"Welcome to the Airport—Where Even Breathing Feels Taxed"
✈️ Sky-High Prices, Ground-Level Service: The Airport Wallet Olympics
Let’s be real — airports are the only places where your wallet starts crying before your flight even gets announced. You haven’t even touched the sky yet, and your budget is already experiencing a nosedive.
You walk in, all optimistic.
You walk out wondering if boarding the flight was cheaper than just waiting for it.
💸 The “Invisible Fees” Marathon
You thought you bought a ₹5,000 ticket. But somehow, you paid ₹7,300.
Breakdown of this financial mystery:
Passenger Service Fee – What service? I printed my own boarding pass!
User Development Fee (UDF) – Sounds like a tech startup. Are we beta testers?
Airport Infrastructure Fee – Still seeing leaking AC vents. But sure, take my money.
Fuel Surcharge – Global prices dropped, but this fee refuses to leave the group chat.
It’s like you ordered a pizza and got billed separately for the dough, the oven heat, and the delivery guy’s good vibes.
📶 WiFi: Welcome to the Digital Dark Ages
Airports brag: “Now with FREE WiFi!”
You connect… and instantly feel the speed of 2008 buffering.
“Free for 30 minutes only.”
After that? ₹199 for a plan that lets you open one webpage and a quarter of a meme.
Meanwhile, a tea stall in rural Himachal gives you faster WiFi with a ₹10 chai. But hey — the airport charges you for the “Digital Premium Lounge Experience.”
You: “Just checking WhatsApp.”
Airport WiFi: “Upgrade to Gold for that.”
🪑 Want to Sit? That’ll Be ₹600
Airport seating is a Hunger Games arena.
Basic metal bench – You win if you get a spot. No cushions. No mercy.
Recliner with power plug? Welcome to the “Power Lounge.” ₹600 per hour.
Armrest? That’s deluxe. Don't even ask about legroom.
It's like musical chairs for tired adults. And if you fall asleep? You might wake up with a fine for “unauthorized napping.”
🎒 Carry-On Luggage, Carry-On Drama
Budget airlines say: "Travel light."
What they mean: “Travel light... but still pay heavy.”
Want to choose your seat? ₹800 please. Middle seat is still included.
Check-in baggage? That’s a ₹900 surprise.
Cabin bag? Make sure it's tiny. Still ₹400.
Printed boarding pass? That’ll cost you.
Breathing loudly? Okay, not yet. But wait till 2026.
Coming soon: “Rolling Luggage Fee” – Because your suitcase has wheels and ambition.
🍟 Airport Food: Where Hunger Meets Highway Robbery
You’re hungry. You walk into the food court. And suddenly your appetite is gone.
Water bottle: ₹60. Same brand. Same bottle. Outside price? ₹20.
Coffee: ₹250. Not even artisan. Just caffeine + shame.
Sandwich: ₹350. Bread + butter + existential crisis.
And if you want to pack leftovers? That’ll be ₹20 for a “Takeaway Box Charge.”
At this point, fasting is no longer spiritual — it’s economical survival.
🧾 Airports: Not Just Transit Zones, But Business Models
Here’s the real deal:
Airports make a lot more money from everything besides planes.
They’re less about travel, more about:
Duty-free shops you enter, buy nothing, and still lose ₹1,000 somehow.
Giant LED ads that scream “BUY ME” while you’re trying to find your gate.
₹200 per hour parking even if your friend just dropped you off.
₹3,000 VIP lounges… just to sit and eat a ₹40 samosa in peace.
You’re not just the traveler.
You’re the product.
Are Airports Just Fancy Wallet Traps?
You reach the gate tired, broke, and maybe spiritually bankrupt.
Luggage trolleys? Need a ₹10 coin no one’s carried since 2015.
Clean toilets? Fingers crossed.
Quiet areas to rest? Not unless you're a VIP or a yogi.
Even oxygen feels monetized.
So next time you’re stuck paying ₹100 for WiFi that refuses to load Google, remember:
Airports aren't just launching pads.
They're financial escape rooms.
And the only way out…
is takeoff.
Tanasha Tadvi
● Airline Operation Intern
● Asiatic International Corp
● tanasha.flyingcrews@gmail.com
● flyingcrews.tanasha@gmail.com
● https://www.flying-crews.com/
● Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tanashatadvi
● Vcard: https://linko.page/svtxjbzyy3r8
● Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576013069701
● Linktree:https://linktr.ee/tanasha_airlineoperations_
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