8 Airport Buys That Seem Smart But Always Lead To Regret

Why Smart Travelers Still Fall for These Terminal Traps Every Time

They Seem Like Savvy Travel Picks… Until You’re 30,000 Feet Up and Realizing You’ve Been Had!

I once paid €14 for a bottle of water at Charles de Gaulle. Not wine. Not Perrier. 

Just plain water! 

In a plastic bottle labeled “eco,” which felt like insult layered on top of robbery.

The same bottle? €1.50 at the Carrefour ten minutes away.

Welcome to the airport!

Where logic goes to die, and your wallet gets mugged before your flight even boards.

And you’d think I’d know better. 

I’ve lived in enough places to spot a tourist trap from a mile away.

I’ve been stranded outside Frankfurt’s train station during a German rail strike and navigated Tirana’s “bus stations” (which are actually parking lots or repurposed side-streets) in July.

But airports? They short-circuit your brain.

I’ve shelled out for headphones in Madrid that sounded like static wrapped in buyers remorse.

Bought a neck pillow in Kyiv that doubled as a medieval torture device.

And sprayed on “cologne” in Tbilisi that smelled like “a nightclub bathroom at 2 a.m. or a shopping mall’s Abercrombie & Fitch of the 1990’s” mid-flight.

These aren’t just stories. They’re warning signs with receipts.

If you’ve ever stared down a €9 bag of trail mix at Gate 42 and questioned your life decisions, this one’s for you.

Here are the 8 worst things you can buy in an airport, and what to do instead so you never get hustled at 30,000 feet again.

1. Don’t Buy Tech in a Terminal: Here’s Why It’s Always a Rip-Off

Madrid-Barajas. Flight delayed. Earbuds? Buried in my checked luggage, probably tangled in a sock.

So I did what every desperate traveler does, I panic-bought a €75 pair of Bluetooth headphones from a glowing kiosk.

They looked sleek.

But, they sounded like static from a 2003 car radio.

Battery died before we even boarded.

Airport tech is pure extortion.

Marked-up junk, off-brand models, and leftovers nobody wanted on the outside.

Here’s what I do now: I pack a dirt-cheap wired backup.

Ugly? Yes.

But it works.

My real headphones stay in an easy-access pocket. 

And if I lose both, I ship a proper replacement to my next hotel.

No kiosk robbery required.

2. Duty-Free Booze Isn’t Always Cheaper…Read This First!

In Tbilisi, I loaded up on what I thought was a great deal, three bottles of locally made Chacha from the duty-free shop, “specially priced for travelers.”

I felt smug.

Until I passed a small bottle shop outside the terminal a week later that sold the exact same chacha for 30 percent less.

And they threw in homemade fig jam for good measure.

The idea that duty-free is always a bargain is a myth.

It depends on the country, the product, and whether the taxes you’re avoiding actually matter.

Here’s what I do now: I check local prices before flying, especially for alcohol or perfumes.

In countries like France, Spain, or Georgia, you’re often better off buying from a local shop or supermarket.

If you’re buying for gifts, just pack it securely and check it.

It’ll survive the flight… and your bank account will too.

3. Neck Pillows That Look Cozy but Kill Your Neck

Vienna airport, 7 AM. I caved and bought one of those fluffy donut-shaped pillows at a souvenir stand near Gate B5.

It looked like memory foam.

Felt like it too.

Until I fell asleep and woke up mid-flight looking like I’d headbutted a wall sideways.

The problem with most neck pillows is that they offer zero actual support.

The cheap ones collapse under pressure, and the expensive ones just collapse more expensively.

Here’s what I do now: I use a structured neck pillow that wraps under the chin and supports both sides.

If I don’t have it, I roll up my hoodie and stuff it in a tote bag.

It’s not glamorous, but neither is waking up with a kinked neck and drool on your shoulder.

Bonus: no one will try to talk to you when you’ve rigged your own headgear.

4. The $12 Water Mistake I Keep Making… And How I Stopped

It happened once again in Tbilisi. I got through security, forgot to refill my water bottle, and grabbed a 500ml bottle from a “Duty Free” fridge near the gates.

I paid more that bottle of water than I did for a full khachapuri, shashleek, and wine the day before.

And it wasn’t even cold! 

Airport water is the ultimate overpriced panic buy.

You never plan for it, and somehow you always fall for it.

Here’s what I do now: I pack a collapsible bottle, fill it after security, usually at a café, sometimes straight from the tap.

In France or Georgia, I don’t even ask. I just fill and go.

No drama and no €10 regret.

5. Souvenirs That Look Cool in the Terminal… Then Feel Cringey

I once bought a set of mini ouzo bottles in Thessaloniki. Gift-wrapped, pastel labels, “limited edition” branding.

I thought they looked artisanal.

My Italian landlords said they looked like something he’d find in a hotel minibar.

Not a compliment.

Airport souvenirs are designed to look meaningful, but they usually scream mass-produced regret.

Here’s what I do now: I shop outside the airport.

I fill up on local snacks, spice mixes, or fridge magnets from old towns or local shops.

In Bulgaria, I picked up rose oil at a supermarket.

In Georgia, I bought churchkhela from a roadside stand.

They cost less, carry more meaning, and never feel like an afterthought.

Best part? They don’t end up forgotten in a drawer.

6. Why You Should Never Buy Airport SIM Cards Without Doing This

In Athens, I bought a SIM card straight from the arrivals terminal.

It cost me €35 and came with a confusing setup process, minimal data, and a clause buried in the fine print that made it expire in five days.

Airport SIM cards prey on convenience.

And unless you’ve researched it beforehand, you’ll likely overpay or end up with limited coverage.

Here’s what I do now: I skip the airport and head into town to buy SIM cards from official mobile shops or convenience stores.

In Albania, this meant a 5-minute walk from the bus stop, and $15.

They usually speak enough English, and you can see all the plans clearly.

Bonus: many countries now let you eSIM with just a QR code, which you can prep before landing.

7. The $9 Snack Trap! And the Better Food Hiding Two Gates Over

I’ve spent an embarrassing amount of money on sad airport sandwiches.

Warsaw Chopin.

Paris-Orly.

Once even in Tirana, where the packaged croissant I bought for €4 tasted like sweet foam and despair.

Snack prices are brutal, and the food is rarely worth it.

But here’s the thing: many terminals actually have solid options… you just have to look.

Here’s what I do now: I walk the entire terminal before buying.

There’s almost always one café with real food, a staff-only buffet hiding in plain sight, or a spot with prices that don’t feel criminal.

In Lyon, I once found a salad bar tucked behind an escalator that beat everything in the food court.

If all else fails, I bring snacks from a grocery store near my hotel.

Cheap, real, and zero regret.

8. What to Buy Before the Airport That’ll Save You $50

I’ve spent more on a phone charger in Frankfurt Airport than on the actual train that got me there.

I once paid €5 for a pack of tissues in Munich’s airport convenience store.

They were menthol-scented.

My nose still hasn’t forgiven me.

The most overpriced things at airports are also the most boring: 

• Cables
• Toiletries
• Snacks
• Travel meds.

And yet we keep buying them.

Here’s what I do now: I have a pre-trip checklist I run through the night before: charging cable, snacks, earbuds, collapsible bottle, tissues, aspirin.

I buy anything missing at a regular grocery store or pharmacy.

If I forget something, I’d rather go without than fund another overpriced newsstand’s retirement plan.

Final Boarding Thoughts

Airports are built on urgency and regret.

You’re tired. You’re rushed. Your wallet is open.

And the terminal knows it.

I’ve fallen into nearly every overpriced trap out there, from stale sandwiches to tech that never worked twice.

But the longer I’ve lived abroad, the more I’ve learned that the best travel lessons aren’t just about new destinations.

They’re about how you move through them.

These small, simple habits have saved me hundreds of euros and more than a few headaches.

What’s the worst thing you ever bought at an airport? 

I’ll match your regret for regret. Promise.