One of only two post-security drink options in T1
Costa - After Security sits in Terminal T1 airside at Aberdeen, effectively sharing the duty with a single bar to caffeinate everyone past security. It’s the standard UK Costa menu: espresso drinks, basic teas, hot chocolate, and pre-made sandwiches and pastries. Plan on “London prices” rather than Aberdeen high street; reviews of similar airport Costas talk about £3+ americanos and £4–£5 lattes. If you want a sit-down coffee before a 07:00–09:00 wave of departures, this is basically it.
Queues spike around early morning flights and again from about 16:30 when offshore workers and business travellers crowd T1. With only this Costa and the bar after security, lines can push 10–15 minutes for a flat white and a croissant. Food is standard-issue Costa: toasties, paninis, and packets of biscuits in the £4–£7 range. Nothing here competes with a decent cafe in town, but it beats boarding a 90‑minute hop on an empty stomach.
Regulars often game the system: Reddit posters say they drink coffee at home or at an Aberdeen city cafe and aim to hit security about 45–60 minutes before departure, using Costa only as a backup. That approach makes sense if you’re flying easyJet or Loganair on short sectors where trolley service is hit-or-miss. If you do stop here, grab bottled water or a snack for later; there’s not another coffee counter once you reach most T1 gates.
Tip: if your boarding pass shows a gate at the far end of T1, order takeaway, then walk straight down; don’t wait to finish your drink at a crowded table and risk a last-minute gate change.