Short-term parking rates at LAX are rising by 33% next month.
When parking at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) earlier this week, I noticed the following sign:
In short, the daily rate will rise from $30 to $40. That’s quite an increase! These are current rates:
This year, I’ve used LAX much more than Burbank (BUR). I find myself using Uber less and less and driving more and more. I like to leave precisely when I want, I like to drive the way I want, and I don’t like air fresheners in cars…which always gives me a headache. But what really gets me is that half the Uber drivers don’t have a a FastTrack chip to use the I-110 express lanes. That routinely saves 15-20 minutes.
Yes, poor little princess…
But I do find myself at LAX almost every other week and I almost always park in short-term parking. At $30/day, it’s only marginally more than the economy lots which require a shuttle into the airport. I like being able to walk off a flight and be in my car five minutes later. And considering an Uber is about $50 each way from my house or $40 from my office, parking is a no-brainer for a three-day trip or less.
With the new $40/day rate my habits probably won’t change, though I’m not pleased about the huge rate increase with very little notice. I love that LAX is improving and I know parking revenue aids in that effort. Even so, I think $5 would have been a far more appropriate number.
CONCLUSION
Hopefully the rate increase will at least result in some structural repairs to the lot. It’s like a shower in there every time it rains:
For my readers in Los Angeles, will the increase short-term parking rate deter you from parking at LAX? In general, how much is too much for daily parking at a busy international airport?
Featured image courtesy of LAWA
My friend picked me up at SFO last weekend from a UA flight and I noticed that they are going in the opposite direction — now 30 minutes free short-term parking!
Whenever I have a quick turn and don’t want to deal with the shuttles I park in the short term parking. The construction going on around the airport is going to impact operations for years until the people mover project is done.
I’ve also noticed the garage parking around the airport have raised pricing. Raising pricing to $40 for short term will definitely have me not parking at the airport with quick turns when garages are around half that price.
Could be worse, short term lot at Chicago O’hare is $74 a day (over 9 hours is a day) and $40 a day in the daily lot.
What is up with Chicago parking? It’s even more horrific in the city!
FlyAway Parking at VNY is also going up significantly… by 25% per day.
Worse, Lot C is very unpredictable these days, and FULL more often than not. The Short Term Garage has always been the safety valve, but at these rates I may go back to using outlying airports entirely.
Has even surpassed the NY-area airports which are up to $39/day now
That will be $40 out the door. Some of the other lots advertise lower rates but then tack on taxes and other fees to a point that sometimes it is just more convenient to park in the short term lots. Plus, some of the shuttles are non existent without calling (Wally Park).
That’s true. I hate the ++ in other lots.
Still think it will be worth it. I loved not having to deal with a shuttle last week when I used it. Plus, they offer free electric vehicle charging! That’s an added bonus.
If you’re just leaving for the weekend and are strategic, there is free street parking near certain rental car facilities. A $3 tip gets you a shuttle ride. 😉
Have taken advantage of that on numerous occasions in the past via the Westin Shuttle.
You sound like a future Parking Spot man.
After realizing how easy it is to cross LAX on the surface streets on nice days I’ve been parking at the ParkOne next to T1 lately, even for flights out of T5 or T3 — Haven’t done it for T4 yet though LOL