Travel Deal of the Day (November 30, 2007)

In an earlier post, I commented on deals at airport parking lots. Here is an additional deal on airport parking that you should consider, especially on longer trips.

The Deal:
Many airport hotels are now trying to fill empty rooms by offering "Park and Fly" rates that allow you to stay the night before you leave at the hotel and park at that airport hotel while you are out of town. These rates sometimes can be an excellent deal. You may be able to get a "Park and Fly" rate for the same amount as the cost of just airport parking. In some cases in very expensive cities, the "Park and Fly" hotel rate may be lower than the cost of airport parking. Some hotels also allow you to park for free (even without a "Park and Fly" rate) if you stay at the hotel before or after your trip. In such cases, find the lowest available rate and you may save versus parking in the airport parking lot. Using an airport hotel the night before your trip can be especially convenient with early morning departures as you are very close to the airport and most hotels have an airport shuttle.

The Inside Scoop:
Though this can be a deal, watch out for hotels that charge very high "Park and Fly" rates - in such cases, the "Park and Fly" rate is not a deal unless the convenience makes the high rate reasonable for you.