GUEST BLOG: Which Kind of Airport Parking is Right for Your Business?

Airport parking can be a bit of a necessary evil, but it doesn’t have to be. SkyParkSecure is here to help you figure out what kind of parking is right for your business. And then we’ll make sure you get a good deal as well as keeping your swanky company car safe and secure!

First of all, answer a few questions here to help you decide whether park and ride, on-airport parking or meet and greet parking makes the most sense for your business travel.

Now you know which airport parking is going to work best for you, how can you be sure you’re spending that company cash wisely? Whether you book with SkyParkSecure.com or another consolidator, we suggest you consider the following:

1)     Always Use a Comparison Website

Not only is this a surefire way to view a range of products rather than having to check a dozen websites individually, you’ll also save some of that precious budget. Car parks offer little to no discount when you go to them direct, whereas SkyParkSecure buys spaces in bulk and passes on these savings to the consumer. You’ll often find consolidators’ prices to be up to 60% cheaper than booking on the gate

2) Have a Hunt for a Discount Code

We’ve all done it when we’re ordering pizza, but this is a clever tactic for any purchase. Make sure you have a look for any discount or promo codes online before making your booking to maximise savings. And to make it super simple, we’ll give you one for free here:

Enter promo code EXPOSHOW when obtaining your quote at SkyParkSecure.com [https://www.skyparksecure.com/?agent=ONLINE&promo=EXPOSHOW]

3) Read Independent Reviews

Reviews let you take a quick glance at whether a service fulfilled other customers’ needs or not. But there are airport parking websites out there that only use their own in-house review platform, meaning it’s possible for them to omit bad reviews and prioritise good ones. SkyParkSecure.com uses independent review platform Reevoo for our reviews so a car park’s scores are always there for you to see — good and bad. It’s the only way to get genuine guidance!

4) Look for the Park Mark Logo

If you’ve finally decided on the right car park for your trip, there’s one last thing to do — check that it has Park Mark accreditation. The Park Mark Safer Parking Scheme [parkmark.co.uk] is a national standard for UK car parks that have low crime, as well as measures in places to ensure the safety of customers and their vehicles. If your car park doesn’t have this award, consider another one.

If you want to find out more about how SkyParkSecure.com can benefit your business, come, have a chat with them at the Business TravelShow. They will be at stand B680, Olympia London, 21st & 22nd February. See you there!

GUEST BLOG: Why Airport Concierge Services Will Take Off

Wasted airport time is an accepted part of business trips. Travellers often plan to arrive at least two hours before departure, if not three, before international departures. When arriving internationally, they budget time for customs and immigration processes. Connecting flights also require buffer time, especially when they incur security queues.

But what if corporate travel managers could save travellers tens of thousands of airport hours per year?

Airport concierge services solve this. These include lounge access during down time, plus traveller meet-and-greet:

·       Curb-side, then escorting them through fast-track security and accompanying them to their gate.

·       From the arrival gate to the departure gate, including fast-track customs, immigration and security.

·       Gate-side, then accompanying them to the curb with expedited customs and immigration.

Airport concierge services are no secret to corporate travel managers. The services are more than 25 years old, and exist at hundreds of airports around the world.

Some airlines upsell them to first- and business-class passengers as part of the airline's brand. Other airlines own a separate service. In other cases, airports sell their own luxury service.

Most providers, though, are local or regional companies. The question is, with the options and decades of success, why do so few companies use them?

First is the cost. Few travel managers can justify spending hundreds or thousands of extra pounds per trip. Luxury versions of this service easily cost four figures. While they are the exception, they help set an industry perception of luxury service at a luxury price.

Services can be as affordable as £100 per person, or lower for groups. A cost-benefit analysis using travellers’ hourly wages will often justify these rates. For upper management, even moreso.

The biggest hurdle to adoption at these rates is the ease of booking. Today, services are fragmented by airport or region. This makes it difficult to compare value, benefits, procedures, terms and conditions.

Chauffeur services faced the same challenges years ago. Local, independent providers were fragmented with their own websites and policies. This left travellers and corporate travel managers to sort out the best providers. Global professional driver services like Blacklane have overcome this fragmentation. The results are lower costs and a consistent high online and physical experience.

Airport concierge services are undergoing a similar evolution. Global companies serve airports around the world with a simple booking process and clear policies. Providers also work with multi-national companies to serve certain levels of employees and/or particular airports.

They are creating door-to-door trips by combining airport concierge services with chauffeured rides. By covering travellers' first and last miles and the steps in between, they lower stress, reduce transit time, and increase productivity.

This blog was posted by Sascha Meskendahl, Chief Revenue Officer of Blacklane. The company is exhibiting its professional driver and airport concierge services at the Business Travel Show 2018. Please register for your free visitor pass at www.businesstravelshow.com