BAA has been ordered by the Advertising Standards Authority to stop claiming the prices of food and drink sold through its airports are the same as on the high street.
The airport operator had made the claim in a leaflet entitled Guide to Stansted Airport and repeated it in a second publication entitled Taste, adding: “Get stuck in as you won’t pay a penny more than you’re used to!”
However, in a ruling issued today, ASA said although the prices matched those in certain branches, the branches used for the comparison were based in the City of London, London’s West End and the centre of Cambridge.
This was instead of using any local high street across the rest of the UK, where prices are cheaper because shop ground rents are lower.
The ASA has told BAA not to repeat the claim in any future advertising.