Prices at Newark airport shops a ‘nightmare,’ GOP leader says
The last time you traveled out of Newark Liberty Airport, did you stop to buy anything from one of the vendors?
Perhaps a sandwich or a pack of gum? How about a bottle of water?
Assembly Republican leader Jon Bramnick (R-Union) did, and after the shock wore off, he became very angry.
“The prices are outrageous. Bottled water, $4 or $5. TSA takes your water away, and then you have to pay $4 or $5 for bottled water. Sometimes you’re stuck at the airport out there for hours," Bramnick said.
He said the cost of everything at different airport shops is absolutely crazy but the insanity doesn’t stop there.
“They have self-checkout and self-serve, and they charge you five times what water should be charged for a customer," Bramnick said. "I think this is a consumer nightmare.”
Bramnick wants the bi-state agency that oversees Newark Liberty Airport to investigate.
“I think the Port Authority needs to look into it and talk to these vendors and say. 'This is absurd.' They’re a captive audience of travelers, I think it’s unfair," Bramnick said.
He said he wants to know why "the vendors can charge that much and why the price is similar between all the stores.”
"Why is there not one store that’s charging less?" Bramnick said. "I don’t like what I see. I want Port Authority, my friend Kevin O’Toole to look into this."
Former New Jersey State Senator Kevin O’Toole is now the chairman of the Port Authority.
Bramnick said he realized just how high the prices have become when he recently stopped in the airport and picked up cough drops and bottled water for $9.42.
"Ridiculous," he said.
Multiple calls to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey seeking comment were not answered.
You can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com