The 5 Non-Negotiable Requirements Your Airport Parking Management System Must Have

If you are considering implementing a new Parking Management System at an airport, for your terminal side and off-airport garages, you surely want to provide the best possible customer experience, but still keep your CapEx and OpEx low and generate more revenue. You must start thinking about these 5 non-negotiable requirements your PARCS vendor must provide.

1)  Reservation System

As more and more people fly, even for a day trip, they will want to book a parking spot in advance, preferably close to the terminal. Different mobile applications, coupled with a Parking Guidance System (PGS), all managed by an intuitive parking management system assure parkers can enjoy airport parking, albeit the price. There are no excuses not to offer an easy and quick implementation of advance reservation mobile applications, PGS and nested parking with your parking management system.

2)  License Plate Recognition system (LPR)

A good LPR system at an airport garage is a driving factor for building a great customer relationship. The ultimate user experience requires parking to be complemented with simple and effortless entry and exit. If there are too many steps into and out from the garage, if the ticket processing equipment is too slow, or if it’s just a simple loss of a ticket, drivers are quickly frustrated and annoyed.

LPR for subscription based parkers (e.g. car rental fleets, frequent flyers) is a must. Nobody wants to open a window in mid-winter or on a hot summer day and touch his plastic subscription card, while delaying everybody else. Wouldn’t it be easier for the license plate to be recognized and for the driver to be shown through immediately?

From an operator’s perspective, an integrated LPR system helps identify and control vehicles entering or leaving the airport parking facility. The information collected can be used for security alerts, enforcement, statistical analysis, and of course to create and use drivers’ loyalty.

3)  Express Parking and Loyalty Programs

Express parking a loyalty programs are not rocket science, and the perks that come with these programs, like discounted fares and pre-confirmed parking availability are easily understood. To efficiently implement an Express or Loyalty program, your airport parking management solution must know how to deal with designated parking areas for these purposes. Together with the LPR system you should be able to provide easy, quick and a seamless airport parking experience to those customers who need that extra attention.

4)  Dynamic Directional Signage

When a driver arrives to the airport, He wants to quickly identify free lots and where in the relevant parking structure his chances of finding a free spot are the highest. Dynamic Directional Signage should assist patrons to quickly see exactly how many parking places are available at a specific garage, or on a specific floor. You will avoid traffic jams, and excess pollution, both being airport visitors’ worst nightmares.

5)  VIP Parking or/and Valet Parking

What can be more convenient for the most frequent of travellers, those with the highest loyalty status with Airlines, than the pleasures offered by VIP or Valet parking services. Every airport parking operator should be able to offer such services. Upon departure, you just hand over the keys, and show your return ticket, A Valet will take the car, park it, wash it and have it ready for you, curb-side, upon your return. A good parking management system must be able to support the operator in providing these services.

An airport Parking Management System must be versatile. it is all about revenue, but with different audiences requiring different needs, it must cater to all possible applications and services. A partnership with the right PARCS vendor will help you maximize your services and revenue. The right platform will go above and beyond to integrate all the different applications into a single operating platform. It needs to be agile so you can grow with it as your operations expand, it needs to be efficient, maintaining the cost of ownership at a minimum, and it must be simple to use, for drivers and for you.