Budget airlines mark up inflight food 1000%

Eating and drinking on a cheap flight could burst your budget before you have even started your holiday, because budget airlines are marking up their inflight food and drink over 1000 per cent, according to new research by TravelSupermarket.

The travel comparison site has compared on board snack prices of several budget airlines with the same products in the supermarket, discovering that the average mark-up on food and drink in the air is around 347 per cent.

A 500ml bottle of still water on Are Lingus was 1,083 per cent more expensive than usual, whilst everyday products like flapjacks on Flybe and 7Up on Ryanair were also in the thousand per cent mark-up bracket. 

Overall hot drinks were found to be the worst deal; the average hot drink will be 2,355 per cent more expensive in the air, with tea the worst offender at an astounding 5420 per cent.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert from TravelSupermarket, said: “Holidaymakers flying with airlines that don’t offer a complimentary meal can easily fork out a small fortune on snacks which are considerably more expensive on board than what you’d pay in a supermarket, or even in an airport shop.

“Airlines realise hungry and thirsty passengers are a captive audience with no option but to buy from the trolley if they have failed to plan ahead.

“Rather than leaving things until last minute, a much better option is to think ahead and either bring along your own food from home or buy sandwiches and snacks at a supermarket for your flight."

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