Airport parking can be quite confusing if you’re not too sure whether you need short-term airport parking or long-term airport parking. Here’s everything you need to know about short-term parking vs. long-term parking. This will help you choose the kind of airport parking that suits your requirements.
Long term airport parking
Long-term airport parking is for when you need to out of the city for a week or more. You also need a parking lot to safely park your car. LAX, JFK, SFO, MIA, and most other major airports in the country offer long-term airport parking.
Long-term airport parking is much cheaper and cost-effective than short-term airport parking. JFK long-term parking costs merely $18 per day whereas, for half an hour of short-term parking, you would be spending $4. Basically, a couple of hours of short-term parking costs as much or more than a day’s cost in long-term parking if you do the math.
Here’s the twist, though – long-term parking lots aren’t called satellite parking lots for no reason. They’re mostly located far from the airport, and you’ll have to factor in shuttling to and from the airport. That’s why a lot of people choose offsite airport parking lots for long-term parking. If you’re going to have to take a shuttle anyway, you might as well save some dollars, right?
Short term airport parking
Short-term airport parking is usually chosen when you’ll be away for less than a week and need to park your car at the airport parking lot. Also, if you’re picking up or dropping off someone at the airport, this is the parking you can use.
Short-term airport parking is pricier than long-term airport parking when you compare the cost per day. So if you’re planning to leave your vehicle overnight at the airport, you might end up paying more than the cost per day for long-term parking. JFK airport parking garages, MIA airport parking garages, and all other airports offer short-term airport parking.
How long is short-term parking at the airport?
That totally depends on you, and how long you need to park. Here’s the deal – short-term parking charges you by the hour or, in some cases, by the minute. This makes short-term parking exorbitantly costly if you need to park for a day or more. Take JFK Airport parking, for instance. The Green, Orange, and Red Parking charge $4 for half an hour, and each additional half hour or part thereof costs $4.
Similarly, the Blue and Yellow Garages charge $4 for half an hour, and each additional half hour or part thereof costs $6. Now imagine you need JFK parking for a day or more. Do the math, and you’ll know that you’ll end up shelling out a massive amount of dollars for parking. On the other hand, long-term JFK parking at Lefferts Boulevard costs only $20 a day. Offsite JFK long-term parking lots are even cheaper, starting at just $9/day.
TL; DR on short term parking vs long term parking – Short-term parking is an ideal option if you need to park for a couple of hours or less. For instance, if you need to park while you pick up or drop off some, short-term parking will fit the bill. However, if you need to have your car parked at the airport for several days while you’re off traveling, long-term parking will be a better choice than short-term parking. Long-term airport parking is your best choice if you’re looking to reduce parking costs.
Check out more blogs on the best parking spots in your city, the most affordable insurance for your car, and top-rated car washes near you.
