Off-Site Airport Parking: Cheaper, More Convenient

As airports reduce the number of on-site parking spaces for security reasons, off-site lots have become a better alternative than ever. Privately run off-site parking facilities are often cheaper than airport-run long-term lots, and online discounts can make off-site facilities even cheaper.

Drivers often avoid off-site lots, thinking it will take extra time to shuttle to and from the airport. But many airport-operated long-term lots are also a shuttle ride away from the terminal. And at busier airports, such as LaGuardia, the long-term lot is almost always full, which means you could spend half an hour looking for a spot before retreating to an off-site lot anyway.

Below are a few tips to help you find the right lot and the best deal.

Getting the Best Deal

Satellite lots are almost always cheaper than airport-run lots, and you'll pay even less if you know how to get the best deal. The secret of privately operated long-term lots is that you almost never pay full price. Unlike the on-site lots, which face no competition, most satellite lots do. When companies compete, customers usually win.

The two largest operators of off-site lots, Avistar and Parking Company of America, serve 16 major airports and offer online discounts that can save you from 10 percent to 100 percent just for logging on.

Coupons, Web-Only Deals

Recently, Avistar (www.avistarparking.com) offered an "e-coupon" -- you print it out or write down a code number to present to the cashier -- good for a free day of parking, with no minimum stay, at Chicago's O'Hare International (ORD), a saving of $18. Other recent Web-only deals included a free day at New York's JFK (two-day minimum) and 50 percent off the first day at Philadelphia International (PHL).

Parking Company of America (www.parkingcompany.com) operates facilities at more than a dozen major airports, including Atlanta Hartsfield (ATL), San Francisco (SFO), and Miami International (MIA). Its Web site offers coupons for all the company's locations -- from $1 off any daily rate, to a free day of parking at certain airports, to discounts of up to 50 percent for using your credit card to purchase parking vouchers in advance by phone. Parking Company of America also offers 10 percent discounts to AARP and AAA members, and it has a repeat-customer discount program similar to airline frequent flier programs.

If you travel from smaller or regional airports, check out AirportParkingLots.com (airportparkinglots.com), which guarantees the lowest rates at more than 50 airports across the United States. Click on your departure airport, enter your name, dates of travel, zip code, and e-mail address, and the next page will have your guaranteed rate. Print out the page and present it to the cashier when you arrive at the lot.

Even in Boise, Idaho, where you can park at the airport for $30 a week, you can save about 35 percent by logging on and getting the $19-a-week rate currently offered.

Other Advantages of Off-Site Lots

Satellite parking lots have other advantages. You usually pay the same rate regardless of the day of the week or the time of year, and reservations often are not required (many lots won't even accept reservations). Like supermarkets, many facilities accept the coupons of area competitors, so it pays to keep a few coupons in your glove box.

As a courtesy, some off-site lots will prepare your car for your arrival free of charge, clearing windows of ice in the winter and cooling down the interior in summer. Some provide optional services, such as washing and changing oil, all performed while you are out of town.

Fast, cheap, and convenient, off-site parking offers a clear alternative to the long-term logjam.

David Downing, a New York-based free-lance writer.