It’s 5pm somewhere – UK’s cheapest airports for a pre-flight pint and a glass of prosecco revealed

Lifestyle
By Liam
Whether it's washing down a full English breakfast at 6.00 or accompany your dinner at 18.00, a trip to Wetherspoons for celebratory booze is almost always factored into the travel times (stock image)

It’s a long-standing British tradition to enjoy a cold pint or glass of fizz at the airport before heading off on holiday.

Whether it’s to wash down a full English breakfast at 06.00 or accompany your dinner at 18.00, a trip to Wetherspoons for celebratory booze is almost always included in the travel times.

However, prices for pints at the airport can be expensive, meaning travelers pay more money before they even get on the plane.

So to help Brits decide the best place for a pre-holiday drink, luxury travel services Velloy has revealed the cheapest and most expensive airports to grab a drink.

After analyzing Google reviews and the drinks menus of 87 establishments across the UK’s 15 most popular airports, the membership service launched its first ‘Airport Pint and Prosecco Index’.

Whether it's washing down a full English breakfast at 6.00 or accompany your dinner at 18.00, a trip to Wetherspoons for celebratory booze is almost always factored into the travel times (stock image)

Whether it’s washing down a full English breakfast at 6.00 or accompany your dinner at 18.00, a trip to Wetherspoons for celebratory booze is almost always factored into the travel times (stock image)

Average price of a glass of prosecco in all bars, pubs and restaurants in the UK’s 15 most popular airports (cheapest to most expensive)

  1. East Midlands International – £8.33
  2. Manchester – £8.34
  3. London Luton – £8.69
  4. Edinburgh – £8.88
  5. Heathrow – £8.96
  6. Newcastle International – £9.19
  7. Glasgow International – £9.33
  8. London Stansted – £9.44
  9. London Gatwick – £9.46
  10. Birmingham – £9.78
  11. Bristol – £9.91
  12. Belfast International – £10.26
  13. Liverpool John Lennon – £10.60
  14. London City – £11.29
  15. Leeds Bradford – £11.38

Average price of a pint in all bars, pubs and restaurants in the UK’s 15 most popular airports (cheapest to most expensive)

  1. Glasgow International – £6.06
  2. Manchester – £6.33
  3. East Midlands International – £6.44
  4. London Stansted – £6.60
  5. Edinburgh – £6.61
  6. London Gatwick – £6.65
  7. Bristol – £6.67
  8. Belfast International – £6.71
  9. Birmingham – £6.78
  10. Liverpool John Lennon – £6.84
  11. Leeds Bradford – £6.94
  12. Newcastle International – £6.96
  13. London City – £6.98
  14. Heathrow – £7.14
  15. London Luton – £7.36

The results reveal that in 2024 the average price of a pre-holiday pint in a UK airport is £6.75 and the average price of a glass of prosecco is £9.59.

If you’re looking for the cheapest pre-flight pint, head to Glasgow International Airport, where it costs an average of £6.06.

The second most affordable airport is Manchester (£6.33), closely followed by East Midlands International (£6.44) and London Stansted (£6.60).

Edinburgh completes the top five, with a standard pint costing around £6.61.

Meanwhile, the most expensive place for a pint was found to be London Luton, setting travelers back around £7.36 for a drink.

Newcastle International (£6.96), London City (£6.98) and Heathrow (£7.14) were also in the more expensive half of the rankings.

If beer isn’t your thing and you prefer a glass of soft drink, the cheapest option for you is East Midlands International Airport, where a whistle costs £8.33 on average.

Manchester is the second most affordable at just a penny more at £8.34, with London Luton third (£8.69) and Edinburgh fifth (£8.88).

Heathrow is in fifth place, where it will set you back around £8.96 per glass.

Manchester is the second most affordable at just a penny more at £8.34, with London Luton third (£8.69) and Edinburgh fifth (£8.88).

The most expensive airport for prosecco is revealed to be Leeds Bradford, at £11.38 a pop, with London City (£11.29) and Liverpool John Lennon (£10.60) slightly cheaper.

Fourth on the steepness scale is Belfast International (£10.26), followed by Bristol (£9.91) in fifth place.

As well as finding out the most expensive and affordable airports on average for drinks, the research also looked at specific pubs in them and compared them to each other.

Tennent’s Pier Bar at Glasgow International was discovered as the most affordable establishment for a pre-holiday pint, charging travelers £4.79.

In comparison, London Pride By Fullers at Heathrow was found to be the most expensive place for a pint, with the average pint on draft costing £10.05.

When analyzing the cost of prosecco, Heathrow was found to be home to both the cheapest and most expensive companies.

Gordon Ramsay Plane Food was discovered as the most expensive place for a drink, with a glass of prosecco costing travelers an average of £12.50, while neighboring Star Light Wetherspoons is the most affordable, costing an average of £6.20.

Hugo Cannon, founder of Velloy, said: ‘For many, there’s no better way to start a holiday than with a pint at the airport or a glass of prosecco to get that ‘getting away’ feeling going.

“As a British holiday we were keen to find out which airports are home to the cheapest and best pre-flight drinks and thought what better guide for travelers than an index revealing where to find the most affordable and best rated drinks ?

“If you’re trying to decide whether to start your holiday from either London’s Gatwick or Heathrow, or either Manchester or Liverpool, we hope our index proves useful to all keen travelers looking to start their journey with a celebratory drink !”

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