Airport parking has a reputation for being extortionate. In some cases, at some airports, you’ll pay almost as much for parking as you will for your flights! It’s crazy, but there are always ways to slash the costs and park on a more affordable budget.
So, whether you’re planning a family holiday or venturing on a romantic weekend away, here are the best tips to save money on airport parking:
Choose “Park & Ride” Options
Lots of travellers are unaware that airport parking comes in different varieties. As explained by Parking Up, you usually choose between the following:
- Meet & Greet
- Park & Ride
- Onsite Parking
The first option means you drive to the terminal, and someone parks your car for you. Highly convenient but usually very expensive. Onsite parking means you park at the airport within walking distance of the terminal. Again, a convenient choice, but also costly.
Park & ride parking is the best way to save money. You park offsite and get a short shuttle bus to the terminal. It’s slightly less convenient, but the financial savings are more than worth it. Genuinely, you could pay two or three times more when choosing the other two parking options!
Look For Discount Codes
Almost all airport parking providers have a discount code for you to use. Search for them online – or look at the provider’s website. A popular option is to give you a new customer discount when you provide your email address. All you have to do is sign-up to their mailing list (you can unsubscribe immediately after), and they send you a code.
Codes range from 10% to 20%, which is pretty substantial when paying for airport parking. You’re unlikely to find any student discounts, but if a student is travelling with you, then it’s worth
Use Supermarket Loyalty Points
Do you shop at Tesco? If so, you should always keep an eye on the Clubcard Reward Partners. This is a list of providers where you can exchange Clubcard points for vouchers – and you often get double the amount when you spend them.
E.g. You’ve got £20 in Clubcard vouchers, but this becomes £40 when you spend on their partners.
Why is this relevant? Because they often have at least one airport parking provider on the list. This lets you exchange your points to get lots of money off your airport travel. If you save enough points throughout the year, you could easily end up with £20-£60 worth of vouchers.
Also, check other supermarket loyalty schemes as well. At the time of writing, Sainsbury’s doesn’t partner with any parking providers, but they have in the past – and could in the future. The best thing about all of this is that you’re sometimes allowed to pay with supermarket loyalty points and use a discount code.
Looking at the ideas above, you can clearly see some valuable ways to cut the costs of airport parking. It’s by far the most convenient and stress-free way to travel to the airport!
