Fly&Dine Interview + $50 Starbucks Giveaway: @DealsWeLike

Posted in Fly&Dine Interview
UPDATE! We have a winner! Congratulations, Jeff. Based on my random drawing at random.org, you’re this week’s lucky victor!
It’s been over a month since the last Fly&Dine Interview + Giveaway and the Fly&Dine Prize Patrol is ready to get back at it. This time, we’re talking to Jennifer of Deals We Like, a truly excellent source of daily deals and travel bonuses. She’s a big time traveler and knows her stuff, so check out her tips for eating while you travel.

After the interview, answer this week’s Giveaway Question in the comments section for your chance to win $50 to Starbucks. That’s like 10 Pumpkin Spice Lattes! Let’s get to that interview…

 

As a connoisseur of deals, what’s the best deal you’ve ever seen on airport food? Is there a specific food deal you think everyone should know about?

Ha. I do not think there is any good deal on airport food! But one tip when traveling is to always bring an empty water bottle so you can refill it after you go through security. This will save you on purchasing expensive bottled water. Many airports even have a water fountain made specifically for water bottles. 

 

What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten in the air? 

My meal from JFK to Hong Kong in business class on Cathay was amazing! I cannot remember specifics, but they just kept on bringing out more and more food. Mr. Deals was psyched when I fell asleep as he then ate my food on top of his!

 

What’s a great lesson you’ve learned in regards to eating while you’re away from home?

Check to see if there is a nearby grocery store and stock up ahead of time. Sometimes I even have the cab driver make a pit stop on the way to the hotel from the airport. I usually grab a bunch of water, snacks, and breakfast bars. At hotels that have kitchenettes I’ve even purchased enough to make a full breakfast and lunch. Eating out every meal can get pricey, time consuming, and unhealthy!

 

Do you have a go-to meal when you’re eating in airports? In your opinion, which airport has the best food? 

I’ve been to the Northwest Arkansas airport (near Bentonville) probably more then any other airport in the US. My go-to meal there was the popcorn they gave out at the bar. It was pretty much the only option at that time! At other airports, I typically get a Naked (juice) and a bagel and I am good to go. 

What gets you legitimately excited about a menu?

When it has a happy hour special!

Thanks, Jennifer! Excellent tips — especially the grocery store cab stop! Now it’s time for the Giveaway Question. To win a $50 e-giftcard to Starbucks (note: there will be one randomly selected winner), all you have to do is answer this simple question in the comments section of this post:

What’s the best deal you’ve ever gotten at an airport?

Good luck!

Find past Fly&Dine interviews here:

Frequent Miler

Points & Pixie Dust

View from the Wing

Hack My Trip

Million Mile Secrets

Points, Miles, and Martinis

One entry per person. No purchase necessary. In fact, there’s nothing to purchase. By entering, you agree that you’re cool with the fact that Fly&Dine makes all the decisions and those decisions are final, even if you don’t like them. Contest closes at 11:59pm Pacific on Sunday 10/5/2014. Winner will be contacted via email. Please provide a valid email address when leaving your comment. If we don’t receive a response from you after one week of being notified, a new winner will be chosen at random.
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Comments

  1. For me the best deals are a meal that is big enough to share! Especially when traveling with my son! There are times when we don’t want a huge meal before a flight but snacks won’t cover us. So if we can share something till we get there it saves us money! A lot of airports don’t have kids meals and I hate to pay for two full meals! So big portions are great!

  2. Not exactly a deal but I was able to use my Amex cards last year on small business saturday at the airport and got tons of free food and drinks!

  3. believe it or not it is at Hudson News
    My mother and I wore summer clothes waiting for our flight to Mexico last summer. I told my mom to bring a jacket because the airplane loves to blast the AC. As always she refused. I went ahead and got us 2 identical touristy sweatshirts that had our state emblazoned across the chest, not our style. There was no choice, it was either our state or CIA or something ridiculous letters on it. It was a deal 2 for 40 bucks or 1 for 29.99. Normally I would never buy this kind of item or spend this much. As soon as we got on the plane she asked for it, the AC was so cold it made us shiver. She wore that on our return flight as well
    well worth the price. saved us from getting a cold

  4. I find most meals are too large and since you can’t take it to go, I usually share with someone or get an appetizer –which is great when there’s a happy hour special!

  5. Pdx (Portland, OR) has a really cool thing where the food vendors in the airport are not allowed to price their food higher than what it normally is priced at in the vendor’s other Portland locations outside the airport. So there is a pizza place that has really yummy pizza, and huge slices, I think it was like $4 for a huge slice and a bottle of water… I thought that was a steal for airport food!

  6. Not really a deal, but the most exciting thing my husband has gotten for me before a flight is whipped cream and strawberries from Starbucks in the airport! That was a fun surprise and completely unexpected!

  7. Not a deal, but the best airport meal I’ve ever had was at One Flew South in Atlanta. I think it’s in Terminal E.

  8. I think the cost of airport food at SEA-TAC is really good. They do “street pricing” and I’ve also found it reasonable.

  9. I’m always happy to see Dunkin Donuts for coffee, because the price feels almost reasonable. Although I may be jinxing myself by saying that for a Starbucks giveaway. . . .

  10. Taipei Airport, food court on the second floor. Dim sum breakfast, and miscellaneous other choices, $4 – $6.

  11. I make a conscious effort not to buy the rip-off food in the airport. But, I have been known to sneak into an Auntie Anne’s or a happy hour now and again when I’m weak.

  12. Since I never feel like I’ve gotten a great deal in terms of value, I’m going to say a Potbelly SandwichWorks cookie at DCA – so good, and since it’s just a cookie it can only be so overpriced!

  13. I second PDX, my home airport that has the same prices as off airport and no sales tax on food or anything else.

  14. On a Virgin America flight we were once given Chromebooks with free access to internet for the duration of the flight. It was unexpected and fun!

  15. Best deal was lounge access in HKG.. plenty of food, variety of juices, barristers making excellent cappuccinos and free Internet connection. Live the lounge hopping. No need going to the food court for local specialties.

  16. I went to DAL and I was at Dunkin Donuts and a lady gave me a free bagel for my coffee! It was really sweet.

  17. If you have a long layover in Seoul’s Incheon Airport or Singapore’s Changi Airport, they offer free city tours you can go on. I think that’s an awesome deal….break up a long journey, and get a free city tour as well.

  18. Not counting all the lounge access with Aegean Gold, or the maybe the time I got bumped from EVA economy to ANA business / United First… do I actually buy things at the airport besides meals?

  19. Beers at the Stone Brewery location in San Diego airport. It wasn’t so much that the prices were all that great, but it was so much better than paying $8 for a Sam Adams!

  20. Buying burgers from In-N-Out off of Sepulveda at LAX and bringing with me in the airport.

    The looks from TSA as I put in the box full of burgers on the X-Ray conveyor belt was priceless.

  21. I got a great deal on T shirts at the Kansas City airport, got a nice Mizzou shirt for $5! I’ve hit the clearance rack there several times. 🙂

  22. The best deal I’ve gotten at an airport is a generously-sized sample from Kiehl’s at ATL, just for checking in on foursquare.

  23. A girl was standing behind some fruit and glasses at Heathrow Duty-Free store so we asked her what she was doing. She replied she was there to mix beverages. We asked if they were free and she said, “No, complimentary.” She muddled up some fruit and alcohol of your choice and we had a few wonderful cocktails for free!

  24. I got a wonderfulMcDonalds slad for $6.00 last time I was at Midway in Chicago. Just as good as the $10.00 salad at TGI Fridays and I didn’t have to tip!

  25. I got a wonderfulMcDonalds salad for $6.00 last time I was at Midway in Chicago. Just as good as the $10.00 salad at TGI Fridays and I didn’t have to tip!

  26. A salad at a bar sold to go in Denver. It was only $8 and delicious! My sister and I both were able to eat off it.

  27. By far, the best deals are available at lounges for those who can get in for peanuts. Sort of like the economy designed to favor the 1%. But that is what this game is all about. Eating a Peninsula Hotel-catered lunch at the Wing In HKG for nothing but tip is exceptional.

  28. Best deal I’ve had at the airport? $50 food/beverage credit for a one hour delayed flight. For some reason the gate agent called me to the counter and said that the computer said I was supposed to receive this for the delay. Score!

  29. Best deal at an airport might have been when I was much younger, flying home broke and delayed. Being able to use my leftover change to buy a poptart!

  30. My wife and I decided to try the “Bacon-Wrapped Jalapenos with Stuffed Cream Cheese” at a restaurant in IAH two years ago. Despite our exceedingly veteran palates, these jalapenos were so hot that they were inedible. I’m talking 9.5 out of 10 on a spicy scale. I politely provided feedback and suggestions via email and they gave us a free meal the next time we passed through!

  31. a couple weeks ago I was stuck in ORD for a few hours while McDonald’s was running their free coffee promotion. McD’s had a table set up in the cafeteria giving away free coffee, along with employees roaming around just giving people cups. it was sweet!

  32. Voluntary bump in Phoenix on return to Chicago., Negotiated flight to las Vegas for the night, hotel dinner and return to Chicago next day.. No clothes, cold and rainy but didn’t care nor remember much.
    Best deal ever.

  33. I don’t think I’ve ever scored a great deal but I was excited to try Argo Tea in Chicago and felt like it was at least decently priced.

  34. I don’t know if this qualifies as a good deal, but I had a gift card for a restaurant that was not available in my city EXCEPT in the ticketed area of the airport., So, I was able to get a free meal before I left on my flight.

  35. Not exactly a deal, but the pre-flight meal served in the Virgin Atlantic clubhouse on my way to LHR a few years ago.

  36. i got my suit cleaned for free at a one hour cleaner in an airport during a layover after another pax barfed on me during turbulence. Best airport deal ever!

  37. I’ve scored a great deal at a clothing store called Massimo Dutti at the Athens airport. They were having a sale and thought I got a great deal.

  38. Best deal would be at CLT airport- Bad Daddy’s burgers. They have enormous portions and you cant beat the food.

  39. Bangkok Airways in Thailand – we got a small buffet breakfast with local and continental food on our way out of Bangkok and unlimited delicious snacks while waiting for our return flight – and that’s their norm!

  40. Horizona/Alaska airlines used to have free Starbucks coffee in the boarding area. I believe it is no longer 🙁

  41. I’m a mystery shopper, so my last visit to the airport, I got paid $35 to evaluate the American Express kiosk. I think it’s a great deal to get paid while at the airport you planned to be at anyway!

  42. I used some Delta food vouchers from a massively delayed flight for a great sushi meal at DTW. Almost made up for the delay..

  43. Narita (Tokyo) airport –I almost never check duty free gifts at an airport. I feel they are a scam. But walking through Narita last year I saw an issay Miyaki handbag that I had been admiring for several years — each year he released the same bag in different colors. Depending where in the world I was the price ranged from $500 to nearly a thousand dollars. Too rich for my blood. This day, Narita had it in a fabulous color, tax free AND on sale for around $250. Plus the shopping arcade had a promotion giving 10% rebate towards another item in any store. I bought the bag of my dreams, my mom took my $25 rebate and used it towards a sportsac bag she had been admiring–bringing her cost down to $35 and generating another 10% $4 rebate which I used for a small fabric purse which I bought for a few bucks at the gate whilst running onto the plane. A great ending to a wonderful trip in Japan. And I still love that bag.

  44. There are no deals at the airports – why would be any as passengers are a captive audience at that point? The only “deal” is to get a shower and a decent meal at the airline club where you got access for free, i.e. status match.

  45. The duty free shop in Amsterdam had Opium perfume for $10 – I’m pretty sure it was a mistake, but everyone was buying it, including me!

  46. With a companion, I had 2 bumps each way during the 1st CHICAGO DO that also included an overnight Hilton stay w/ food.

  47. USB memory sticks and other items purchased over the years at the main electronics store at the Amsterdam (AMS) airport. Also, free access to some wonderful airport lounges with great food and drinks in Europe and elsewhere.

  48. Best airport deal was the fresh, beautifully presented buffet at La Place in the main terminal at Schiphol in June of this year. Awesome!

  49. We love BWI because they have a Chipotle and the prices are pretty much the same as they are outside the airport. I also feel like it is pretty healthy compared to other choices.

  50. My best advice for a deal of a meal is to get bumped from a flight when they need someone to give up their seat. My fiancé and I did this once and we ended up with a thousand dollar voucher, plus a 50.00 voucher for dinner !

  51. Going into a lounge with a free day pass and filling up on snacks and drinks before a flight in coach is the best deal I’ve gotten so far.

  52. Hm, I’ve never gotten good deals at airports because I have never been to one, nor have I ever flown in a plane!

  53. A Chili’s burger wwith a coupon discount; somehow, discounted (or, even better, free) food alsays tastes better to me!

  54. A flight attendant upgraded me to a first class seat on a BA flight from Dulles to London after she saw that my suitcase had ripped and my clothes were strewn about at the gate.

  55. Love popping into the Centurion Lounge @ LAS on connections for a great drink/meal…my free (don’t ask) AMEX platinum card has been great to me.

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