Airports are meant to be places of excitement and anticipation as travelers embark on journeys to new destinations. However, a different story unfolds beneath the glossy veneer of modern airports. Here are 24 unfortunate Airport scams faced by members of an online forum.
1. The Persistent Panhandler
A user shares a story of a persistent panhandler at Chicago-O’Hare airport. A young traveler, new to the world of airport stopovers, was approached by a middle-aged man.
The seemingly harmless encounter took a dark turn as the stranger spun a sob story about canceled flights and bus fare to Birmingham. The traveler, feeling compassionate, withdrew $20 from an ATM for the man.
Four years later, during another stopover at the same airport, they saw the same man in the same attire trying to pull off the same con. When confronted, he turned from desperation to anger.
2. Cuban Currency Con
Another commenter recalls an experience in Cuba where they wanted to exchange Cuban pesos for US dollars. The first currency exchange booth at the airport claimed to have no US dollars but directed the user to another one inside the airport.
After going through security, the security personnel insisted that Cuban pesos could not leave the country, effectively trapping them. They ended up losing about $300 to this well-coordinated scam.
3. Passport Extortion in East Africa
A traveler narrates their ordeal at a corrupt Eastern African airport where a check-in agent demanded $200 in USD, threatening to withhold their passport and make them miss their flight. In a bid to escape this extortion, the traveler reluctantly handed over $50 and received a handwritten receipt for “Airport Dep Fee.”
4. Cancun Shuttle Scam
A traveler recounts their experience in Cancun. Fresh off a flight, shuttle drivers convinced them that taking their shuttle would be quicker than waiting for the Ado bus. Lured in by the seemingly legitimate printed rate card, the traveler and a fellow passenger paid 400 MXN each. When the driver demanded an additional tip upon arrival, they realized they had fallen for a scam.
5. Unwelcome Welcome in Egypt
A traveler flying out of Egypt shared an account of a baggage handler at the airport. The handler attempted to overcharge the traveler for handling their luggage. “He had the audacity to say that it’s $10!” They eventually told him off with a few dollars.
6. Boarding Pass Print Fee
An individual shared a surprising experience with Frontier Airlines, where they were charged $25 for printing their boarding pass at the airport. This unexpected fee shocked them, highlighting the airline’s questionable reputation for nickel-and-diming passengers.
7. JFK Taxi Trickery
In one of their home airports, a traveler was duped into paying twice the fare for a taxi ride from JFK airport. The driver initially offered a ride to “anywhere in Manhattan” but raised the fare upon arrival, claiming that the destination was not within Manhattan. Yikes!
8. Grab App Manipulation
While using the Grab app in Thailand, one traveler was scammed when the driver requested cash for tolls that were already included in the app’s payment. The driver’s deception led to an additional charge, and the traveler accepted the minor loss to avoid a lengthy, frustrating argument. “Funny thing is I would’ve tipped a lot more than that had he not tried to be scammy.”
9. Lagos Luggage Extortion
Imagine being asked to pay for the service of a customs officer not to open your luggage. Faced with this unsettling choice, a traveler paid the officer to secure their belongings and carefully exit the situation.
10. Series of Mishaps
One narrates their nightmarish experience with United Airlines, where they volunteered to be bumped from a flight. United initially promised to transfer their bags, but they were lost for three hours, making the traveler miss the next flight.
They were then told the next flight wasn’t until the morning, and because they had missed the connection due to a “baggage mishandling error,” they were also no longer eligible for a hotel pass. “Never again, United.”
11. Delhi Security Shakedown
A traveler rushing for a flight at Delhi airport encountered a police officer who intentionally delayed them at the security checkpoint. The officer demanded a bribe before allowing them to proceed. “Corruption at its shining best.”
12. Heathrow Terminal Transfer Fee
The Heathrow Airport is no easy space to navigate. One found themselves in a rush and took a black cab between two terminals. It cost them a staggering 50 pounds for not even leaving the airport. Ridiculous!
13. Weather Excuse
A traveler’s trust in Southwest Airlines was shattered when they experienced a series of mishaps. Initially told their flight was delayed due to the weather, they later discovered the actual cause was a lack of baggage handlers. The chaos left the traveler feeling frustrated and misled.
14. Moscow Taxi Price Manipulation
One found themselves in a tricky situation. They got into a taxi stand with an English-language sign with the charges equivalent to the airfare written over it. They thought they could negotiate with the driver once the travel was completed. However, the language barrier made it impossible, and they had to pay the full price.
15. “Help” in Cebu, Philippines
An airport worker approached one traveler and insisted on helping him with his bags, charging no cash for the labor. “I get a salary from the airport. No money, sir,” said the worker. Once the luggage had been taken to its destination, the worker insisted on a tip of “only 40 pesos.” Thankfully, this traveler scared him off by threatening to call security.
16. Turning the Tables in Cairo
One wise member shares a story of when they played the scammer’s game against them. Upon landing in Cairo, they immediately checked the Uber recommended fare from the airport to their luxurious hotel and used it as a metric for negotiating with the taxi drivers.
Realizing that his hotel was fancy and would cause the drivers to charge him more, the traveler pretended to be dropped off at an adjacent cheaper hotel. This saved them a total of $20!
17. A Sad Sandwich
Imagine being severely hungry and your only option being a sandwich for $13. Its contents? “Two pieces of bread, a skimpy piece of lettuce, and a quarter of ham, which basically was there to look like there was actually ham in it from the outside.”
18. Lima Taxi Troubles
Imagine being charged seventy dollars for a 20-minute ride. One user experienced just that as the scammer eventually took 2 ten pound Scottish notes from them. “On flying home from Lima, I noticed there were lots of signs saying only get official taxis. Lesson Learned!” they comment.
19. Overpriced Tea
A user who flew out of Taipei airport bought a tea box for their gift friend right before boarding. Although the label had read $17 on the shelf, they realized on the flight that they had been charged a whopping $117 for it.
20. Luggage Extortion in Cancun
The agent who checks bags told one couple their bag was slightly overweight, but he would “allow it this time.” As the couple thanked him profusely and were about to leave, he insisted on being given cash for providing a “favor.” “I worried the entire flight home our bags weren’t going to show up in baggage claim.”
21. Heathrow’s Black Taxi Rip-Off
Another traveler shares a story from 2015 about being scammed by a black taxi at Heathrow Airport. Despite initially having a pleasant conversation with the driver, they were taken on an unnecessarily long route and charged a ridiculous amount for a short ride. “Ended up paying over 180 pounds for a 40-pound ride.”
22. The Deaf Deceiving
In Chicago, a traveler encountered a woman who claimed to be deaf and needed $3 for bus fare to get home. At first, the traveler shook their head, signaling they had no cash to spare. Surprisingly, the woman began to walk away. However, the traveler had a change of heart and called her back, claiming to have cash.
Upon hearing this, she turned around. With skepticism, the traveler confronted her, saying, “Deaf, huh?” The woman quickly walked away, unable to respond.
23. Lounge Access Trickery
A traveler and their spouse faced a fraudulent scheme at an airport lounge. A well-dressed man approached them, suggesting they might have free entry to the lounge. He asked to see their Credit card, claiming he needed to swipe it to check its validity. Thankfully, the traveler’s spouse saw through the ruse and firmly told the man to leave them alone.
24. Cancun Passport and Visa Vanishing Act
After loading their belongings onto the security conveyor belt, a passenger realized that their boarding pass and visa, which were inside their passport, had gone missing. This mishap occurred just before their flight was scheduled to depart.
They had to backtrack and obtain a new visa to resolve the situation, which involved leaving the security area and paying $50 in cash.
Source: Reddit.
