Plastic Bags for Fifty Cents at Airport Security

Written by Nickel - 5 Comments

How’s this for enterprising? In case you haven’t heard, you can once again brings small containers of liquids and gels through airport security as long as you put the containers in a clear plastic bag. Well, while I was going through security this morning at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta, I noticed that a steady stream of people heading from the security table (set up at the entrance to screening area) over to a nearby shop. As it turns out, these people hadn’t brought plastic bags for their stuff, and an enterprising shop owner was selling small Zip-Locs for $0.50 apiece. Mix in a captive audience, and you’re talk about a very high margin business… You can buy a box of 100 bags for a couple of bucks (retail), and then turn around and sell them for fifty bucks! He was probably taking in more on bag sales than on all other sales combined.

Published on October 19th, 2006 - 5 Comments
Filed under: Travel
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About the author: Nickel is the founder and editor-in-chief of this site. He's a thirty-something family man who has been writing about personal finance since 2005, and guess what? He's on Twitter!

Comments (scroll down to add your own):

Yeah, you gotta take advantage if/when you can…
Comment by jim — Oct 20th 2006 @ 8:29 am
Ahhh, the hapless traveler, once again left holding the bag.
Comment by mbhunter — Oct 22nd 2006 @ 2:06 am
Is there any rule/law against standing by the security gate and selling bags for 50 cents each? Here in DC there are no shops near one of the security gates, would be worth it for a 45 dollar a box profit.

http://catchagideon.blogspot.com
Comment by Catch a Gideon — Oct 22nd 2006 @ 9:56 pm
I was totally prepared heading to the UK, and I had all my 3 oz or less bottles in a quart bag.

Ha on me! Coming home, the regs are different and I had to ditch my small liquids in the bag.

I would have gladly been ripped off a buck or two to get my liquids into my carry-on.

Flying sucks.
Comment by EdK — Oct 23rd 2006 @ 9:26 pm