Airport Vendor Accused of Bleeding Travelers Dry Through Bottled Water Extortion Scheme
Jeff Edwards March 11, 2015
Airport mainstay Hudson News stands accused of gouging passengers at LAX for bottled water by a rival vendor.
A fight over water rights is heating up in the West. In this case, it isn’t two ranchers feuding over the upstream landowner damming the creek that waters the downstream rancher’s cattle. Instead, it is a battle between two rival stakeholders at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
USA Today reports that legal wrangling over a partnership between two rival vendors at the airport has led to charges of price gouging and profiting from the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Hudson News, which is licensed to operate two Kitson’s boutique gift shops at LAX, is accused by its business partner of charging $5 for a liter bottle of water rather than the $2.55 Kitson says the item should be priced. Kitson’s allegations follow news that Hudson would be moving to close the Kitson stores it operates at LAX.
Kitson attorney Steven Bledsoe claims plans to close the outlets are a direct result of the conflict surrounding overcharging for bottled water at the airport and promised to take the fight to the courtroom. “We believe that Hudson has breached its contracts with Kitson and has no right to close the Kitson stores,” Bledsoe said. “Water is one of the most basic necessities for travelers and Hudson is taking advantage of the post-9-11 airport restrictions.”
Hudson News dismissed Kitson’s allegations as a publicity stunt. “Kitson is known for selling pricey items in its high end boutiques,” said Hudson News’ attorney, Brian Timmons. “Anyone who thinks that Kitson is really motivated here by an altruistic concern over how much consumers are paying for water at LAX has either never shopped at a Kitson store or is really naive.”
[Photo: iStock]
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ZKZKZ: 2006 is post 9/11, i.e., 9/11/01. the restrictions on liquids came about as a result of many post 9/11 changes and the implementation of many ridiculous, knee-jerk, stupid and mostly baseless fears by fear mongering politicians. the terrorists won the fight years ago by instilling so much terror in the minds of so many imbeciles, that we have substantially altered are ways of life.
That is why there are ALWAYS water fountains in airports. That water is free. Bring the empty bottle and fill it.
Price gouging - understatement of they decades. A built in profit center - blindly supported by 'security' concerns. The Board that supervises LAX - in granting contracts is also there to protect the public. Where are they in helping the traveling public. Water is basic. Necessary for Air Travel.
The water restrictions have nothing to do with 9/11. They're an unrelated bit of theatre that didn't come about until 2006. It's one thing to learn that there's bits of history from earlier centuries that have been lost. It's quite shocking to find out that less than 10 years later people already don't remember events they lived through.
"oh, and an end to the ridiculous ban on taking liquids through checkpoints, which was most likely a sweetheart deal between the inept government and the vendors anyway…" Unfortunately, I think there's a lot of truth to that suspicion. Would love to see the financials for these airport shops before and after the liquids ban was put into place. I bet a lot of them improved immensely. Michael http://thehoneymoonguy.com