Taking off Travel blog

Top of the morning to you and here’s our weekly (ish) roundup of airport and airport parking news.

Off Airport Parking Research

First up, the results of some new research into airport parking, published on the UK’s Travel Daily UK blog. UK firm Looking4Parking has published research showing that 66% of those using airport parking firms save an hour on their journey. And a third of the 1,000 people polled also thought that a meet and greet service saved up to 2 hours.  Convenience and cost were among the factors that led people to book with off airport parking firms. Find out more about the airport parking research here.

Looking Ahead to Terminal 4 – JFK Airport

In the New York Times last week, there was a sneak peek at changes happening at JFK’s new terminal 4, due for completion next year. According to the article by Christine Haughney, the structure is beginning to take place. The new terminal will automate baggage screening and speed up security. When completed passenger transfers between domestic and international flights are also expected to work more smoothly. Read more on the JFK expansion here.

Airline Administration Fees

It’s not just here in the US that we have a problem with ever increasing air travel fees. Saturday’s post on the Travel Rants blog saw Darren Cronian talking about administration fees on EasyJet, one of the UK’s low cost airlines. The cause of contention is a new GBP9 (approximately $13.50 at today’s exchange rates) applied to all debit card payments. This fee is more than 9 times the maximum fee charged by banks for debit card transactions. With new European legislation coming in to improve transparency for travelers, Cronian asks:

why is it that every time the government or European Union announces a new legislation, the airlines find somewhere around it, which ultimately costs the consumer money?

Why, indeed?

Radiation Tests for TSA Employees

We’ve been wondering about the effects of airport scanners for quite a while and the Transport Security Administration (TSA) has generally played down health concerns. However, according to an article in the LA Times, the TSA is planning to test its employees and check their radiation exposure. No tests yet for the scanners themselves or the passengers though.

Save on Airport Parking

Finally, to end today’s roundup, a piece of company news – our latest airport parking discount coupon. If you’re thinking of making airport parking reservations at (MDW) Chicago Midway Airport, (IND) Indianapolis Airport, (ALB) Albany Airport, (ORD) Chicago O’Hare Airport, (JFK) John F. Kennedy Airport or any of our more than 150 airport parking locations nationwide, you won’t want to miss this offer. Just book 2 days or more by January 31, 2012 using the promo code Happy12 and SAVE 10%*.  This offer is valid for travel for the entire year.

Planning to park at Chicago Midway (MDW), Albany Airport (ALB) or  Indianapolis Airport (IND)? If you are, have we got an offer for you!  Book 4 or more days at MDW, IND or ALB and receive a $25 Restaurant.com certificate once your stay is complete.

That’s $25 to spend on the site that matches great restaurants with great people.

Check out the offer details here:

Indianapolis Airport Parking

Midway Airport Parking

Albany Airport Parking

This offer is available while stocks last for buyers purchasing new airport parking reservations of 4 days or more online only. It cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.  Full terms and conditions available on Park Ride Fly USA’s site.

We don’t want to say we told you so, but … we told you so! UK travel comparison site Travel Supermarket has published research showing that Easter holiday makers can save up to 572% off the cost of airport parking by using an off airport parking lot for an eight day stay. The average saving that could be made across the 23 airports researched equaled $177, with greater savings to be made at Heathrow, the UK’s most expensive airport for airport parking. Hmm, wonder what the savings would be on US airport parking?

Read the full story here – and don’t forget to check out our off airport parking coupons and deals.

According to the Tennessean, Nashville airport (BNA) is to close one of its long term airport parking areas for repaving from May 1 to June 24. That will take 1,500 parking spaces out of commission for almost two months. Don’t worry, though, Park Ride Fly USA can help. You can book Nashville airport parking at our facility just 5 minutes away from the airport. Valet parking, free shuttle and a secure parking lot are just some of the advantages of parking at our BNA airport parking facility. Don’t forget to check out our main airport parking reservations site for a coupon you can use to save 10%.

I’ve discovered something. It’s not so simple to identify cheap airport parking locations across the US. Sure, it’s easy if you want to find the cheapest airport parking provider at a particular airport. However, it would take a long time to sort through all the airports to find the most affordable off airport parking nationwide. (If I’m wrong, do let me know, because I’ve been looking for ages.)

Assessing the Cost of Airport Parking

But sometimes I wonder whether it would be sensible to have a national comparison engine for offsite airport parking. After all, in the same way that you look for cheap flights and then make a decision on where to go, the cost of your parking has a major impact on the overall cost of your trip. Luckily, there are lots of ways that you can save money on this part of your holiday.

Book Online

One top tip is to book your parking online. Choose a provider with a good website who will make it easy for you to make reservations, apply discounts and secure additional services from one handy place. Of course, don’t forget to look for local deals which may be available through your newspaper or favorite news site. Off airport parking providers often make deals available through different media outlets.

Discounts and Coupons

It is also worth looking for seasonal discounts, such as our holiday discount parking coupon. These can give you a significant saving on the usual price of parking, making your off airport parking cheap. To add to this, you may also be able to get discounts on car hire, hotels and other travel services through your parking provider’s partnerships. And of course your airport parking facility may offer reward and point schemes which you can apply to your future off airport parking requirements.

Other Benefits

As well as saving money on parking, there may be additional benefits to using an off airport parking provider. For example, your provider may offer a valet service, or may warm or cool the car for you before pickup depending on the season. They may be small things, but they can give a boost to the overall travel experience. So the next time you’re ready to book cheap airport parking consider the tips I’ve given above — and you could save a mint!