VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Syracuse Airport launches $310,000 parking reservations system
Robbie Munch: This week the Syracuse Hancock airport implemented a new online reservation system so you can reserve a parking spot before you get to the airport. NCC New’s Riley Fay has more details. Riley
Riley Fay: Thanks guys. The airport is extra busy this time of year due to the holiday and many schools are on winter break. But you can now reserve a parking spot up to two years in advance of your trip. Take a look.
Matthew Szwejbka: Imagine being one of those families driving two hours plus and saying maybe we will have parking that’s not a good customer experience that why we aggressively pushed so hard to get this reservation system back online.
Fay: You may remember using an online reservation system at the airport before. Szwejbka says about a year ago their entire parking system suffered a failure that led to staff members from SP+ Parking to be at all exits.
Szwejbka: We are actively pursuing things that make the travel experience less stressful, and we don’t want you to drive an hour and a half two hours and not know if you’re going to have parking. Or get here and have to circle around. we want you to take advantage of this for a small convince fee of $2.99 you can have peace of mind for up to 24 months in advance.
Fay: The cost of the new parking system was $310,000. The new reservation system has no upfront fee but is being paid for through a portion of the reservation fee. He says parking revenue accounts for 40% of the airport’s overall revenue.
Fay: Now if you do online reservations to park at the airport you will pay the same price, but it does come with a $2.99 convince fee.
Susan Sherman: You know it’s just easier for me to just drive myself up and just park.
Fay: You just have to make the reservation 24 hours in advance… You can go online to booking.syrairport.org Jess and Robbie.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) — Wednesday the Syracuse Hancock International Airport launched a new online parking reservation system. You can now reserve a spot up to two years in advance, but it must be 24 hours prior to your trip.
“We are actively pursuing things that make the travel experience less stressful,” said Matthew Szwejbka, customer experience manager for Syracuse Hancock International Airport. “We don’t want you to drive and hour and a half two hours and not know if you’re going to have parking or get here and have to circle around.”
This comes after the entire parking system was shut down for around 10 months. While it was getting set back up SP+ Parking Management had staff members stationed at all airport exits with handheld card readers. The parking system includes the pay stations where you pull up to pay, which had to be in place before they could reinstate the reservation system.
“It was a little slower than we’d like to see, obviously but at least we had parking still operational,” Szwejbka said. “So, we from the airport deeply appreciate that.”
The new parking system cost the airport around $310,000 but the new reservation system has no upfront fees, according to the airport. A portion of the reservation fee goes to the reservation company. He said that it is an ongoing fee.
“Common misconception that airports receive taxpayer money,” Szwejbka said. “We actually don’t take a single penny of taxpayer dollars.”
Airports are funded by grants or operational revenue. At the Syracuse Airport, parking is about 40%.
If you reserve a spot online, there is a $2.99 reservation fee, but parking prices are the same.