Flyers who want an in-flight beer pay 382 per cent more than in a supermarket

IT will come as no surprise to most to find that in-flight refreshments are more expensive than equivalent snacks from the supermarket, but the mark-up is far higher than most may think.

According to new research by International Currency Exchange (ICE), airlines mark up beer by an average 382 per cent, and bottled water by 273 per cent.

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Peanuts are actually the best value in-flight snack, with the price an average 71 per cent more than in supermarkets.

The study looked at the cost of refreshments across a number of major airlines and train operators compared with their prices in a supermarket.

A can of beer was also the most expensive refreshment for train travellers, with the average mark up 287 per cent, with a sharing bag of sweets the cheapest snack on trains - with an average mark up of 30 per cent.

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To calculate the average airline mark-up, ICE compared the snack prices on Jet2, Easyjet, Ryanair, Flybe, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways, Aer Lingus, Monarch, FlyDubai and Norwegian, in October.

For the average snack prices on trains, ICE compared data from Virgin, Scot Rail, Cross Country Trains, South West Trains and Chiltern Railways, also in October.

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ICE CEO Koko Sarkari said: “This is one of the most competitive marketplaces in the world and with space at a premium you can certainly see why prices are higher at 30,000ft than at local convenience store.

“The airline mark ups on bottled water seem particularly steep since travellers are unable to bring liquids of over 100ml through airport security and will  therefore need to purchase drinks in the departure lounge or on-board.

"But travellers are allowed to take some food items through airport security, so planning ahead could help them make some real savings.”

Earlier this year, budget airlines were accused of hiking up the prices of snacks and drinks on-board by more than 1,000 per cent, following a study by travel search engine Kayak.

Ryanair was found to be the most expensive when it came to on-board snacks, charging £2.34 for a bottle of water and £1.56 for a chocolate bar.

At the time Ryanair said that customers were free to bring their own snacks on-board if they wanted to.