I don’t know about you all, but over the course of the last ten years or so I have become much less a fan of air travel. I guess I never used to be crazy about it, but over the last decade air travel (in the US at least) has become increasingly painful. Security is more rigorous (remember the good old days when you could just walk on through without taking off your shoes?), flights are more crowded, and any and all potential perks such as free meals have completely disappeared. Heck, they didn’t even hand out pretzels or any sort of snacks at all on the last United flights that we took two weeks ago. And hey, remember back in the day when the size of your shampoo bottle was not a matter of national security? Weren’t those the days?
I do get it, folks; I understand the reasons why all of these things are now the norm. But nonetheless, even though I love to earn travel rewards, it has made me less excited about air travel in recent years.
Wow, I sound like a real complainer, don’t I? Yep, I can complain with the best of them! But hey, I do actually have some good news for you here: there are still ways to save money at the airport! Check out these ideas below. Also, I’d love to hear from you all in the comment section on the ways that you save money at the airport.
5 Easy Ways to Save Money at the Airport
- Pack light to avoid bag fees. This is one that I was doing even before airlines started charging crazy fees to check a bag (or even carry on now!), primarily because I have had one too many airlines lose my luggage. I always pack everything I will need into a carry-on sized bag. If I can’t fit everything I want to take into my bag, then things get left at home.
- Eat before you go to the airport. This one is a biggie because airport food is notoriously expensive and unhealthy! If you are anywhere close to a meal time when you have to fly, eat before you head to the airport. You’ll undoubtedly have access to cheaper and healthier food at home or basically anywhere other than the airport.
- Bring snacks. Peanut butter sandwiches, fruit, dry cereal, granola bars, beef jerky, and crackers are all things that you can totally take through airport security without any fuss. And this will almost certainly be cheaper than buying one of whatever they’re selling on airplanes for food these days (and maybe healthier, too).
- Take an empty water bottle through security with you, and then fill it up at a water fountain. This is one that I do literally every single time I fly. I am not particularly picky about how my water tastes, so this one is a frugal no-brainer for me (if you are particular about the taste of your water, you could always bring along some of those water flavoring packets). For some reason when I tell people this they often ask me if airport water is safe. Here’s my answer: if you’re in the US or Canada or pretty much any other developed country, it’s probably safe. If you’re somewhere else, maybe not- so maybe that’s the time when you need to buy bottled water if you’re thirsty. Or you could just wait until you get on the airplane and they offer you water, which is usually bottled.
- Plan ahead. Are you always cold on airplanes? If you fly a lot it might be worth investing in one of those lightweight blankets they sell at airports that pack down super small- but if you buy it at the airport you’ll almost certainly pay a higher price. Better yet, dress in layers on your flight- you can always remove layers when you arrive at your destination if it is warmer there, or vice versa. The same thing goes for reading material- obviously they sell books and magazines at the airport, but if you bring something with you to read you can avoid paying top dollar at those airport book stores.
Suggested Reading: A great resource for more frugal travel tips is How to Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter
Your turn! I want to hear all about ways that you save money at the airport! Are there other things you do to be a frugal flyer?
Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Photo: urban_light/Depositphotos.com
Sherif says
atheh.. I should of read this article a month ago. I went to Iceland and would of appreciated the advice of brining an empty water bottle and eatting a bit before I head to the airport.
Dee S says
atOh no! Sorry I didn’t have it written then, lol!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
atI’m terrible at packing light, so that’s something I’ll have to learn to do if I ever have to travel for business regularly in the future. I typically only go to the airport about once a year, and it’s always for vacation. Because I’m on vacation I typically splurge a bit and buy coffee, a snack, and a couple magazines at the airport. It’s NOT frugal and I echo your advice in this post for people who travel regularly.
Dee S says
atI still struggle with the packing light thing sometimes too. Sometimes my hubby gets mad at me because if my bag overflows it goes into his! I still definitely have some work to do in this area!!
Holly@ClubThrifty says
atThe easiest way for me to save money at the airport is to not buy trash magazines to read on board. I got in the habit of doing that a few years ago and it’s such a waste!
Dee S says
atThat’s another good one. Sometimes if I know I’m going to want to read magazines I try to buy them at Walmart or whatever before the flight.
Michelle @fitisthenewpoor says
atBrining snacks is our number one tip for air trips. Buying food at airports is SO EXPENSIVE! We also take advantage of the two bag rule. That way, if you are forced to check a bag, at least it is free at the gate!
Dee S says
atI know, airport food is expensive and I can never find anything terribly healthy!
Laurie @thefrugalfarmer says
atGreat tips, Dee. We don’t travel much nowadays, but if we did, we’d definitely be packing light and bringing snacks. No spendy airport food for us. The prices are ridiculous!
Dee S says
atI know, the hubs and I often like to have smoothies, and they are often sold at airports- but we don’t buy them there! Crazy expensive.
Shannon @ Financially Blonde says
atHaving just spent four hours in the airport with my son because of delayed flights, I definitely understand the cost of an airport stay. We did save money by packing our own food and snacks, though. I hate that you can’t bring liquids through because the drinks were definitely the most expensive part of our airport time.
Dee S says
atOh no, 4 hours! Yuck! I once suffered 23 hours at SeaTac- wayyy too much crummy airport food in that amount of time (but at least the airline had given us vouchers so we got to eat for free)
Lauren May says
atGreat tips! I always pack snacks because the airport snacks are so overpriced, and it can be hard to find something healthy.
Dee S says
atGood call!
E.M. says
atI pack snacks and try to eat beforehand if there’s time. I bring an empty water bottle with me as well. I mailed a package of things I would need to my parents before I took a flight to them because Spirit loves to charge fees for everything. Plus I avoided having to check luggage so it was an easy process.
Dee S says
atHey that’s a good idea to look into mailing some things- although I imagine if you mail too big a package it would end up being cheaper just to check a bag!
Anneli @thefrugalweds says
atVery cool tips! 🙂 I am going to remember to take the empty water bottle for next time we’re on a trip. Also, bring headphones! Depending on the airline, that’s anywhere between $2-7 dollars for headphones…it adds up. Also, bring a book or journal with you or maybe a Sudoku page or two? It helps to have something to occupy the time instead of wandering the ever-expanding airport shopping areas! I know they renovated the LAX airport and most of the stores are there to hook a captive market. Don’t let them! LoL 🙂
Dee S says
atGreat tip about the headphones! Ever since we got an iPad I take that with me on trips- that way I can have books on the kindle or library app and Sudoku as well! And music! Gotta love it.
Abigail says
atWe lived in Alaska and had relatives on the East Coast. So I flew a LOT as a kid. (Fun fact: Dramamine won’t just keep kids from puking. It can also knock them out for awhile.)
My mom always brought snacks. Bagels were a staple. I like the idea of PB sandwiches. Since I rarely fly anywhere that takes long (hooray being in the middle-ish of the country!) I may have to pack one. My mom also liked pretzels and apples.
Are you allowed to bring in empty bottles? I thought you weren’t allowed to bring in certain sizes, no matter whether they’re full or not. Something ridiculous about how other fluids could be combined and mixed in there.
I was under that impression anyway. I usually break down and buy a bottle of water, but that’s because Arizona tap water tastes terrible. When I’m anywhere else, I generally just go to the bar and ask for a glass of water there.
As for being cold, why not just bring a jacket? Maybe not as comforting as a blanket, but you also don’t have to worry about it slipping down when you move even a bit.
By the way, don’t forget that people should always bring something to keep them occupied. Or you might find yourself buying a full-price book.
And if your entertainment is a phone/tablet/laptop, make sure it’s at full charge. If necessary, find an outlet in your waiting area. I’ve done it more times than I can count.
Dee S says
atYep, you can totally bring in an empty bottle! Been doing it for years. If there is any liquid at all in it they will make you dump it out, but empty is fine.
Brian @ Luke1428 says
atAt Atlanta, we park in the Economy lot. Sure we have to walk a bit to get to the terminal but it’s much cheaper than paying for the closeness of the parking garage.
Dee S says
atOoh, that’s a great one! When we lived in a town that had a bigger airport we would also park in the cheapest lot. It was farthest away, but we didn’t care because it was only $4 a day.
EL @ MoneyWatch101 says
atI bring snacks on every flight, because I don’t want to be at the mercy of the flight attendants. They might take too long with the food service. I like the empty water bottle trick, will have to use it next time.
Dee S says
atI love having a bottle of water with me on the place because sometimes I get so thirsty on planes!
Andy@artofbeingcheap says
atGreat article. I think it is awful that places like airports, stadiums, and theatres overcharge for food and drinks because they know you are stuck there and have no other choice. Bringing your own snacks is a great way to combat this, and I never would have thought about the empty water bottle, but that is a great idea.
Dee S says
atThanks, if nothing else it saves us money on drinks!
Terry @ Path To Simple says
atI’ve tried the empty water bottle thing and have had it taken away. They wouldn’t explain, only that it wasn’t allowed…
Maybe it’s just an airport thing, or the agent that was working that day?
Great post!
Dee S says
atI can’t believe you had it taken away! Crazy, I literally always do it. Hmm, maybe someone was having a bad day…