One traveler’s social media post has the internet up in arms over sneaky fees being added to airport purchases.
A Reddit post from last week exposed an extra surcharge being added to purchases for the sake of “employee and retention programs.” The user making the complaint was purchasing “The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by John U. Bacon at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, when he noticed that the $21.99 book cost him $24.66.
“I just wanted to buy a book before my 6 a.m. flight. And naturally, they tax on top of the added fee as well!” he wrote in his post.
“A 3% surcharge has been applied to your purchase. This charge is for employee and retention programs and is not a gratuity,” the receipt read, according to Fox News.
The fee was added to the book’s pre-tax total, bringing it up to $22.65. From there, the total was subject to the regular 8.875% rate and ultimately cost the traveler nearly $25. But while the post was made recently, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey explained to Fox News Digital that the 3% Employee Benefits and Retention Surcharge has been in effect for more than a year.
“An official said the surcharge is designed to support annual wage increases for thousands of airport workers while helping retailers cover higher labor costs stemming from airport minimum wage requirements and the Healthy Terminals Act,” the outlet reported.
“This hidden fee stuff is out of control,” one disgruntled Reddit user responded. “They need to change the laws, so things are marked [at] what they actually cost.”
“I would have canceled the purchase when I saw it on the screen,” another quipped.
X users reacted:
@PetsRescues Captive market, where else you going to go?
— American as Trump (@JoshuaBradner) November 11, 2026
“This charge is for employee and retention programs and is not a gratuity,”
The gratuity is separate and hard to figure out how to bypass, of course…
— Jem from Jexium Island (@JexiumIslandJem) November 11, 2026
Self-checkout.
I scanned it. I bagged it. I fixed the “unexpected item in bagging area.”
Pretty sure I’m the employee. Where’s MY retention fee? 😂— Nifty Raven (@NFTRVN) November 4, 2026
Hudson News is one reason I head straight for the lounge. Even a self-serve fridge beats tipping a self-checkout.
— Madison and Judging (@BlockFromPark) November 4, 2026
That’s why I don’t buy items in the airport unless I have to.
— Brian Trent (@BrianTrent38180) November 11, 2026
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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