Name: 起飛前荷包就已經大失血？！看看機場如何讓你心甘情願掏腰包 (Sneaky Ways Airports Get You To Spend Money)
Uploaded: 2019-10-31T21:01:20.000Z
Duration: 7 min

Ever been stuck in an airport, parched and hungry?

你是否曾經卡在機場裡，覺得又渴、又餓呢？

You've already spent a fortune on tickets and baggage fees, and somehow you end up buying a giant Toblerone and a $5 water.

你已經花了一大筆錢在機票和行李費上，但是最後不知怎麼地，你還買了一條超大的瑞士三角巧克力和一瓶 5 塊美金的水。

Spending in airports hit $40 billion in 2017.

2017 年，在機場內進行的消費金額達到 400 億美金。

On average, travelers will spend anywhere from $11 and $140 per airport visit.

通常每去一次機場，旅客會花 11 到 140 美金不等。

But all that spending is not entirely your fault.

但是這些花費不完全是你的錯。

Airports are purposely laid out to lead passengers through moneymaking areas.

機場都是精心佈局過，導引旅客穿越消費區。

In 2018, the average cost of a week of airport parking was $96.

2018 年，在機場停車的一週平均花費是 96 美金。

London Heathrow and the Abu Dhabi airport in the United Arab Emirates had the most expensive lots, charging $249 and $235, respectively, for seven days.

倫敦希斯洛機場和阿拉伯聯合大公國的阿布達比機場的收費最高， 7 天的收費分別是 249 美金和 235 美金。

Short-term and long-term parking cost: absolute fortunes.

長期和短期停車的費用是收益的保證。

That's obviously just pure profit to the airport.

Now you're ready for check-in and security.

現在你準備好要報到和安檢了。

Even though traveling is becoming easier worldwide, passengers still arrive early for flights.

儘管旅行這件事在全球各地都已經變得更加方便，然而旅客還是會提早抵達機場。

2 hours and 17 minutes before takeoff, on average.

平均會在起飛前 2 小時 17 分鐘抵達。

By speeding up check-in and security with digital kiosks, TSA Precheck, Global Entry, and 3D CT baggage scanners, airports can get travelers to spend more time in the profitable zones airside.

機場利用電子櫃檯、TSA 預先安檢、全球入境計畫和 3D 行李斷層掃描來加快報到和安檢的速度，如此就能使旅客花更多時間在有利可圖出境區域內。

Now you'll find yourself in what's called the recomposure zone.

接著你就會進入所謂的休息區。

One of the more interesting tricks I've seen is the idea of having a composure kind of place at the end of the security line.

我見過最有趣的一個手法是，在出安檢後有一塊類似讓你重整自己的區域。

So you go through security, you have some time to get yourself together, put your wallet back in your pocket, your cellphone, put your shoes back on, make sure you're all settled, and then you go shopping.

所以當你安檢完，你有時間把自己整理一下，把錢包放回口袋、收好手機、鞋子穿上，確認你都安置好了，然後你就可以開始購物。

It's just a way to make people a little keener on spending money.

這只是一種讓人們更想花錢的方式。

Often, the first thing you see after security is duty-free.

通常在通過安檢後，第一個映入你眼簾的就是免稅店。

You have to walk through it to get to your gate.

你必須經過這些店才能到達登機門。

You even notice that, in some airports, London Heathrow, for example, walking paths in duty-free veer to the left.

你甚至會發現，在某些機場，像是倫敦的希斯洛，免稅區的走道會向左偏。

This leaves more space for retail on the right of the path.

這樣可以在走道右邊留出更多空間給商店。

According to the consulting firm Intervistas, that leads to profits because the majority of people are right-handed and will spend more time looking to the right.

根據顧問公司 Intervistas，由於大多數人是右撇子並且會花比較多時間看向右側，因此這個方法可以帶來更多利潤。

And while duty-free means foreign taxes on goods are removed, this doesn't necessarily mean they're cheaper.

儘管「免稅」表示商品的外國稅被移除了，這並不一定就表示它們比較便宜。

Duty-free can be a great savings if you buy something like alcohol or cigarettes, which are usually highly taxed.

如果你購買免稅的菸酒類商品，確實可以省下一大筆錢，因為它們的稅通常很高。

In terms of other things, toys or electronics, or even some foods, those aren't really taxed as highly, so even though there's no taxes, there's a higher overall retail price.

至於其他東西，像是玩具、電子產品甚至一些食品，它們原本就沒有課很高的稅，所以即便免稅，它們的整體零售價還是比較高的。

And you're not the only one getting suckered into buying a marked-up giant Toblerone.

你不是唯一一位被騙去買超貴的巨形瑞士三角巧克力的人。

Globally, duty-free is a huge industry valued at over $67 billion in 2018, according to a report from Coherent Market Insights.

在全球，免稅品是一個巨大的產業，根據 Coherent Market Insights 的一份報告，2018 年時市值超過 670 億美金。

After you're through duty-free, you find yourself in the main shopping area, surrounded by even more dining and spending options.

等你通過免稅區後，你會進入主要購物區，被更多用餐和消費的選項包圍。

If you're in a European airport, this is where you'll likely be forced to hang out.

如果你是在歐洲機場，你很有可能會被迫在這裡停留。

Airports like London Heathrow and Gatwick don't announce gates until 25 to 90 minutes before the flight, compelling passengers to stay in the central shopping part of the terminal.

部分機場像是倫敦的希斯洛和蓋威克，直到起飛前 25 到 90 分鐘才會公告登機門，迫使旅客得待在航廈的中央購物區。

And there are strategically placed signs that indicate walking times to gates and gate locations in order to keep you stress-free and satisfied.

另外還有一些精心設置的標示，告訴你走到登機門所需的時間和登機門位置，讓你逛到心滿意足又沒有壓力。

Not to mention massage chairs, spas, ponds, and atriums.

更不用說那些按摩椅、SPA、池塘和中庭。

Because studies show if passengers are 1% more satisfied, airport sales go up by 1.5%.

因為研究顯示，當旅客的滿足感提高了百分之 1，機場的銷售額就會提高百分之 1.5。

With two hours left to kill before your flight, there's a chance you'll get hungry.

在起飛前需要消磨的兩個鐘頭裡，你有可能會肚子餓。

Even the restaurants are designed with big windows, relaxing music, and outlets to keep you satisfied and in the spending mood.

就連這些餐廳都規劃了大片的窗戶、放鬆的音樂和充電插座，好讓你感覺滿足並維持在想要消費的狀態。

But, of course, these restaurants don't come cheap.

不過當然，這些餐廳消費並不低。

At Los Angeles International, there's an 18% markup on food.

在洛杉磯國際機場，食物比外面貴了大約百分之 18。

And while there are some airports, like Seattle-Tacoma, that require food prices to reflect costs you'd find outside the airport, they fully expect you to end up spending more because you think you're paying less.

雖然有些機場，像西雅圖-塔科馬，會要求食物的價格與機場外的消費相符，但其實它們都非常期待你在以為自己付比較少的情況下花更多錢。

The steep prices are partly because restaurants pay high rents to airports, generally a monthly-based rent and up to a 15% cut of gross revenues.

價格這麼高有部分原因是與餐廳要支付給機場的高租金有關，一般包含每個月的租金以及高達總營收百分之 15 的抽成。

For Checkers restaurants, rent in American airports is 50% more expensive than in their traditional brick-and-mortar locations.

以 Checkers 餐廳為例，他們在美國機場內要付的的租金比傳統的實體店面貴了百分之五十。

To offset high rents, airport restaurants have gotten more elaborate.

為了打平高租金，機場內的餐廳變得更為精緻。

So, it's not just like a chain restaurant, like an Applebee's or Buffalo Wild Wings.

所以不是只有連鎖店，像 Applebee's 或 Buffalo Wild Wings 這些店。

There's alternatives like steakhouses and more closer to fine-dining-type places, oyster bars, cocktail bars.

還有其他選項，像是牛排館或是類似於高檔餐廳的店，像是生蠔吧、雞尾酒吧。

In Portland International in Oregon, there's a distillery making whiskey on-site and offering tastings.

在奧勒岡的波特蘭國際機場，有一間酒廠在現場釀造威士忌並且提供試喝。

In Tokyo's Narita airport, Sushi Kyotatsu restaurant changes the menu daily based on fresh fish coming in from Tsukiji Market.

在東京的成田機場，京辰壽司會根據當天從築地市場進的新鮮魚貨，每天更換菜單。

Places like these can easily charge a few extra bucks for the experience.

這些地方很可能會因為提供特殊體驗，而多收你一些錢。

On the long walk through the terminal, you pass stores set up with diagonal displays, so you can see all the goods from the concourse.

在行經航廈的路上，你會通過以對角方式陳列商品的店家，好讓你可以從大廳看見所有商品。

The aisles are wide enough to maneuver bags through, and, similar to why you'll often spend more in airport restaurants, retail prices are inflated to offset the cut airports take.

走道非常寬敞，足以讓你帶著包包通過，然後，就如同你會花比較多錢在機場內的餐廳一樣，零售價被提高以打平機場的抽成。

That means you could pay a 200% markup for a bottle of water in some airports.

這表示你有可能在某些機場裡付兩倍的價格買一罐水。

You've got your overpriced snack and magazine, but if you're traveling to another country, you'll need to exchange money.

你已經有了比較貴的零食和雜誌，但如果你是要去別的國家旅行，你會需要換錢。

There's always a currency-exchange booth at the airport, but, generally, it's best to wait until you're outside, because those airport booths charge between 10% and 26% higher exchange rates, and that's not including service fees.

機場裡一定會有外幣兌換所，但是通常最好等到出機場再換，因為那些地方會收取高於匯率百分之 10 到 26 的價錢，而這還沒有包含手續費。

You're just never gonna find a worse exchange rate, except for maybe one of those places in Times Square.

你不會在其他地方找到更糟的匯率了，或許除了時代廣場上的某些地方之外。

And even once you've made it to your gate, there are still plenty of shops to grab last-minute necessities.

而就算你抵達了登機門，那裡還是有不少商店讓你在最後一刻抓些必需品。

It's the idea of having retail mixed with the gates themselves.

這是個把商店與登機門融合在一起的想法。

If you want to wait by your gate early, you're still right next to the store.

如果你想早點在登機門附近等候，商店還是會在你旁邊。

You don't risk missing any announcements.

Finally, you board your plane, maybe a little frustrated at the airport for your lavish spending.

最後，你終於登機了，或許對你在機場的奢華消費感到有點懊惱。

But consider this: Airports are not laughing their way to the bank on all these markups.

但是你可以這樣想：機場並沒有因為這些加價而輕鬆進帳。

Of Europe's airports, 47% lost money in 2018.

歐洲有百分之 47 的機場在 2018 年都虧損。

Some airports make you spend more because they can.

有些機場讓你花更多錢，因為他們有辦法。

It's annoying, but, I mean, it's the reality of it.

It's the captive-audience theory, where people don't really have a choice.

這是聽眾俘虜理論，人們沒得選擇。

You have plenty of time to kill. You're bored, you know, what's a great thing to do?

你有很多時間要消磨、你很無聊，你懂的，有什麼事好做？