A pre-flight pint has become a tradition for most Brits, who settle into the airport pubs after having made it through check-in and security.

Of course those pints don't come cheap; with limited options in an airport, you're often going to end up paying more than you would down your local. Now, one study has lifted the lid on how much Brits can expect to pay for a pint on average at some of the UK's biggest travel hubs including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Liverpool and East Midlands.

Luxury travel platform Velloy has revealed its 'Airport Pint and Prosecco Index', which looked at the average cost of a pint and glass of Prosecco across the UK's busiest airports.

A pre-flight pint is often on the cards for Brits (
Image:
Getty Images)

The cheapest overall was Glasgow International, where the average price of a pint came in at a still-eyewatering £6.06. If you're flying from the hub and after the cheapest drink, then Tennent's Pier Bar had the cheapest pint at £4.79.

Unsurprisingly, the most expensive pint prices were found in London airports. Luton had the highest average price with £7.36, followed by Heathrow with £7.14 and London City at £6.98. However Gatwick found itself on the cheaper side of the rankings, with an average price of £6.65. Out of all the airports surveyed, Heathrow had the most expensive pint at £10.05 at its London Pride By Fullers bar.

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UK airports' average pint costs

  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

Prosecco wasn't exactly cheap either. The cheapest average glass was at East Midlands airport with a price tag of £8.33, while on the other end of the scale you could find yourself forking out around £11.38 at Leeds Bradford.

UK airports' average Prosecco costs

  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

For passengers who are alcohol-free, there was good news as the research found that 71% of bars, pubs and restaurants in airports offered non-alcoholic options. However these tended to be classic soft drinks; for those in search of an alcohol-free glass of fizz, only 7% of establishments provided an option.

Hugo Cannon, founder of Velloy, said: "For many, there’s no better way to start a holiday than a pint at the airport or a glass of prosecco to get that “going away” feeling started. As a British holiday staple, we were keen to discover which airports are home to the cheapest and best pre-flight drinks, and thought, what better guide for travellers than an index revealing where they can 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 helpful for any keen travellers looking to start their trip with a celebratory beverage!"

  • The NHS recommends drinking no more than 14 units of alcohol a week for men and women. If you are worried about your alcohol intake contact your GP for help or visit drinkaware.co.uk for resources. Always drink responsibly.