Airports across North America are investing in changes designed to improve the passenger experience, promote profitability, and reduce their carbon footprints. For many airports, this means improving core infrastructure, adding new technologies, and revisiting resilience strategies. Often, these strategies require the physical expansion of terminals to accommodate new technologies and provide the needed space to provide a more comfortable and enjoyable passenger experience.
Airport expansion can have a significant impact on operations. It can be challenging to maintain normal operations while pursuing construction projects in and around terminals. Parking, in particular, tends to be impacted by airport expansion. Airport terminals, especially in densely developed urban areas, tend to be landlocked, with limited land to expand onto.
So where can land for expansion be found? Historically, existing parking facilities have offered the most attractive place. Airport planners have learned that by developing parking up, rather than out, they can fit more cars on a smaller footprint. As such, terminals can be expanded onto adjacent parking lots, with lost parking spaces replaced with new parking structures. Likewise, parking garages can serve the same volume of parking if they are replaced by new structures that are taller, yet less wide, requiring a smaller footprint. The land that’s regained can then be used for terminal expansion.
Impacts and Solutions
As sensible as these planning approaches are, they do impact parking. For instance, when new parking facilities are being constructed, they must still remain operational. Airports can’t afford to lose parking revenue during construction projects. Phased construction is often the order of the day, with parking still being provided in areas that remain open. And when newly configured parking facilities are open, travelers may have difficulty navigating unfamiliar parking facilities and be hesitant to use those garages.
When airports lose spaces, even if the loss is only temporary, they need to be creative about how they sell those spaces. They want to make sure that travelers feel comfortable using newly reconfigured parking facilities and they also want to increase occupancy to the highest levels possible to maximize parking revenues. Parking reservations—or prebooking—programs can help achieve both ends.
First comes customer service. When airport parking operations are impacted by construction, travelers may be hesitant to park in affected garages and lots. Travelers are typically on a very tight schedule trying to make a flight, and they can’t afford to take a chance on their search for a parking space being fruitless. But a parking reservations platform can eliminate that risk. When travelers can reserve a parking space in advance, before they leave for the airport, the uncertainty over whether they’ll be able to find parking is eliminated. This is an important customer service amenity that dramatically improves the parking experience.
Here’s how the process works. Before the traveler leaves for the airport, they log into the airport’s parking reservations web portal, which is generally connected to a dedicated parking pre-booking platform. Returning customers merely sign into their existing account and are guided through the process of reserving a parking space. Guest users can also pre-book a space via a simple 3 step bookbinder process. If they like, they can create an account to simplify the process next time they log-in to reserve a space. When creating an account, they will add a credit card along with their personal information.
When a parking session is booked, the driver is issued a bar code. That bar code can be printed or used on a mobile device, and it is scanned when entering and exiting the parking garage. Some airports utilize license plate recognition technology (LPR) to identify the vehicle, thus eliminating the need for bar codes altogether. When the traveler returns from their trip and exits the airport parking facility, they just drive out as payment is made at the time of the reservation. The booking process itself is simple and easy, and entering and exiting the garage is a breeze.
Systems can even be set up to manage permit parking for drivers who fly regularly, and a pre-booking platform can even be used to manage an airport’s parking loyalty program. Loyalty programs are a great way to encourage travelers to rely on airport parking facilities for future trips, and airports can set up these programs to offer any types of awards, including special parking rates and locations, discounts at in-terminal restaurants and stores, and other add-on services.
This same process benefits airports by maximizing occupancy. Parking is a significant source of revenue for airports and its essential to maximize occupancy, filling as many operational spaces as possible when parking operations are impacted by construction. When travelers are assured an available parking space, they are more likely to use airport parking facilities, and this means more revenue for airports.
Administrative Benefits
The benefits provided by a pre-booking platform don’t end with the parking transaction. The technology can also provide important administrative advantages to airport parking managers, giving them more control over their parking inventory by permitting them to assign specific parking spaces or areas to individual users. They can also facilitate the creation and management of premium services, such as VIP or valet parking.
Ultimately, pre-booking platforms can help generate additional revenue for the airport. In addition to providing access to premium parking services, the platform can also be set up to offer add-on services, such as vehicle detailing, flower delivery, and even dry-cleaning services (travelers just leave their clothes and when they return the cleaned clothes are already stored in the vehicle). Additionally, airports can set up the platform to allow businesses in the terminal, such as restaurants and bookstores to offer pre-booking parkers access to specials and other deals, which can be offered via the platform.
Last, but certainly not least, a parking pre-booking platform also permits airport parking administrators to better manage airport parking facilities by providing real-time data about who is parking in certain areas, on what day, and when they tend to arrive and leave each day. This can be extremely helpful data for better managing airport parking facilities.
Helping Manage Challenges
Pre-booking technology has been an essential element of airport management since the 1990s, helping to improve the parking experience for travelers and manage airport parking assets more effectively and efficiently. Now, when airport parking is impacted by construction caused by expansion projects, pre-booking can help airports manage their parking assets more efficiently and maximize parking revenues.
