Passengers aboard a British Airways flight from Athens to Heathrow found themselves in a surprising situation mid-air when they were informed of an unexpected increase in the prices of onboard food and drinks.

The announcement, delivered by a steward over the PA system, left travelers taken aback as they were told to disregard the menu prices listed, which had reportedly been hiked up by approximately 10% earlier that day. According to the report by Metro co.UK.

british airways credit cards Adding to the shock was the revelation that the card payment readers on board had already been adjusted to reflect the higher rates. This meant that passengers would be charged more than what was originally stated on the menu.

The price increase applied to a variety of items including sandwiches, breakfast bacon rolls, cream tea with scones, as well as alcoholic beverages and soft drinks. For many passengers, this unexpected news felt like a blow,chase british airways with one traveler expressing their dismay, questioning the lack of prior warning and describing the move as an attempt to “rip us off.”

Moreover, the already steep prices for onboard food were a point of contention, exemplified by comparisons such as a pack of noodles costing £1.50 in a supermarket but priced at around £5 on the flight.

In response to the backlash, british airways amex cited “small alterations” to snack and drink prices on short-haul flights as part of scheduled changes. They assured passengers that they are in the process of updating onboard menus to reflect the adjustments.

However, the lack of prior communication about the price hike raised eyebrows, especially considering the airline’s recent string of staffing controversies and its low ranking in customer satisfaction among british airways frequent flyer UK airlines.