The reason so many of us park in short-term parking:
I had a 7am flight on Friday and a return flight late Sunday night. I parked in the short-term lot around 5:45am on Friday, this time securing a spot on the 4th level (i.e., adjacent to the walkway directly to the terminal) and was in the lounge for coffee and breakfast before 6am.
My return flight was just over an hour late, arriving at 1:02am on Sunday night/Monday morning. I was first out of the plane, walked the length of the terminal and up to the departures level, got to my car in the garage, drove from the 4th level down to the first, paid for three days’ parking ($66, a little cheaper than a round-trip Uber or taxi), and was at home in mid-city/bayou St. John (I think technically it’s bayou St. John based on official maps I’ve seen, but I’m uncomfortable saying that since I’m on the wrong side of Orleans Avenue!), and in my home at 1:27am, exactly 25 minutes after the aircraft door opened.