I finally stopped wasting money on airport parking

Drove to LAX last weekend for a 5 day trip and paid $78 for parking at the terminal lot. That's when my buddy texted me a photo from his trip the week before - he parked at a hotel near the airport for $8 a day and took their free shuttle. Had no idea this was even a thing. Did the math and I've probably blown over $400 in the last year alone just on airport parking. Anyone else got a go-to off-site lot near a major airport that saves you real cash?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_singh714d ago

Wait, so your buddy just texted you a photo of his parking spot and didn't tell you about this sooner? That's kind of a jerk move honestly. Did he know you were still paying for terminal parking that whole time? I'd be curious what hotel he used specifically, because some of those shuttle services can be hit or miss with timing. LAX traffic is already a nightmare, so waiting 20 minutes for a shuttle after a long flight would drive me nuts.

ben66214d ago

The real issue nobody's picking up on is what happens when a bunch of people start doing this. If everyone who flies out of LAX parks at a hotel for free, those hotels are going to either start charging for parking or boot your car after a day. The deal only works because most people don't abuse it. Your buddy texting you a photo is funny and all, but he's basically advertising a loophole that'll get slammed shut once too many people try it. I've seen this happen with airport hotels in smaller cities. They catch on quick and either hire security to check reservations or add a daily fee for long-term parking. So enjoy it while it lasts, I guess.

sammoore14d agoTop Commenter

Wait, @ben662 thinks this is some kind of secret society where we all have to pay $400 a year to keep the hotels in business? That's like saying don't tell anyone about a good deal at In-N-Out or they'll raise the price. The hotels already know people do this, they just don't care because you're still spending money at their restaurants or bars while waiting for the shuttle. It's not a loophole, it's just common sense. Your buddy probably didn't tell you sooner because he figured you'd figure it out eventually, or maybe he's just a jerk like @james_singh7 said. Either way, I'm parking at the Super 8 next time and saving my $78 for a burrito and a beer.