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We are flying out of CLT tomorrow evening and plan on using the long term parking for the first time. I've always noticed alot of signs when in the airport that lots are full. I'll be traveling with 3 kids so I would like to know the downsides (if any) of parking. Also, what do they mean by Business Valet parking? Thanks!
Business valet parking is significanlty more expensive than the other methods at CLT. Having said that, it is relatively cheap compared to other airports. It's 10 bucks a day and they drive you from their garage to the airport. Personally, I always park in the daily. At six bucks a day, I don't feel you can beat the price and have never had a problem finding parking there.
If I am out of town for a really long time, I park uptown in my monthly space and just taxi to the airport.
Daily parking (the large garages near the airport entrance) is only a few dollars more than long term. They have a shuttle that goes very often (every 10 minutes or less).
Long term is okay but you may have a long wait (15 minutes or so) and it takes an extra 5-10 minutes in travel time to get from the long term lots to the airport.
Depends on how many days you will be gone. A minivan taxi ride to the airport may work out to be cheapest and easiest method.
I fly weekly, and always use long-term. I find that the buses are usually very frequent (of course there have been a few times where I have waited 10 minutes or more). Even though daily parking is closer to the airport, the bus ride is about the same length, if not less from long term. This is because the bus for daily basically has to exit and re-enter the airport to drop you off. Also, you usually have to go to the third or fourth floor of the deck in daily parking and then search the aisles for a free spot. The last two times i have parked there, I thought to myself, "why didnt i just park in long term? I would've been on the bus already instead of circling around the ramp and searching for a spot in the deck." It's only $2 difference per day for long term vs. Daily, but I think I prefer long term even of they were the same price.
As far as business valet goes, it's nice for a one-day trip and probably worth it - no searching for a parking spot and always immediate transfer to/from the airport. Your car is running, air conditioned, and ready to go when you arrive from the bus ride from the airport. But if you are gone for more than a few days, the cost just adds up too much for me for the small convenience.
I use the long term parking whenever I travel. I will usually park closer to where the bus enters the lot. The buses are usually mostly empty when I pick them up and I am also the first dropped off when I return. This make getting to the exit and paying a little quicker.
My biggest reason for not using long term is that I prefer the covered parking that daily provides.
This is one reason I park in daily, the other is being far enough off the ground to not worry about flooding while I am away – I always try to park on the 3rd floor or higher. And I don’t worry about whether there is hail while I am away. Most of the time there is no issue, but it’s worth the extra peace of mind. I was really grateful for the covered parking during our little snow/ice storm this past winter. We were significantly delayed getting into Charlotte, arriving about 2:00 am. It was so nice not to have to scrape two inches of icy snow off our car, and not have to navigate icy, slippery lots – well worth the extra $2/day to me.
One tip for anyone who is interested, there is a big difference in price between curbside valet and regular business valet. I used curbside one time and I thought they were the same price for some reason.
Funny part is that my approving manager didn't even bat an eye at the expense since 20 bucks a day for parking seemed normal to him.
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