Who wants to worry about finding cheap airport parking when traveling can already be stressful…even if the trip is that long-awaited & well-deserved vacation!
You’re already running through a mental travel checklist.
Did I pack too much or too little? Do I have the flight & hotel info confirmed? What time is the flight again? What’s the weather forecast? And on and on.
The last thing you should be worrying about is airport long term parking and how much it’s going to add to your travel costs!
So, in this guide, I’ve done all the research to help you find cheap airport parking without all the stress.
This post is sponsored by Way.
How to Find Cheap Airport Parking
Before getting started, let’s get the obvious out of the way.
Of course, the best way to save money on airport car parking is not to drive to the airport. If you’ve got a friend or a family member willing to drop you off and pick you up at the airport, that’s ideal. You should thank them again and again.
But, what happens when you’re headed to the Caribbean for a week and your flight is at 7 am. You may suddenly realize you’re short on friends and family when you need a ride to the airport at 4 am.
All kidding aside, it just might not be practical for you to get a ride.
You might be able to take a taxi or book a car service, but maybe they’re not readily available in your area. What’s more, these options get pricey!
You have to think about doubling the cost for your return trip from the airport when your travels are done. And, if you’re trying to stick to a travel budget, it could just be cheaper to drive yourself and park at or near the airport compared to a round trip car service ride.
Not to mention, if you or someone you’re traveling with has travel anxiety, it’s reassuring and just plain comfy to be in your own wheels headed to the airport.
So, the trick is finding the best airport parking deals possible.
Book Airport Parking in Advance to Save Money
Seems sensible enough, right? We book flights and hotels in advance to save money. There’s early-bird pricing for concert and event tickets. Heck, we even buy pantry grocery items in advance to take advantage of lower prices.
Airport parking rates work the same way. By showing up without a reservation or a plan the day you need to fly, you’re at the mercy of whatever airport parking fee you find.
Way Airport Parking to the Rescue
Way is an all-in-one marketplace that offers the best airport parking deals. And, they have the cars to prove it. Over 5 million cars (and counting) have been parked using Way.
Not only is Way in over 80 U.S. cities and even a couple of Canadian cities like Toronto and Montreal, but most major airport hubs listed on Way have multiple parking locations from which to choose.
All of us benefit when there’s more than one cheap airport parking lot available!
When you can compare airport parking prices, you get to choose the best deal for your travel dates.
And, if one parking lot is fully booked, you know ahead of time and you’re not left scrambling on your departure day trying to find the next best option when you should be checking in for your flight.
How Does Way Work?
Go to Way (or download the app) and plug in the city or the full name of the airport. As result listings show, you’ll notice non-airport parking options, too. That’s because Way has deals for event parking, as well. Fortunately, you can easily select to view just the airport parking listings by clicking the filter in the top left corner.
From there, search through the airport parking options, including their locations and prices. There’s a filter feature on the right which allows you to filter by type of parking area, price range, amenities, and distance.
On the top right, you can also sort the search results by the most relevant, the cheapest, and the closest airport parking lots for your location.
The best part (besides of course scoring cheap airport car parking!) is you can reserve ahead of time, be it a week, a day, or even an hour before parking your car. By doing so, you might even discover a Way exclusive deal!
Of course, smaller airports will have fewer options than bigger cities. Little Rock National Airport showed 2 locations within 2 miles of the airport whereas 34 options came up when searching for Los Angeles long term parking at and near LAX.
The parking locations near the airport you’re searching might be individual parking lots or parking space offered by nearby hotels, for example.
In addition to comparing airport parking cost, Way gives a detailed overview of the parking area and its services to ensure you choose the right parking location for you. Discount airport parking aside, you want your airport parking experience a success!
Consider these additional details and amenities.
Operating Hours & Security: Ideally, this should be a 24-hour lot with security cameras. You’re leaving your car behind and you want to feel comfortable doing so.
Location Type: Way has photos of the parking areas for you to see. Many areas will be open-air, but cheap parking near the airport can also be covered, self-parking, or even with an attendant or valet.
Distance to Airport Terminals: These vary, but in most cases, you’re never more than a few miles from the airport terminals. For example, Way lists airport parking from 1-5 miles from Denver Airport. Way shows parking options for JFK in New York City less than 1 mile from the airport.
Bottom line, all parking lot searches will show the distance to the airport. You can also filter search results by the closest locations.
Shuttle Service: First, make sure this is offered for any location you choose, and in nearly all cases, it is. The shuttle should be a free service that runs often enough to ensure you get to the airport terminals in time. 24-hour shuttle service is ideal, especially if you’re parking or returning to your car during off-hours.
Way even offers real-time shuttle tracking from their app in Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, NJ, and San Diego, regardless of whether you booked airport parking with Way or not!
Cancellation Policy: Typically, you can cancel the parking reservation any time before the check-in time for a full refund, even up to a minute before the start time of your reservation! Each lot has its own policy which will be stated clearly so check it for the location you choose.
Customer Reviews: Social proof is important! Who doesn’t want to see reviews from happy customers who’ve booked budget airport parking with Way? Each parking location will have customer reviews for you to review, as well as how many people have made airport parking reservations at that lot in the last 24 hours.
Please Don’t Just Take My Word for It!
Let’s compare the airport parking offered on Way with the standard long term parking offered by the airport’s themselves.
JFK Airport in New York City has long term parking that costs $18.00 for the first 24 hours. After that, charges are incurred in 8-hour increments. It’ll cost $6.00 for every 8 hours thereafter.
JFK’s long term parking lot is approximately 4 miles away from each of the airport terminals. There’s free shuttle service, as well as the JFK AirTrain which connects to all terminals.
If you use Way to reserve airport parking in advance, you’ll find rates as low as $6.50 a day for a parking area just 2 miles from the airport. The most relevant results show a Way exclusive deal for $7.95 per day just 1 mile from JFK and with real-time shuttle tracking.
You could book this cheap airport parking deal on Way as you make your travel plans and arrive the day of your travels knowing you got a great deal without any stress or hassle.
LAX Airport in Los Angeles charges $12 per 24-hour period for the long term economy lot and a whopping $40 per 24 hours for all other parking lots. No wonder my L.A. friends are always asking if I know any LAX parking deals!
To make matters more stressful, parking at LAX is on a first-come, first-serve basis so there’s no guarantee a spot will be available. The airport has a free shuttle service to the terminals but reports show it can take anywhere from 20-40 minutes depending on the number of stops it needs to make.https://6f80015e2f5ced1b731e284a0a2f9e79.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
Why do this to yourself, when on Way, LAX airport parking is as low as $7.95 a day?! And, for $13.95 a day, park just 1.5 miles from the airport in a secure, 24/7 attended parking lot. There’s a free shuttle from the lot and nearly 800 positive reviews on Way for a 5-star rating.
At Pittsburgh International Airport long term parking is $16 a day. You can reserve in advance on the Pittsburgh Airport website.
Why not save the time searching online for Pittsburgh airport parking coupons and use Way instead? You’ll pay as little as $4.25 a day for a parking lot just 1.5 miles from the airport.
DFW Airport in the Dallas-Forth Worth area has several parking options from a remote lot to terminal parking. Prices range from $10-$24 a day depending which you choose. Some of these parking locations allow you to save 50% if you prepay and book online. However, if you have to cancel, it must be at least 12 hours before your reservation or else you lose any refund.
Compare airport parking prices on Way for DFW and it’s cheaper even when you factor in the 50% discount mentioned above. And, you get the security of knowing you can cancel for a full refund anytime as long as it’s before the time of your reservation.
Not Convinced You Should Book Airport Parking on Way?
Way guarantees the lowest prices for cheap airport parking. They will beat the competition by 25% if you find a better price for the same parking location on your same dates and times.
Of course, terms & conditions do apply so you want to read them and reach out to Way before you assume the discount. But even that is simple to do. Just hover over the “Guaranteed Lowest Prices” graphic for the phone number or email to contact customer support.
Bottom Line: You Want Cheap Airport Parking Deals.
No need to spend time looking for a parking discount code or airport parking coupons. Don’t waste time worrying about parking availability or searching for a cheaper lot when you have limited time to check-in for your flight and get through security.
Book your airport parking ahead of time with Way for a convenient, hassle-free, and best-price guarantee long term parking experience.
Have you reserved airport parking with Way?
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I liked that you said that one thing to consider when you are using parking services is to make sure that you can cancel a parking reservation at any time before reserving it in order to make sure that you will get your money back if plans fall through. I have been thinking about reserving parking at the airport for my vacation but I am worried that I will end up losing money if I don’t end up leaving. I will be sure to use parking services that will return my money and let me cancel just in case I don’t end up going on vacation. [LINK EDITED OUT]
Thanks for reading, Ashley. Good to have the ability to cancel…plans change all the time. 🙂
The information that you provided is actually helpful when you want to decide which airport parking service is best and has amenities for hassle-free parking at affordable rates.
Thanks for reading, Jos. Glad the article was helpful for you. 🙂
If you travel out of some airports regularly, it can be worth signing up for the e-mail list for the parking lot you like there. For instance, Toronto Pearson’s main parking lot typically offers discounts off of advance bookings about once a month (perhaps a good source for prices that trigger Way’s guarantee).
Also, for those flights at awkward times out of an airport miles from where you live, some hotels near airports will let you leave your car in their parking lot if you stay with them for a night at the start or end of your trip. The cost of the stay is often less than airport parking (although you’ll need to factor in the cost of a ride from the hotel to the airport – which can be minimal if you’re lucky enough to be able to use public transport for this). This is particularly useful for people that don’t live near an airport. My parents have used this trick a number of times.
Thanks for reading, Alasdair. Great tips! I appreciate you sharing.