A traveller browsing the fridge at Newark Liberty recently posted a photo of bottled water brands he'd never seen anywhere else: Echo, Habitas, tbH and Tydal Hydro. The explanation is simple and a bit cheeky — those brands don't exist outside the airport because they were created for it. A designer's portfolio ties the 2023 branding work to OTG Management, the concessionaire running the CIBO shops, and trademark filings show the names registered under Bougie Brands, LLC.

Why does this matter to anyone catching a flight? Many US airports, including those overseen by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, cap what shops can charge at roughly the "street price" you'd pay outside — plus up to 15%, with an extra employee-benefit surcharge of up to 3%. That rule works only if you can comparison-shop. You know what Poland Spring costs at a corner shop; you have no idea what Habitas should go for. A house water brand conveniently removes the reference point.

The rules do offer some protection, at least on paper. Port Authority guidance calls for a 16–20 ounce bottle of spring water at $2 or less wherever bottled water is sold, or an approved affordable alternative that's clearly signposted. Whether any of the Newark house brands fills that role isn't obvious from the photo.

There's also history here. In 2021, a Sam Adams went for $27.85 at LaGuardia with a COVID recovery fee stacked on top — OTG called it a mistake, and an investigation found two dozen passengers had paid over $23 for a seasonal beer. In 2023, a passenger paid $7.66 for a litre of Smartwater at JFK, and the payment screen asked for a tip. Airports have also quietly allowed surcharges that eat into their own price caps, Philadelphia and New York included. Renaming part of the price a "benefit charge" doesn't shrink the total.

None of this is pure gouging — running a shop airside genuinely costs more. Staff need badging, deliveries go through security, rents are steep, and airports often take a cut of sales on top. And when several differently named stores in a terminal belong to the same concessions company, strolling to the "competitor" next door gets you nowhere.

The TSA's liquid rules tilt the field further. You can't carry a full bottle through security, so airside shops face no real competition. You can bring an empty bottle and refill it — though how often those fountain spouts get sanitised is anyone's guess. And at Newark, the self-checkout terminals reportedly still prompt for tips, which is a lot to ask of someone operating their own checkout.

Practical takeaway: buy water before security when you can, carry an empty bottle through, know the $2 value-water rule exists so you can ask for it, and treat any surcharge line on your receipt as negotiable with your feet. Credit: View from the Wing.