The American Airlines meal voucher arrived just in time for a late dinner at John F. Kennedy International Airport. On the menu that evening in New York: a cup of grapes.
After an extended delay or canceled flight, airlines will often issue an apology in the form of a food and beverage credit. However, trying to buy a satisfying meal within the confines of the voucher can make a hangry traveler even hangrier.
The grapes I purchased in Terminal 8 ate up nearly the entire $12 voucher.
“Twelve dollars could get you a lunch somewhere on the street — at least an apple and a sandwich,” said Alex Jacquez, chief of policy and advocacy at Groundwork Collaborative, which released a report last year about price gouging at stadiums and airports. “But that is not even enough to get you snack mix.”
The voucher, typically valued at $10 to $15, is more like going halfsies with your airline than a receiving a comped meal.
For the three vouchers I received last year, I exceeded the $12 limit twice. First at Reagan National, where I busted the budget by splurging on a high-protein vegan cookie, a pouch of apple puree and Diet Dr Pepper.
At JFK, pairing the grapes with a fig bar pushed me over the limit.
During a layover at Dallas-Fort Worth International, I gave up trying to eat like a responsible adult and spent the entire voucher on a supersized candy bar.
Why $12?
U.S. airlines are not legally required to offer meal vouchers to passengers inconvenienced by “controllable” conditions, such as mechanical, maintenance or staffing problems. Most carriers issue the gift as a goodwill gesture.
All nine airlines on the Transportation Department’s customer service dashboard say they will provide a meal or voucher whenever a passenger must wait at least three hours in the event of a flight cancellation.
Sometimes the bar is higher — or lower.
Henry H. Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of the Atmosphere Research Group, said he did not receive a voucher from Alaska Airlines for a four-hour delay of his flight from Palm Springs, California, to San Francisco or a seven-hour delay on an American flight from San Francisco to Dallas-Fort Worth.
Yet I surprisingly earned one for an American Airlines flight that arrived in Dallas only an hour behind schedule and well before my connection to D.C.
“Some airlines have well-established rules that determine when vouchers are to be issued, as well as the value of vouchers to be issued. Other carriers delegate the decision to airport staff, though the values may be established by the corporate office,” Harteveldt said. “And some airlines, notably budget carriers, may opt not to issue vouchers at all.”
Harteveldt said the amount is based on several variables, such as route, cabin class and loyalty membership tier. For example, passenger with elite status who booked a premium cabin on a cross-country flight may receive a more generous voucher than a no-status traveler in a discounted coach seat on a short flight.
Frontier spokeswoman Jennifer F. de la Cruz said the airline will factor in the circumstances and the time of day before offering vouchers. Its voucher amounts range from $5 to $15.
United said it takes into account cabin class and airport location. Airport destination also informs Delta’s calculations.
American did not respond to several requests for information, but the prevailing voucher value seems to be $12.
Gary Leff, founder of the View from the Wing blog, said he recently used an American Airlines voucher to purchase a kid’s cheeseburger at his home airport in Austin. He had to dip into his own pockets to fully cover the tab.
Airport stores take advantage of travelers
Airport food, like stadium snacks and room service meals, is notoriously pricey.
Jacquez, of Groundwork Collaborative, said airport food is more expensive than off-site dining because of the unique environment and unusual challenges of operating in a secured transportation facility. The concessionaires, many of which are part of a conglomerate, must contend with high overhead costs and strict regulations. Merchants have limited competition and a captive consumer base.
“It’s highly lucrative real estate,” Jacquez said. “They will say they need to inflate their prices because of the extra costs associated with running a storefront inside airports, but they are really trying to maximize their chances for revenue.”
Retailers in domestic airports usually charge street prices plus a markup of 10 to 15 percent. Some stores will charge even more, taking advantage of weak enforcement, Jacquez said.
Last year, Los Angeles Internationalrepealed its 18 percent cap, allowing the stores to set prices based on their own “business strategies, market conditions, customer preferences, and operational costs.” The three major airports run by the Port Authority of the New York and New Jersey raised their limit to 15 percent, plus a 3 percent surcharge.
“If you walked into a New York airport right now, I’m sure you could find a snack that costs 18 percent more than you would find in a bodega,” Jacquez said.
To protect travelers from price gouging, Salt Lake City International Airport and Portland International Airport in Oregon require vendors to charge street prices — and nothing more. In addition, PDX concessionaires must serve the same portions and quality as their city counterparts. The rule applies to establishments on both sides of security, as well as local brands and national chains.
A latte and lumberjack breakfast sandwich at Portland Coffee Roasters’ PDX outlets costs the same as it does outside the airport.
How to stretch your voucher
Airlines typically inform passengers about vouchers by email or text or through their app. If you do not receive notification, inquire at the airline’s customer service counter. If the delay was especially egregious, politely ask for two vouchers.
Terms and conditions will vary. With some vouchers, you must spend the total amount in a single transaction. Others allow multiple purchases at a variety of vendors. The airlines might limit the vouchers to airport businesses or extend them to a wider network of off-site establishments, such as hotel restaurants, mini-marts, and fast-food and coffee chains.
Frontier’s meal vouchers are linked to a Visa or Mastercard debit or credit card that travelers can redeem only at participating airport businesses. United said its vouchers can be used at any airport retailer or dining venue that accepts them, such as hotel restaurants. Delta said its vouchers are good at any food establishment, grocery store or dining merchant that processes credit cards.
If you have the time and inclination, a meal run could be less expensive than staying put (factoring in transportation costs, of course).
“There is generally no geolocation restriction on the use of an electronic card,” Leff said. “Your $12 would go so much farther outside of the airport.”
All vouchers come with an expiration date; they typically lapse by midnight or within 24 hours of issuance. Pay attention to the operating hours of airport businesses. Some places close early and open later in the morning. By the time I received my voucher at DCA, my nearby dining options had dwindled to a Hudson News. At Dallas-Fort Worth, I saved my voucher for breakfast, but not many places were serving before my 7 a.m. flight.
Because the vouchers can’t be traded for cash, including the unused portion, you will want to spend every penny of it.
If you are staying on the airport grounds, shop around. Compare menus on both sides of the security checkpoints as well as at local establishments, national chains, and convenience stores and newsstands. You might find similar items with different price tags.
At DCA, for example, passengers craving chicken and greens can find a teriyaki chicken salad at Matsutake Sushi ($21), a chicken Caesar salad at Ben’s Chili Bowl ($18.08), a Farmer’s Fridge chicken Caesar at Solid State Books ($14.49) and a market salad at Chick-fil-A ($11.95).
If you can’t use the voucher in a timely or appetizing fashion, Leff recommends charging the value from a card to an account for a food or coffee chain such as Starbucks, Panera Bread or Chick-fil-A. Once banked, you can use your voucher anytime, anywhere.
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