have your taste buds! G'day all.

Have you tried Sierra snow melt water? The same water used in most municipal water systems in the S.F. Bay Area is also bottled and widely sold.

:For those that think tap water = bottled spring water ... I'm glad I don't have your taste buds! G'day all.

Kinda reminds me of a taste test we did years ago with some sorority girls from a noted drinking school. They were sure they could tell if the "Ginnies" were made with Tanqueray--the way they always ordered them. When informed that usually, in a mixed drink, no matter what gin you order, you get the house brand, 'cause almost no one can tell the difference, they insisted they could tell.

So we ran a (very fun) taste test with marked glasses. Guess what, they couldn't tell. :) But, after a few G & Ts no one cared. ^

I didn't mean to sound nasty, but it seems rather obvious to me that if you're going to require something that is pure luxury, you're not in a position to complain about the price. Tap water in the Bay Area tastes great and it's free, so compaining about the price of sping water to me is akin to complaining about the price of a Rolex.

My original post was about price gouging after the 'no bottled water through security' rule went into effect ... not about the quality of SFO water. Unfortunately with consistently poor service on long flights it is a necessity to have access to water in a bottle rather than begging attendants for repeated glasses of water. It was about the ethics of SFO food / retail operators price gouging to take advantage of the security situation. Hope that clarifies.

[QUOTE=biggestbopper;7763710]Agreed, gouging is bad. :mad: But, IMHO, given that when one buys bottled water one is essentially paying for something which is the same as or not as good as what is available for free it is hard to get too excited about bottled water overcharges. :)

Drink tap water. And carry a refill bottle. Avoid gougers. @:-)

Carrying a bottle for refills isn't always convenient - but ultimately regardless of whether you do / don't carry a refill bottle, or do / don't drink spring or tap water, etc ... one should not be taken advantage of based on unethical operators jacking prices based on a consumer's inability to have access to water after the security screening IMHO.

I've been "caught" filling an empty water bottle at a fountain in the concourse and told I couldn't do that by a fellow wearing a security badge. What could possibly be dangerous about filling an empty water bottle in the airport after the security check (well, besides the germs)??? Now I do it at the Adm. Club.

If this was a bottle of coke that went from 1.29 to 3.29 - would that bother you more? Great then consider it coke being discussed and let it rot your teeth in the process. :p



Plus, with a bottle of coke, it takes 2.5 liters of water to make 1 liter of coke. Now, that's conspicuous consumption. :eek:

Paid $10 for a bottled water at the Mandalay Bay pool 2 weeks ago. I know it not in an airport, but it is travel related and serious price gouging.

The most I have paid for since the measurements I believe was $2.50