April 18, 2008
Pudong Airport ends price gouging
Frequent travellers such as grade B Shanghainese men should be painfully aware that airports the world over (LAX, we're looking at you) love to gouge their guests with prices inflated above those in the city.
News that the Shanghai Airport is clamping down on this practice should then come as a relief. Shadowing a promise by the Beijing's airport to keep prices low at the new Capital Airport's new Terminal 3, the Pudong Airport Authority has negotiated with airport retailers to drop the price of food and many other products by 25%. The agreement still leaves airport tenants some wiggle room:
The airport will adjust the prices of bottom-level restaurants to match those at the city’s South Railway Station, Zhongshan Park Metro Station and traffic hubs, he said.Mid-level restaurants will match prices according to those in downtown areas.
The price of high-level restaurants will be required to be kept in line with those at four-star hotels.
Now if they could just pull a Hongqiao and convince Element Fresh to open up shop (or do like Beijing's T3 and bring back Kenny Rogers Roasters), we might actually look forward to eating at the airport.
Photo by memorinz on Flickr.
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I'd be careful what I wished for. The food is barely palatable at the old prices. I can't imagine what kinds of corners will be cut now.
I consider this far from a relief. I'm looking even LESS forward to sitting in the airport now. I'll stick with Snickers bars.
I've never had as much issue with the food prices as I have with being forced to pay 20 kuai for a bottle of Evian. That's actually the bigger issue here and what I hope is being addressed.
they should visit Beijing AP, much better restuarants and low price and good service and nice quality, you eat junk in HongQiao AP, there is only a KFC outside as i remember...
Beijing AP, there are many nice shops and restaurants in No2 and no3 terminal. Subway, KFC, McD, local noodles, Japanese noodles...
In pudong AP ternimal no.1, you find nothing. it is a disaster.