Sipping a pint or a glass of prosecco before a flight can put you in the holiday mood. – until you see the price tag. On average the cost for a pre-holiday pint of beer at a UK airport is £6.75, while the average price of a glass of prosecco is £9.59.
A study by Velloy – a luxury travel service – analysed Google reviews and the drinks menus of 87 establishments across the country’s 15 most popular airports has been compiled. Their Airport Pint and Prosecco Index offers a guide for travellers looking for a pre-flight drink.
The study found UK’s cheapest airport pint at Tennent’s Pier Bar Glasgow airport with a price tag of £4.79, whereas Heathrow’s Star Light is home to the cheapest prosecco, at £6.20.
By contrast, London’s Pride, an airside pub from Fuller’s Brewery at Heathrow, had the most expensive pint, with the average cost of a draught beer costing £10.05.
Heathrow had both the cheapest and most expensive places for a glass of prosecco. Gordon Ramsay Plane Food was found to be the dearest, with a glass of the Italian fizz costing an average of £12.50, whereas its neighbour Star Light, a JD Wetherspoon pub, is almost half the price, costing an average of £6.20.
The index also looked into the pricing strategies post-security, revealing that Manchester Airport is the worst for increasing prices after travellers make it airside. The airport was found to charge travellers 15 per cent more for a pint, and 7 per cent more for a glass of prosecco, once they’ve had passed through security checks.
Hugo Cannon, founder of Velloy said:
“For many, there’s no better way to start a holiday than a pint at the airport or a glass of prosecco to get that ‘going away’ feeling started. What better guide for travellers than an index revealing where they can find the most affordable and best-rated drinks?’
Cheapest average cost of a pint at UK airports
- Glasgow International: £6.06
- Manchester: £6.33
- East Midlands International: £6.44
- London Stansted: £6.60
- Edinburgh: £6.61
Cheapest average cost of a glass of prosecco at UK airports
- East Midlands International: £8.33
- Manchester: £8.34
- London Luton: £8.69
- Edinburgh: £8.88
- London Heathrow: £8.96