Best Value Airports

The idea of being late for a flight and having to run around a busy airport to get to check-in on time – like the McCallisters out of Home Alone – is something none of us want to experience.

So, sensibly, most of us like to plan ahead and arrive at an airport with plenty of time to spare. That, you’d expect, would translate into being chilled out and happy, right?

Well, according to our new survey of 2,000 UK travellers, we are, in fact, far from relaxed. All that extra time we end up spending at an airport leaves us feeling surprisingly worse for wear – and a little lighter in the purse or wallet too.

A significant 66% of Brits, for example, also said that they find being at an airport stressful. And, with plenty of time to use up before boarding, people invariably turn to shops, restaurants and bars in search of something to do.

This sets back the average traveller a whopping £58.77, with close to half (46%) of respondents saying they have even picked up things they didn’t really need.

According to our survey, most people tend to spend their cash on food (53%), which is followed by hot drinks (44%) and alcohol (38%).

Interestingly, the idea of avoiding all of that for a chilled-out experience in an airport lounge is somewhat lost on British travellers, with 87% saying they’ve never booked into one.

As to why, 40% said they found it too expensive, 23% thought it was only for members and 20% had no idea how to go about accessing one.

However, airport lounges, as our table above reveals, can be affordable and comfy experiences, with the average worldwide lounge costing only £37.32. And that tends to include perks like Wi-Fi, premium food and complimentary drinks.