We are such strange creatures of habit, aren't we? I will search and search and drive God knows how far to save a few dollars on the airfare but freak out when I have to pay for parking. I love Greensboro to death, but our options out of the airport really suck. Unless you are heading to New York or Florida, everything else requires a stopover in Atlanta or somewhere along the way. I quite often look for an airport that has a direct flight. At least I know when I get on and the plane takes off, the next stop will be my destination. I cannot begin to tell you how many slices of pizza I have had in the Atlanta airport because the connecting flight got canceled or delayed. So, when I saw that Charlotte had a direct flight from it's airport to Canada, I decided to try the hour and a half ride and see how I fared. The big question was, what I was going to do with my car for 5 days for surely no one is going to give me a ride and parking is so freaking expensive!
After gasping at the exorbitant prices of parking at the Charlotte airport on-line, I did notice there was an off-site alternative called The Parking Spot. The price looked pretty decent, they offered a AAA discount and supposedly even bring you back to your car. It was turning out to be about six bucks a day as opposed to the $12 or more a day if I wanted to be walking distance to the terminal. I decided to give it a shot with my heart in my hand because I know how un-user- friendly these things can be! I got to the airport with plenty of time to spare and good old GPS brought me right to the entrance of The Parking Spot. I scanned the QR code they gave me with my pre-paid reservation and a gentleman at the gate told me to park in section U which was the uncovered section all the way in the back. How will they ever find me? How will I ever find the spot?
To my amazement, it was quite easy to find the spot but wondered how at 5AM in the morning they were going to retrieve me. I'll be damned, but as soon as I got my stuff out of the car, within a minute or two there was The Parking Spot van to pick me up. They even handed me a little card that told me my parking spot, so when I return it will be easy for me and the driver to find my car. Clever, appreciated and great customer service! As promised, I was dropped off at the terminal and it was easy as pie. Now how difficult will the return be? I was not looking forward to that. Once again, The Parking Spot came through. The little business card tells you exactly where to stand after you get your luggage. There was even a big sign outside the arrivals/baggage level to indicate I was at the right place. Within two minutes the van picked me up and I'll be damned if they didn't drop me off right in front of my car. I scanned the QR code one more time on my way out and I was on my way home. This was so damn user friendly. I was incredibly impressed, and considering how expensive airport parking is, This was a great deal.
I find everything connected with airports to be overpriced and costly, but The Parking Spot offered me a fair price with fantastic customer service. I especially loved the idea that they dropped me off at my car. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have returned from a long trip and I've ended up crying in the airport parking lot for an hour trying to find my vehicle. Unless you have a lot of money or need to park right by the terminal, the next time you go to Charlotte, I would highly recommend The Parking Spot. Convenient, customer friendly, user friendly and don't forget your AAA discount! I hear they have operations at many airports throughout the country and they have won me over. See you next time I go to Charlotte! read more