Regular Mall Pricing at the Airport
Does the AIRMALL “Same Price as the Mall“ Guarantee Work?
Oct 4, 2009
With millions of travelers flying, often with extended layovers in different cities, many airports, including Cleveland and Pittsburgh, have renovated concourses, restaurants and dining, to accommodate their needs and sell goods and food.
In order to dispel a conception that airport prices are higher than regular malls, AIRMALL has initiated a “Regular Mall Pricing Guarantee” at the stores and restaurants in airports.
Guaranteed Pricing
The AIRMALL brochure reads: "Whether it’s a book, bagel or a pair of shoes, everything you find in a airmail will be the same price as the same item in a comparative store at a local mall – guaranteed*." (Emphasis in the original).
Note the asterisk. "*If you see an item in the AIRMALL that you feel is not fairly priced, simply call our toll-free number and we’ll be happy to address your concerns."
No mention is made of a refund or financial compensation. The vague response “we will be happy to address your concerns” falls short of a reasonable person’s understanding of the word guarantee, which the Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines as “3) to give security to (guaranteed against her loss).”
Investigating the Pricing Guarantee Claims
A quick review of pricing for food items at the Cleveland Airport yields some questionable pricing.
A personal size cheese pizza costs $6.99 from Mia Nonna Pizzeria, which is included in the AIRMALL brochure. Comparable pizzas cost $3.29 at a local mall. Prior to the renovation, a comparable pizza from Pizza Hut cost $4.59 at the airport..
Beverages are another item with questionable pricing. A bottle of Coca-Cola at the airport costs $1.79 at this airport. A comparable bottle sells for $1.25 at a mall vending machine. A bag of potato chips costs $1.99 at the airport, compared to .99 to $1.29 cents at the mall.
Items available at the airport are sometimes in a slightly different size, or not exactly comparable. (Mia Nonna pizza is not available at malls in Cleveland.) The fact that it is not exactly the same items may give legal protection, but would likely to embitter customers who feel overcharged.
Other goods besides food available are at the airport, but are sold at prices that approximate list prices at a mall. Mall stores often have sales, which may result in large differences between mall and airport pricing.
AIRMALL instructs customers with questions to call a toll free number. However, the toll-free number is not answered except for business hours, Monday through Friday. During times when many individuals are traveling, that is, weekends and in the evening, voice mail gives instructions to call back during office hours.
Except for the most persistent traveler, who would call back during office hours, little security against loss is provided by the AIRMALL guarantee. Shoppers and diners would be well advised to consider other options than airport stores and restaurants.
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