What is Park and Fly?
The term “Park and Fly” is a popular term in airport parking that has an essence of efficiency and convenience tied to it. The service itself means exactly what it sounds like. It refers to when travelers park their vehicles and can easily proceed to the airport and board their flight.
Park ‘N Fly” is a popular off-airport parking service founded in 1967. Today, Park ‘N Fly has several locations in popular airports across the U.S. They are known for their extremely quick shuttle service and range of services offered at their lots. If you have one at your local airport, you are probably familiar with this brand.
You can park and fly out of your airport but when typically when someone is looking for this kind of service, they are looking for an off-site airport provider like the one I just mentioned. Park and fly services are offered by parking garages, parking lots, and hotels near the airport. These lots charge parking fees at a daily rate and facilitate overnight or long-term parking for travelers.
How Does Park and Fly Work?
Park and Fly services are attained by driving up to the parking location at the time of your trip or you can schedule a preflight parking reservation.
Reserving airport parking ahead of time is always recommended when possible. Popular lots run out of space during high travel days and holidays. You don’t want to be caught in a situation where you are left scrambling for a parking space last minute. You will risk missing your flight and have to pay top dollar which defeats the purpose of off-airport parking.
If you plan to stay at an airport hotel before your flight, look to see if the hotel offers Park, Sleep, and Fly packages. These packages that include parking are very popular at airport hotels and include a 24-hour shuttle service to and from the airport. Airport hotels are usually a few miles or minutes away from the airport therefore shuttle rides are quick. One thing to note is that most hotels have one shuttle arriving on the hour or every half hour. If time is a concern, I recommend checking with the hotel concierge for their latest airport shuttle schedule.
Park and fly services can be booked directly with the lot or through a third-party reservation service. Booking directly with the airport parking service has its perks. If you starting to fly more frequently, many off-airport providers have loyalty programs. Rewards are either a discount on the daily rate or free parking days. However, if you prefer to compare pricing and shop around, use a reputable third-party airport reservation site. Some of the most popular and longest in the business are CheapAirportParking.org, ParkON.com, AirportParkingReservations, com, and Way.com. Just make sure to note their cancellation policy as it could be different from the actual lots.
How Much Does Park and Fly Cost?
Off-airport “park and fly” services are cheaper than parking at the airport. Travelers that have a longer trip will appreciate being able to save some money by opting for long-term parking at an off-airport parking lot. The caveat is you do have to allow for some additional time to arrive at the lot, park (or valet), and catch a shuttle. Many travelers that regularly fly out of very busy airports like LAX, EWR, SFO, or SeaTac are conditioned to this. For the amount of money they save, it’s worth it.
Providing an exact cost for park and fly services is difficult. Parking fees vary greatly and are unique to each airport area’s market price. For example, the cost of airport parking at JFK Airport is more expensive than let’s say parking at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Airport. While they are both very large and popular airports, the cost of living and services are different.
A good rule of thumb is that park and fly or off-airport parking rates will be about 30-60% cheaper than you would pay to park at the airport. If you have a service provider in mind, go on their website to see if they have any promo codes or coupons available. Park and fly services are notorious for having coupons and deals to entice travelers to park with them.
Cities That Search for the Most Park and Fly Services
- Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP) (one of the most expensive airports to park at)
- Atlanta International Airport (ATL)
- Orlando International Airport (MCO)
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
- Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
- Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Portland International Airport (PDX)
- Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)