Airport Parking News

Customers leaving their airport parking till the very last minute pay more than they should because of demand and or the high gate rate based on time of year.

The travel group Travelrobe launched its new airport parking site in the UK as part of its expansion into the UK travel sector. The group which first started in 2006 with its www.travelrobe.com site providing Hotels, Flights, Cruise, Car Hire, and Vacation Packages worldwide has now ventured into the UK’s airport parking segment with http://www.airportessentials.com providing airport parking, airport hotels and airport lounges to all its customers.

Mark Felix Travelrobe’s MD says that when making arrangements to travel, Gatwick or Heathroiw airport parking and possibly a hotel the night before should always be considered, those who drive on the day before their flight always risk unpredictable weather and traffic conditions and its not worth the hassle and stress before a long haul or short flight.

While there are many details to be considered when planning a holiday, it always seem that these very important elements of your travel is the last thing on everyone's mind.

An Airport Lounge at Gatwick, Heathrow, Manachester, Stansted is a good option to also consider which allows you to relax before a flight and there are lots of benefits in booking an Airport Lounge.

For starters, after booking there is no additional cost and the items available include alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, snacks, news papers and TV monitors to catch up on the latest news and for those who require internet access this option is also available at most Airport Lounges.

Other items apart from Airport Parking worth considering includes travel insurance, car hire, destination taxi service, online safe to secure your documents in case of an emergency abroad and all these can be booked from our partner site www.aph.com

One of the most difficult parts of choosing an airport parking company to park your car with while on holiday is knowing how safe and reliable these companies are which is why we have chosen APH who are recipients of the Park Mark, Safer Parking Award from the British Parking Association as our airport parking partner.

If you are looking to park at Gatwick, Birmingham and Manchester look for the Park Mark award sign from our site http://www.airportessentials.com

Additional travel extras are available from www.travelrobe.com including flights, destination hotels, car hire, cruises, Gatwick Airport Parking, Heathrow Airport Parking etc.

If you are planning a trip this holiday season we urge you to plan ahead on your Manchester Airport Parking, Heathrow Airport Parking and Hotel, Gatwick Hotel With Parking and every other airport in the UK

To book a Hotel, Flight, Car Hire, Vacation Package, Cruise, visit http://www.travelrobe.com or UK Customers planning a trip this holiday season are urged to visit http://www.airportessentials.com to book their airport parking, airport hotels, airport lounges and any feedback on the new site is welcomed.

For more information contact - Mark Felix
info@airportessentials.com
http://www.airportessentials.com

Contributor's Notes:

About Mark Felix: He is the owner of the Travelrobe group of travel sites based in the UK and writes press releases and articles on various travel destinations - For more information contact - Mark Felix
info@airportessentials.com
www.airportessentials.com
Skype: Travelrobe
0208 697 8132

The recent announcement that CCTV images can now be used as evidence in the issuing of parking fines is of consequence to every local authority. The new regulation stipulate that CCTV can only be used in areas deemed “to difficult or sensitive” for an attendant to operate, such as a fast flowing road or a busy junction. Now, fines can be issued through the post up to 14 days after the alleged offence has occurred.

According to the RAC, of Britain’s 25m cars just 1m are on the move. Across England and Wales, the number of parking tickets handed out to motorists is approaching 8 million annually. In the capital, penalty notices have jumped by 45% in four years to
5.9 m. If even a small percentage of this volume is made up of fines despatched via post then local council must be equipped to cope this still represents a significant volume of mail that local authorities were not previously having to process.

Today, the entire messaging cycle can be automated (controlled via barcodes to ensure 100% integrity). Technology is available to fold and insert documents into envelopes which can then be processed via digital meters which automatically weigh each mail piece and add the correct postage amount to each item. This results in professionally presented and cost efficient communications.

A more streamlined, automated approach will ensure that any communications concerning parking fines are totally accurate and despatched on time to the right person.

www.Parctel.com: We at Parctel are still in two minds as to whether Hamish McNeilly from the Otago Daily Times was having a slow news day or just wanted to highlight a strange aberration that airport parking attendants in the booth at Dunedin International Airport display:

The latest driving hazard could be the humble car parking ticket.

Tired of handling saliva-laden tickets presented by drivers, an attendant at the Dunedin International Airport ticket booth decided to do something about it and placed a sign in the ticket booth reading: "Please do not put the ticket in your mouth.

Your co-operation is appreciated."

Dunedin International Airport operations manager Richard Roberts investigated the issue and discovered an estimated one person per flight put their ticket in their mouth before handing it over.

It was unclear whether the sign - which had been up for more than a year - had deterred serial ticket biters, he said.

A wet ticket had the potential to spread germs and also jam machines that read tickets, a spokesman for New Zealand's largest private car parking operator said.

"But I think that would be unlikely.

"You see the odd person with a ticket in their mouth but besides from being a bit gross, it is not a big problem," Wilson Parking NZ South Island operations manager Daniel Bundy said.

People perhaps put tickets in their mouth because they were "multi-tasking" and that was one way of keeping it nearby, he said.

Citifleet team leader Brent Bachop said the Dunedin City Council had the potential problem licked.

Council-controlled parks used an automated system.

The only problem council experienced with the parking tickets was when people bent their tickets, he said.

As to which body part has the most germs, it seems to be a toss up between the mouth and fingernails with most people saying fingernails - so it seems to be a situation of damned if you do and damned if you don't for the poor airport parking attendant.

WikiAnswers votes for the Mouth as carrying the body part carrying the most germs.
Whereas Yahoo Answers and Answer Bag both vote for the fingernails.

I suppose the best solution would be to issue the queasy germ phobic attendant with latex gloves and a mask - wimps!

www.Parctel.com: The winner of the escalating battle for Raleigh-Durham International Airport's lucrative parking business may be determined by people such as Wayne Eakes.

The manufacturing engineer always chooses to park in the airport's sprawling seven-story parking garage because it's convenient to RDU's terminals. But Eakes said lower fees and amenities such as free bottled water and newspapers might persuade him to switch to a new lot two miles from the terminals.

"With gas prices being so high, any kind of savings helps," said Eakes, who lives in Snow Camp and flies out of RDU on business about six times a year. "And you wouldn't have to wander around looking for your car."

The lot, owned by Cincinnati-based FastPark, ups the ante for the RDU parking business, worth about $40 million a year.

The lot, which has its grand opening today, adds 2,000 spaces to RDU's parking mix. To attract customers, it is offering free parking through Aug. 9. After that, daily fees will be $6.36 a day, or $5.45 for customers who download a "frequent parker" card from company's Web site.

That's cheaper than RDU's parking deck, which costs $10 for the daily lot. But it's on par with RDU's remote lots, which cost $6 a day and shuttle passengers from about a mile away.

Two other private parking operations already shuttle passengers to the terminals, but FastPark's lot is more than twice as large as the largest competitor, the 920-space Preflight Airport Parking on Lumley Road. The I-40 Park & Fly on Airgate Drive has about 250 spaces.

FastPark's parent company, Chavez Properties, began buying land for the site in 2005 and now has 27.9 total acres, according to Wake County tax records.

Airline ticket prices are rising, and travel is predicted to decline with a slowing economy. But Manuel Chavez, the company's vice president, said amenities including free car washes, covered parking spaces and shuttles that take passengers from their cars directly to terminals will draw the customers who are still flying.

"You can pull into those big garages and get lucky and find a space, and if you do, then you've got lug your bags to the terminal," Chavez said.

The family-owned company also has airport parking operations in Austin, Baltimore, Cleveland, Houston, Albuquerque, Cincinnati, Miami, Memphis and Tucson. It's developing sites in Milwaukee and Orlando.

But luring customers from RDU's lots may be difficult. The airport has the advantage of more spaces -- 20,000 total, including 11,000 in the garage adjacent to terminals A and C. Even though RDU's prices are higher, location matters most to some travelers.

"If I'm getting here at 10 at night, I don't want a shuttle, I don't want to wait around," said Jessica Unger, a Raleigh sales consultant who takes weekly business flights and always parks in the RDU deck.

"Even if the shuttle is there waiting when I land, my car is right here," Unger said Thursday. "It's convenience. I don't care if [the other lot] is free."

Source: Dudley Price, News and Observer

www.Parctel.com: Budapest Airport has sharply reduced its long-term parking fees and introduced new fares for the holiday season, the Ferihegy airport operator announced Thursday.

One-day parking at the airport will drop to Ft 2,500 from Ft 4,000, the three-day rate falls to Ft 6,200 instead of Ft 10,000, while parking for eight days will cost Ft 9,500.

A parking fee calculator is available on the airport website at www.bud.hu. Ferihegy Airport has 2,533 parking spaces, of which 234 are guarded.

Source: caboodle.hu

www.Parctel.com: RALEIGH – FastPark & Relax, an off-site airport parking company, is opening its first North Carolina facility at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport in June and offering travelers free parking during the company’s first 60 days of operation.

As part of the company’s continued growth throughout the country, FastPark & Relax strategically chose Raleigh to open its 18th off-site airport parking facility. “Raleigh is a smart decision for us,” said Manual Chavez III, chief operations officer for FastPark. “It’s a strong market with job growth, educational levels and housing starts all remaining above national averages. Plus, the location of our facility is perfect for quick delivery of customers to and from the airport.”

The Raleigh facility incorporates several green initiatives, including the use of geo-thermal energy in the facility’s office building and a water reclamation system in its car wash service.

“We’re focusing on what we can do as a corporation to reduce our carbon footprint,” said Manual Chavez III. “We’ve adopted several green initiatives into our construction process for new and remodeled facilities throughout the country.”

FastPark & Relax is one of the three largest off-site airport parking companies in the United States. It controls 18 facilities situated on more than 18,500,000 square feet of land. FastPark & Relax’s Raleigh facility, located on Fast Park Drive, sits on more than 25 acres.

FastPark & Relax’s unique approach to customer service is its formula for attracting and retaining loyal customers. “Door-to-door service, free newspapers and bottled water, limited shuttle stops and covered parking are just a few of the perks our regular customers come to count on,” said Melanie Chavez, chief marketing officer for FastPark. “We’re also a very family-oriented company which is why we offer all passengers free luggage assistance and even free coloring books to children.”

FastPark shuttles operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Each facility provides complimentary jump starts and flat-tire assistance as well as cashier greeters that instruct travelers where to park for speedy shuttle pick up. The Raleigh facility will also provide free car washes later this summer.

Raleigh FastPark & Relax will open June 9, 2008 and will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, June 13. Travelers have access to free parking between June 9 and August 9 by downloading a free parking coupon from the company’s Web site, fastparkandrelax.com.

Area travelers signing up for FastPark’s Relax for Rewards Program receive additional incentives, such as: free valet service when facilities are full; customer cards for ticketless entry and exit; reward points redeemable for free parking and online account management and receipt-printing capabilities.

FastPark, headquartered in Cincinnati, is an off-site airport parking company operating 18 facilities in 12 markets throughout the country. Business units of FastPark include Airport Fast Park, FastPark & Relax and Park Place. Airport Fast Park facilities are located in Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Baltimore (two facilities); Cincinnati; Cleveland (two facilities); Memphis, Tenn.; and Miami. A Park Place facility is located in Cleveland. Fast Park & Relax facilities are located in Cincinnati; Houston (three facilities – two under different name); Milwaukee; Orlando; Raleigh, N.C.; and Tucson, Ariz. The self-serve parking service is open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, with instant shuttle service transporting customers to their specific terminal.

www.Airport-Carpark.co.uk: Shoppers can save more than £700 a year by tracking down hidden discounts on the internet, as experts say that consumers are increasingly seeking out unusual bargains to beat the credit crisis.

Everything from buying disposable contact lenses and medicines, to sending a parcel or paying for car parking can now be done online – all at a substantial discount to paying for the same goods or services in the offline world.

People looking to cut back because of the credit crisis can make substantial savings in even less obvious areas, such as airport car parking and sending parcels.

A week at Heathrow's NCP car park costs £66.50 if you pay when you arrive at the airport. However, if you book in advance over the internet you can save a full £25.

The Daily Telegraph has calculated that on just seven unusual products and services – pet medicines, pet food, contact lenses, airport parking, a magazine subscription, smoking cessation medicines and sending a parcel – the savings for a family reach £405 if they use the internet.

Read the FULL story on the Daily Telegraph
Book UK Airport Parking HERE

www.Parctel.com: EXORBITANT airport parking fees are about to come under scrutiny as the Government directs the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to examine charges at the nation's five major terminals.

Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said the Government must ensure that airport monopolies did not lead to exploitation.

Parking at Sydney was now twice as expensive as New York's JFK and London's Heathrow airports, he said.

"If anti-competitive conduct is found, the ACCC can prosecute airports in the Federal Court," he said.

"Under formal price monitoring, individual airports will have a light shone upon their prices.

"There are genuine public concerns about airports using their monopoly position to exert significant market power and charge higher prices for the various periods of stay, particularly short-term stays to drop off and pick up passengers."

Visitors have been shocked by the fees at Sydney's main gateway, owned by the Macquarie Bank-linked Macquarie Airports, with $70 million in revenue taken last financial year.

All Australian airports generated up to $206million from parking over the same period. Revenue has grown by as much as 77per cent since 2002, far outstripping the increase in passenger numbers.

"We welcome the ACCC inquiry," Australian Airports Association chairman John McArdle said. "We feel they will be happy with the choice and the variety of pricing options for parking, which is fair and equitable. You can't satisfy everyone and we move 121 million passengers a year."

A Macquarie Airports spokeswoman said a comprehensive review by the Productivity Commission concluded that car parking charges were reasonable and, in some cases, lower than Sydney CBD charges.

"The commission has previously reported that both short and long-stay charges are about one-third less than in the CBD," she said.

"Sydney Airport was privatised in 2002 and since then car parking charges, in general, have only increased in line with the CPI."

Source: Heath Gilmore, The Sydney Morning Herald

www.Parctel.com: Ampco System Parking, a wholly owned subsidiary of ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE:ABM), has been awarded a multiyear, multimillion-dollar contract with Dallas / Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport’s Terminal Link. The contract covers Terminal Link shuttle bus operations utilizing CNG equipped vehicles that transport passengers and guests between all DFW terminals.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with DFW’s Terminal Link,” said Rich Kindorf, president of Ampco System Parking. “Our extensive expertise in managing airport parking operations enables us to provide dependable, efficient and environmentally friendly ground transportation services to meet the needs of one of the busiest airports in the nation,” he added.

“Ampco has and continues to provide excellent service to passengers needing transportation from one terminal to another,” said Armin Cruz, vice president of the parking business unit for DFW. “We are excited about our partnership with Ampco and look forward to working together to provide service that exceeds guest expectation.”

DFW's Terminal Link service provides free transportation between terminals using a fleet of new passenger shuttle vans. The service may be used for passengers needing to transfer to another terminal after they have exited security, and it is ideal for terminal parkers who need to get back to a vehicle parked at another terminal.

Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world's third busiest airport, offering nearly 1,900 flights per day. Serving more than 60 million passengers a year, DFW provides nonstop flights to 133 domestic and 36 international destinations worldwide. For the latest news, real-time flight information, parking availability or further details regarding the services provided at DFW International Airport, visit www.dfwairport.com.

Source: Business Wire

www.Parctel.com: Travelers planning to fly from the Buffalo Niagra Airport are advised that at the present time all of the airport’s parking lots are operating at or near capacity. Until further notice, please consider an alternative method to travel to the airport. You are advised to either have some one drive you or arrive by taxi.

Passengers departing from Buffalo Niagra should plan to be in the terminal two hours before their scheduled departure, particularly during the exceptionally busy times of 5-7:30 a.m., 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 3:30-5:30 p.m.

www.Parctel.com: From the Sports by Fletch blog:

I was picking up the Bride-to-be from the airport last night and I was doing the circle thing in the terminal parking lot until she called and then I told her where to meet me as I parked to get her in the car. Well as she was walking up, an "Atlanta Police Truck" came up behind me and started honking for me to move. Even though it was obvious I was waiting on the Bride-to-be to get to the car. I was the only car around and she was walking straight towards me. Anyways, this tool bag kept honking and honking, then as I got out to open the trunk and I was FULLY in the pull over lane, I left the door slightly cracked, he honked again, and was pointing towards the AGAIN, SLIGHTLY opened door.
Well of course I had to make a production out of it. I walked around to the door, but before shutting it, I stepped in front of his car to see if he could have KEPT GOING IN HIS LANE without hitting it, and SURE ENOUGH, he could have. I also made a point to look in the other lane that he could have gone into to pass me, and it was empty. I made the swirving motion with my hands so he could see me, and he honked again. What a loser.
Here is my point. He wasn't going to do anything except honk. Really? Is that the ATL Police (airport parking detail)'s best strategy? Honk? That will put people in a good mood. At NO POINT did it appear he was going to get out and do anything. Then I started to think. What could he have done? Given me a ticket for being parked in a temporary parking spot? Give me a ticket for doing NOTHING illegal? Nope. All he COULD Do was honk.
And that got me thinking....who, besides this guy THINK they are so important, but really they DON'T have the power they think they have?

Read the Full list HERE

www.Parctel.com: When handing your vehicle over for valet parking set your odometer to zero. Many vehicles have different trip meters so set the second one to zero. At least you will then have peace of mind that you can check your trip meter for any unauthorised 'joy riding' that may take place whilst your vehicle is safely in the airport parking lot.

www.Parctel.com: David Hurst on a recent blog post reckons that Bristol Airport is not investing in their infrastructure, and he has a few complaints, one of which reads as follows:

4. A couple of months ago I went to collect a colleague from Bristol Airport, and parked my car in the usual car park. I didn’t have cash, so I just stuck my debit card in the machine on the way in and the way out. My colleague’s flight was delayed (not the Airport’s fault this time), so I had to park for about 3 hours. There was no seating in the terminal for me to wait at, so I sat on the floor. When I left the car park, the machine did not give me a receipt, so I didn’t know how much I’d been charged until I got my bank statement. More than £30…! For 3 hours’ car parking. Thieves!

Full Bristol Airport Story HERE

www.Parctel.com: License Plate Recognition Technology Advances Parking Operations at InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead, Atlanta

Glenhaven, CA and Rishon LeZion, Israel, February 20, 2008. Hi-Tech Solutions Ltd. (HTS) and Computerized Valet Parking Systems, Inc. (CVPS) today announced the implementation of a parking system with License Plate Recognition (LPR) solution at the InterContinental Hotel in Buckhead, Atlanta. The hotel’s parking garage, with a capacity of 500 cars, is managed by AAA Parking.

The innovative valet parking system and LPR application identifies the vehicle, valet driver and captures the license plate data. The system has been installed at InterContinental’s parking garage entrance, automating the license plate number capturing and tagging process, preventing bottlenecks, which is especially effective during conventions. HTS’s LPR system is integrated with CVPS’s valet system, which includes digital cameras, self-serve request kiosks, point-of-sale terminals, and barrier gate arms.

CVPS’s valet system automatically takes a series of images from all sides of the vehicle, and stores the license plate information into its archive. If a customer files a damage claim, the car’s photos are retrieved from the system.

CVPS’s customer request kiosks located near the hotel lobby allow departing customers to initiate their vehicle retrieval and pay their parking fee with simple swipes of their bar-coded ticket and credit card. Customers may wait inside the hotel in view of the staging area until their vehicle is delivered. In addition, the CVPS system is also connected to the hotel management system (OPERA).

“The innovative parking solutions improve the service to hotel guests and convention attendees, prevent complaints and bottlenecks, and allow automatic fee calculation,” said Bo Laterveer, Vice President of AAA Parking. “In addition, it saves insurance expenses due to the ability to verify damage claims with pictures.”

“AAA Parking’s selection of License Plate Recognition-based solutions further emphasizes the importance of integrating this technology in the ongoing process of parking facility management,” said Meta Rotenberg, VP Business Development, HTS. “Our LPR solutions implement proprietary image processing software architecture and algorithms for recognition of characters and digits, and specially developed camera and illumination systems optimally designed for capturing the target images.”

“InterContinental Buckhead sets new standards of luxury and now operates the latest technologies in its parking garage,” said Andy Preas, VP Service Tracking Systems, CVPS. “Our systems provide AAA Parking and hotel management with real-time information and reports, and management can catch service lapses and reach out to the customers before they complain.”

About Computerized Valet Parking Systems, Inc. (CVPS)

Computerized Valet Parking Systems, Inc. (CVPS) is a subsidiary of Service Tracking Systems, Inc. (STS). STS is a vertical market technology solutions company designed to elevate customer service, increase productivity, minimize liabilities and enhance facility security. CheckPointLPR, CVPS and Bell Desk Systems are three core product examples of STS’s innovative design concepts that have swept the industry since 1994, now servicing over 300 clients within the most elite organizations in the continental United States and Canada. Members of the STS team have over 60 collective years of extensive experience as owners, operators, and employees in front service technology sectors. For more information, visit us at www.cvaletps.com

About Hi-Tech Solutions Ltd. (HTS)

HTS is a leading developer and supplier of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) computer vision systems for a wide range of applications in the security, automation and management fields for the ports and traffic markets. HTS has successfully implemented commercial Container Code Recognition (CCR) and License Plate Recognition (LPR) systems in ports, traffic and security sectors in 30 countries worldwide, and has established partnerships with top tier global companies in over 10 countries. For more information, visit www.htsol.com

About AAA Parking

AAA Parking is an Atlanta based parking company, providing valet and self-parking operation management for hotels, office buildings, hospitals and special event facilities. As part of Selig Enterprises, AAA Parking has been in business for over 50 years and currently provides parking services for over 200 locations in five states. For more information please visit www.aaaparking.com

www.Parctel.com: But only if you are a babu *, neta * or chela *!

The Times of India reports as follows: HYDERABAD: For babus and netas used to freebies, here is some good news. They will continue to enjoy free parking status for their official cars at Shamshabad international airport. In fact, a free parking lot to accommodate up to 50 cars is being created at the new airport. Not only this, a separate facility is being readied to accommodate vehicles of slogan-shouting chelas who accompany their netas to the airport.

To avoid paying parking fees, government cars stride up and occupy the lane right in front of the airport terminal at the present Begumpet airport. But while Begumpet is an Airport Authority of India (AAI) and thus government-run facility, Shamshabad will be a private operation.

* babu - Used as a Hindi courtesy title for a man, equivalent to Mr.
* neta - a politician
* chela - a Hindu disciple of a swami

Methinks I am gonna brush up on my Hindi, take a neta training course and press the flesh so that I can get me some free airport parking.