Wyndham Wisdom

Tips for Airline Parking

By Charyn Pfeuffer

For me, airport travel logistics alone can stress me out before I've earned a single frequent flier mile or finish a trip on a sour note.

I confess that I spend way more time than necessary poring over transportation details. Should I drive to the airport? Where can I park that won't cost a fortune? Do I take Seattle's fancy new light rail? But wait! I don't want to take it late at night because there can be some shady characters at the Westlake stop. 

Any of these scenarios also requires a bus or cab component, which throws another consideration into the planning mix. I know I make these logistics way harder on myself than it needs to be, but I take being organized and punctual pretty seriously.

My recent Thanksgiving trip to the east coast was exactly the kind of travel itinerary that induces panic in a girl like me. I had to tackle four cities in eight days via a series of planes, trains, buses, subways and taxis. As I debated how to handle the to-and-from Sea-Tac International Airport detail, the folks at WallyPark sent me coupon for a complimentary stay and encouraged me to check out their new valet facility. (WallyPark has locations in seven cities across the country and three at Sea-Tac, including self-park and valet options and a fancy new premier facility.)

Under normal circumstances, I'd whisk my 1992 Nissan Maxima away to a self-parking facility and spare myself the embarrassment of having a vehicle, which is essentially a mobile dog chariot. Instead, I decided this would be a good opportunity to explore new avenues of airport conveniences.

From the moment my rusty ride arrived at the WallyPark lot, the experience was deft and efficient. The valet concierge took down my name and license plate number as I gathered my belongings. In the blink of an eye, my suitcase had been loaded on the shuttle and within two minutes, I was on my way to Sea-Tac. Less than five minutes later, I was in line for TSA and within 15 minutes, at my boarding gate. It takes a good 10 minute walk to get from the light rail stop into the airport, so I consider this off-site parking option a time saver. Especially when you're schlepping luggage, the walk from the light rail can be a bit tedious.

When I returned to Sea-Tac, I was anxious to get home. Impatiently, I waited for my suitcase on the baggage carousel, then half-expected to wait forever for the shuttle to arrive - as had been my experience in the past with other Sea-Tac airport parking services. Time always seems to elapse super-slowly during the final stages of travel for me - the flight home always seems longer, more kids seem to whine, and somehow, I'm always tired, cranky and hungry when I'm so very close to getting back to the comfy environs of home. I picked up the phone, rattled off my parking ticket number, and headed to the WallyPark pick-up point. Once again, I was back in my car within 15 minutes and on my merry way.

What can I say? I'm an airport parking convert. I'm all for finding moments of convenience within my frequent travel experiences, even if it costs a little bit more. As I pulled into my driveway and was greeted by all sorts of dog love and licks, I smiled at the thought that if I hadn't parked at WallyPark, I'd be on the light rail and still need to take either a bus or cab to get home.

Instead, I washed my face, changed into sweats, poured myself a glass of wine and exhaled.

 

Disclaimer: Although Charyn received a complimentary stay courtesy of WallyPark, travelers can receive a free one-day stay via a coupon on the company's website: http://wallypark.com/