Ridiculous or not? Airport parking fees start to multiply

Photo of author

By Christopher Elliott

Like many travelers, Hal Frost is accustomed to encountering fees everywhere he goes, from the airport check-in counter to the hotel front desk. But long-term parking used to always be pretty straightforward: he paid the rate he was quoted.

Not anymore.

When he parked his car in New York recently through a site called NetParkFly he found several fees added to his bill, including a fuel surcharge fee, a customer service fee and an access fee. There’s no explanation of these extras on the company’s website.

He wondered what those were for.

The proliferation of fees in airport parking

Just as an aside, sometimes you’re better off not knowing what fees are for, because it makes you even more upset. But the fact that airport parking areas have taken a page from the airline and hotel industry – well, that should surprise no one.

What is surprising, at least to me, is that the fee contagion hasn’t spread any faster.

I suggested Frost ask NetParkFly about his bill. He sent the company a brief, polite email, requesting that it explain the extras.

“Parking lots sometimes charge a fuel surcharge to recoup their fuel fees,” a representative responded. “Access fee is a fee that the airport charges and the parking lot has to give that to them. Customer service fee is a fee that we charge to each booking made on the website to cover our fees involved with the transaction.”

AirAdvisor is a claims management company. We fight for air passenger rights in cases of flight disruptions all over the world. Our mission is to ensure that air passengers are fairly compensated for the inconvenience and frustration caused by delays, cancellations, or overbooking.

So the rate you’re charged for parking doesn’t cover the parking company’s own gas expenses. Nor does it pay for their rent, or the cost of providing “customer service.”

Kind of makes you wonder what the parking fee does cover.

Hidden fees in airport parking

NetParkFly is hardly alone. Another parking service, SmartParkJFK.com also charges a “one-time” fuel surcharge (but it promises a “low parking rate!”) Executive Valet Airport Parking at Bradley International Airport charges a four percent “airport access” fee. United Airport Parking at the Port of Miami is known to have charged a $5 customer service fee, too.

Parking operators rarely disclose these extras to the satisfaction of customers and often only reveal them at the last minute, inflating customers’ parking bills by a few bucks. And while that may be a minor annoyance to air travelers, it can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to a parking lot operator’s revenues.

That strikes some travelers as dishonest and greedy. (Related: Outrageous! Hotels are charging for parking — whether you have a car or not.)

What should happen? The price you are quoted should always be the price you pay for parking — the full price you pay — unless you extend your stay. Even then, you should only pay an all-inclusive rate for the extra day. (No late fees, please.)

The maze of parking fees

I can understand why parking lot operators would want to add these surcharges. By breaking out the cost of parking, they can make their spots look extra cheap. We’re all familiar with this business strategy; airlines have perfected it with their often deceptive “a la carte” fees. (Here’s what you need to know about travel and money.)

But customers are unhappy. Asked what he thought about the creative fees, Frost told me he thought they were “a lot of hooey.”

I think you shouldn’t have to bring a calculator along to the airport to figure out how much your parking bill will cost. I’m not sure if this kind of pricing is ethical, particularly if there’s no way to opt out of them. (Related: How early should you arrive at the airport for your flight?)

Good thing there are lots of other parking lot operators in New York that don’t engage in these pricing tricks – for now.

Photo of author

Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter. He is based in Panamá City.

Related Posts