Not So Dynamic

Not So Dynamic

Transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Uber and Lyft continue to shape airports. Some may not like how it’s happening, but it’s happening; and we have to embrace the evolution. There’s a myriad of discussions and changes taking place as a result of TNCs, and our story on sets the stage about how airports have been responding and planning for the future.

Just as we were finalizing the article, a newspaper piece about the pricing at ski resorts caught my attention. Many ski resorts are no longer posting walk-up prices on their websites. They’ve introduced flex, or demand, pricing to maximize their revenues depending on day of the week, snow conditions, lead time of purchase, etc. They’re also bundling ski passes with lodging, food and equipment rentals.

The article about ski resorts reminded me of a presentation RezPort made at ACC’s 2015 annual meeting in Newport Beach. A company executive said that the parking industry has the capabilities to provide dynamic pricing to airports, and that airports could double their parking revenue in just a year or two.  Further, accepting online reservations would allow airports to obtain passengers’ e-mail addresses and create a database of customer information currently only held by airlines. Hmmm. Great idea!  

So where are we with dynamic parking at airports? Sadly, it’s still a work in progress. But there’s a lot of innovation taking place. Dynamic parking could be one solution to the many challenges presented by TNCs and other market upheavals. 

Cheers,