Taking off Travel blog

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is a growing regional travel hub. Serving around 22 million passengers a year, on a typical day the airport has 695 commercial flights, 189 private plane flights and 62,142 passengers. Located in Dania Beach, Broward County, Florida, it’s the county’s largest employer. If you’re planning a trip to Florida or to any of the destinations it serves, then here’s what’s on offer in terms of flights, amenities and parking.

Terminals And Airlines

Fort Lauderdale Airport has four terminals and claims to put an end to “terminal boredom” with the range of facilities in each. (Terminal maps are available here.) The airport offers non-stop service to more than 55 US cities, as well as flights to the Bahamas, Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, Mexico and South America. It’s a hub for Spirit Airlines and Gulfstream International Airlines, though many other carriers operate there. Read more »

Park Ride Fly USA is happy to announce a new provider relationship with AARP, the nation’s largest membership organization for people over 50. We’ve linked up with AARP to offer its 40 million+ members a 10 per cent discount on reservations made at any of our off airport parking locations. There are 132 (and counting …) at 67 airports nationwide so that’s a lot of choice.

We’re happy to say that we offer better parking rates than most on site airport parking lots, so AARP members will really feel the benefit. To grab your discount, visit us online and have your AARP membership number handy. You will also need this discount code: aarp10. Your space will be waiting for you before you arrive at the airport.

Want to find out more? Park Ride Fly USA will be appearing at the AARP Expo in Las Vegas from October 22-24. In the meantime, there’s more information on http://www.parkrideflyusa.com/aarp

In this economy, people are looking for more ways to save on the cost of travel. One good way is by using offsite airport parking. Offsite airport parking, also known as off airport parking, is parking that is removed from the main airport complex. Airport real estate is expensive, even if you’re only renting a parking space so parking on site can cost a bomb. Off airport parking lots are much cheaper and can be sited just outside the airport or a couple of miles away. With lots close to the airport, you may be able to walk to the terminal with your bags. For those further away, there is a shuttle to the airport.

Research Off Airport Parking

Once you know where you’re going, it’s a good idea to ressearch off airport parking facilities to see which one meets your needs. The services vary at each facility. Some offer self parking, where you put your car in an assigned space, while others offer valet parking. Some facilities will make sure that your car is heated or cooled for your arrival. I’ve even used facilities where the car got a wash before I picked it up. So shopping around really pays off. Read more »

I’m just back from a trip to Florida, in the Hollywood/Dania Beach area. (It seems the person who planned the area was originally from California, hence the name.) It was fun. Flying in and clearing security went smoothly, and we were through in less than half an hour. Just as I was thinking we’d be in the pool by 2, we hit a snag - the extremely lengthy Alamo car hire process. We had prebooked so it should have been smooth. Instead we had to wait for the rep to:

• double check our reservation
• try to con us into upgrading to a bigger vehicle (for more money)
• try to sell us insurance coverage which we already had
• get a GPS system

Finally, we had to be bussed to the Miami offsite airport parking lot to collect our car. Most of the time when I hire a car, the reps give me the car that’s available. With this Alamo rental, we had the novelty of walking to the appropriate parking lot section and picking anything we wanted - and all of them were quite big enough for our luggage, despite the rep’s dire warnings.  We plugged in the GPS (later to be christened the ‘gremlin’ but that’s another story) and away we went to our hotel, one of the Marriott chain.

Pool at Marriott Springhills Suites, FL

The room was spacious, though the bathrooms needed a refurb and we had a great view of the pool and a few palm trees. (Overall, we thought the hotel was a good choice, as it was close to places to eat, local attractions and Interstate 95 without being too noisy.) Free internet access and breakfast added to the value. By about 4.30 we were finally able to hit the pool, which was practically deserted. That’s what you get for traveling at the tail end of the season when most kids are back at school.

Read more »

Busy may not be the first word that comes to mind when you think of Alaska, but it’s the right one to describe the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Built in 1951, the Anchorage International Airport was renamed in 2000 to honor Senator Ted Stevens. It’s one of only four US airports named after a living person. The airport handles around five million passengers a year, and is also one of the world’s busiest cargo hubs. Unsurprisingly, it’s a major hub for Alaska Airlines.

There are two terminals in operation, with shuttles between them running every 15 minutes all day. Airport facilities include a bureau de change, ATMS, a post office, restaurants, bars, duty free shopping, barber shop and a massage and rest center. However, there are no business or conference facilities at the airport. For those, you will have to visit one of the hotels located less than two miles from ANC. There are short term parking lots as well as offsite Anchorage airport parking.

Anchorage is Alaska’s largest city, and it’s home to 40 per cent of the state’s population. There’s lots to see and do - here are a few suggestions. Read more »