Airline passengers frequenting businesses at Philadelphia International Airport are paying a bit more for the privilege, writes Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza for WHYY.
Airport retailers can already charge prices up to 15 percent higher than average. Now there’s a new 3 percent transaction surcharge as well.
It’s called an employee wage and benefit fee and it goes to the business operator.
The fee offsets higher operating costs and a new city-mandated minimum wage of $17.20 and a $4.70 an hour supplemental health benefit.
So under the new airport price structure, a $3.55 Dunkin’ Donuts coffee order at a Philadelphia store ($3.29 for the coffee plus 26 cents tax) will cost $4.56 inside the airport ($4.10 for the coffee plus a 12-cent surcharge and 34 cents tax).
“We were hearing concerns from the operators, including the disadvantaged business enterprises, that they weren’t going to be able to meet the prevailing wage changes, the health and benefits,” said Heather Redfern, spokesperson for the city of Philadelphia Department of Aviation. “The money does not go to the airport.”
The 3 percent surcharge will be reevaluated every six months and could be increased. About 83 percent of airport shops have adopted the surcharge.
Read more about the new surcharge for PHL businesses at WHYY.
