Airport Parking Online – Not Too Easy But Just Right
A recent post by Ken McGuire wondered whether airport parking online was a bit too easy. He discussed his experience of travelling through Dublin airport and avoiding the old hassles of having to pay for your space before getting on the bus to get you back to the car. He commented favorably on the rate offered for a weekend’s airport parking. For our money, this is the way it should always be. What’s the point of looking airport parking online if it doesn’t save you hassle?
Choosing Off Airport Parking
When I travel I always arrange airport parking in advance. It’s usually offsite and I usually get an excellent deal. There’s no big secret to this — it just involves looking around to see who has an off airport parking lot close to the airport I will be flying from. That usually narrows it down to just a couple of options. My next step is to see how else I can save. For example, if I’m collecting air miles or have loyalty cards from hotels or car rental firms, then I see if they have a deal with the off airport parking lot I plan to use. Depending on the length of my stay, this can save me quite a bit.
And let’s not forget the airport parking provider itself. They often have specials that will allow me to get a reduction on parking charges. Where possible I try to use the same provider at a variety of airports. That’s because they often give discounts for using their service more than once. So even if I don’t save that much the first time, the discount I get on subsequent visits is well worth it.
Keeping It Simple
What I always find interesting is the way different airport parking firms have different approaches to getting your car booked in. In the UK the process often involves queuing up to show your documentation relating to the space you have booked. In other cases it is as easy as swiping a card, ditching your car and boarding a shuttle bus. That really works for me — the more the process is automated, the easier it is for the traveler. And with other parts of your journey becoming more difficult thanks to more onerous security measures, saving time with off airport parking is a bonus.
