Traveling can be stressful, especially when airports are involved. There’s the risk of hitting rush-hour traffic on the way there, the chance that TSA is moving slower than usual, and the sheer fact that you’re about to board a hunk of metal that’ll be soaring through the sky at 35,000 feet. Whatever the case, one of the most dependable ways to take the edge off the experience is to grab a quick pint or two at your terminal’s bar. Unfortunately, the drink prices at these bars also tend to hit high cruising altitudes. And given that downing booze you brought from home is a no-no at any American airport, anyone looking for a pre-flight drink is at the mercy of on-premise price gouging.
For better or worse, American airports don’t have a standardized pricing system for beer, wine, and cocktails. In some cities, the price of an airport beer isn’t much different than that of a dive bar. In others, you can expect to shell out more than $13 per pint — even for a basic macro lager. To help you budget for your next trip, VinePair checked out personal finance publication FinanceBuzz’s recently published list cataloging the average price of a “regular-sized domestic macro brew,” which uses price data collected from the nation’s 50 busiest airports. FinanceBuzz defaulted to Budweiser and Bud Light in their collection, and at airports where those beers weren’t available, the prices of either Coors or Miller products were considered. For every airport listed, the price averages were determined based on beers offered at a minimum of five restaurants or bars per airport.
To anyone in the NYC area, we offer our condolences: LaGuardia, JFK International, and Newark Liberty International all rank within the top 10 most expensive airports for a macro beer. On the other hand, if you’re flying out of Oregon, Salt Lake City, or New Orleans, consider yourself lucky. To see how every major airport stateside stacks up, check out the chart below.
The Average Price of a Macro Beer at Every Major U.S. Airport
| Rank | Airport | Location | Average Beer Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | LaGuardia Airport (LGA) | New York, New York | $13.83 | |
| 2 | San Francisco International Airport (SFO) | San Francisco, California | $12.61 | |
| 3 | Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) | Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas | $11.99 | |
| 4 | John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) | New York, New York | $11.82 | |
| 5 | Honolulu International Airport (HNL) | Honolulu, Hawaii | $11.41 | |
| 6 | Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA) | Seattle, Washington | $11.21 | |
| 7 | Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) | Las Vegas, Nevada | $11.00 | |
| 8 | Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) | Chicago, Illinois | $10.85 | |
| 9 | Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) | Newark, New Jersey | $10.41 | |
| 10 | Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) | Austin, Texas | $10.00 | |
| 11 | Dallas Love Field (DAL) | Dallas, Texas | $9.74 | |
| 12 | Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) | Detroit, Michigan | $9.70 | |
| 13 | San Jose International Airport (SJC) | San Jose, California | $9.63 | |
| 14 | Oakland International Airport (OAK) | Oakland, California | $9.50 | |
| 15 | Bradley International Airport (BDL) | Hartford, Connecticut | $9.40 | |
| 16 | Sacramento International Airport (SMF) | Sacramento, California | $9.30 | |
| 17 | Charlotte/Douglas International Airport (CLT) | Charlotte, North Carolina | $9.20 | |
| 18 | Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) | St. Louis, Missouri | $9.19 | |
| 19 | San Antonio International Airport (SAT) | San Antonio, Texas | $9.07 | |
| 20 | Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) | Phoenix, Arizona | $9.05 | |
| 21 | Baltimore / Washington International Airport (BWI) | Baltimore, Maryland | $9.00 | |
| 22 | Miami International Airport (MIA) | Miami, Florida | $8.80 | |
| 23 | Orlando International Airport (MCO) | Orlando, Florida | $8.80 | |
| 24 | Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL) | Fort Lauderdale, Florida | $8.79 | |
| 25 | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) | Boston, Massachusetts | $8.75 | |
| 26 | Kansas City International Airport (MCI) | Kansas City, Missouri | $8.60 | |
| 27 | Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) | Chicago, Illinois | $8.55 | |
| 28 | Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) | Washington, DC | $8.46 | |
| 29 | Atlanta International Airport (ATL) | Atlanta, Georgia | $8.43 | |
| 30 | Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | $8.40 | |
| 31 | Tampa International Airport (TPA) | Tampa, Florida | $8.37 | |
| 32 | William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) | Houston, Texas | $8.24 | |
| 33 | John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) | Columbus, Ohio | $8.20 | |
| 34 | Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP) | Minneapolis, Minnesota | $8.20 | |
| 35 | Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | $8.06 | |
| 36 | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) | Los Angeles, California | $8.00 | |
| 37 | Denver International Airport (DEN) | Denver, Colorado | $8.00 | |
| 38 | Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) | Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina | $7.91 | |
| 39 | Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) | Cincinnati, Ohio | $7.90 | |
| 40 | Indianapolis International Airport (IND) | Indianapolis, Indiana | $7.90 | |
| 41 | John Wayne Airport (SNA) | Santa Ana, California | $7.81 | |
| 42 | Dulles International Airport (IAD) | Washington, DC | $7.79 | |
| 43 | Nashville International Airport (BNA) | Nashville, Tennessee | $7.51 | |
| 44 | Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) | Cleveland, Ohio | $7.41 | |
| 45 | San Diego International Airport (SAN) | San Diego, California | $7.38 | |
| 46 | Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) | Houston, Texas | $7.36 | |
| 47 | New Orleans International Airport (MSY) | New Orleans, Louisiana | $7.31 | |
| 48 | Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) | Fort Myers, Florida | $7.29 | |
| 49 | Portland International Airport (PDX) | Portland, Oregon | $6.81 | |
| 50 | Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) | Salt Lake City, Utah | $6.41 |
