I have been preparing for a two-week trip to Hawaii and just started considering our options for either transportation or parking at the airport.
We live in a smaller town an hour from the airport so rideshare options are limited and the cost is about $100 each way. That’s more than I want to spend.
Our outbound flight is on a Saturday afternoon and we could definitely get a ride to the airport. However, our inbound flight is a redeye due to arrive at 5 a.m. on a Friday. It’s not an ideal time to ask someone to pick us up. So another no.
The standard daily rate at our preferred airport parking lot is $14 per day which would be $182 for 13 days. Since I am a Budget Traveler, I always try to find the best rate available. Here are some easy places to look for savings on your airport parking.
AAA or Group Membership Discounts
We have had an AAA Membership forever so it is usually the first thing I check. The current AAA rate at this lot is $13 per day. In the past it was always the cheapest option, but these days that is not always the case so it’s good to check a bit more before deciding.
You may also find parking deals through Costco, Sam’s Club, AARP, or other organizations you belong to. They are definitely worth a quick check.
Reserve Online and Website Discounts
It’s also a good idea to check the parking lot’s website. Our preferred parking lot offers a $1 per day discount for reserving online and prepaying. However, the $13 per day rate is the same as the AAA drive-up rate which would give us more flexibility if our flight is canceled or delayed.
Sometimes you can also find discounts through websites like Groupon or a travel aggregator like Viator. Here is an offer I found on Groupon.
Park & Fly Packages
Park and Fly hotel packages add a set amount to your room reservation which allows you parking for a predetermined amount of time. You receive a voucher at check-in for parking at a specific lot and they shuttle you to the airport. This can be a good option if you are already planning to stay at a hotel before your flight.
We have utilized Park & Fly Packages in the past if we either have a super early flight and/or when winter weather could be an issue for getting to the airport on time. Last year we had a 6 a.m. flight in February out of Detroit. We planned to stay at a hotel near the airport since it was very early and the weather was questionable. If we had paid for just the parking at a discounted rate of $13 per day it would have been $91. Instead for $150, we relaxed at the hotel, took a dip in the pool, used a hotel credit for drinks at the bar, slept for an extra hour, and got 7 days of parking.
Credit Card Offers or Pay Yourself Back Options
From time to time I have seen offers on my American Express card for airport parking. They generally offer you an account credit for using your card to pay for a specific amount at the listed lot. Last year they had one at Park and Fly Lots for $20 back if you spent $75 or more. This could also stack with a coupon or other discount as long as your final bill meets the spend requirement on the offer.
Some credit cards have either Annual Travel Credits or Pay Yourself Back features that can be used for travel-related purchases. You can still use other discounts to reduce your out-of-pocket costs, then charge the remainder to the card with the benefit. Depending on which feature you are using, after you pay for your parking, you will either get an automatic travel credit to your account or be able to choose to pay yourself back using points.
Employer Discounts
I work for a large employer that offers employees discounts for various programs and services like gym memberships, car rentals, hotels, and airport parking. They currently have a coupon for unlimited days at my preferred parking lot at a rate of $12 per day! That will drop the cost by $26 for a total parking cost of $156 which is the best rate so far.
I noticed that this coupon was good through the end of 2025 so I saved a copy to my desktop in case I want to use it again this year.
Final Thoughts
I love the challenge of finding the best deal. It doesn’t take long, so I like to check a few options before landing on a final plan. Things are always changing, so the best rate I find for one trip may not be the same for the next one.
Ultimately, we decided to drive ourselves and park at our favorite airport parking site. We have been using them for years and never had any issues which means one less thing to worry about. I am glad I checked out the discounts through my employer. I plan to use the coupon I printed off for a rate of $12 per day then apply the pay-myself-back feature on one of my cards to cover the $156 charge.
I always say the more money you save on your travel costs, the more money you have left for fun stuff (and hula pie) on your trip!
Dream…Plan…Save…Adventure!
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