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Parking at a Walmart and taking Uber to airport to save money

Parking at a Walmart and taking Uber to airport to save money

Old Mar 13, 2018, 11:22 pm
  #46  
 
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Originally Posted by aquamarinesteph
If I lived in an apartment building, I'd call a cab without a second thought. But we live in a house. And it was drilled into my head from a very young age that you never call a cab to the house when going to the train station/airport. I'm sure that will be overly cautious for many people, but that's the rationale.
Easy. You call them to a house three doors down.
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Old Jun 7, 2018, 11:09 am
  #47  
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I just realized I never came back to this thread to update what I did. You folks convinced me that it wasn't work the risk, so I just went with my airport's (RIC) 3rd party off-site parking (Park 'N Go) which gives a discount when pre-paying and booking online.
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Old Jun 30, 2018, 4:32 pm
  #48  
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One data point for one specific Walmart:

I did a 3 night trip out of MSY over Memorial Day weekend. We drove to the airport on Friday to find all the lots and garages were full. We drove off-airport to discover all the private airport parking lots were also full. I didn't have time to drive home and taxi back and make my flight, so in a bit of a panic, I drove to the nearby Walmart on Veterans Blvd in Kenner, parked there, and called an Uber.

I figured I'd rather pay the tow fee, if that happened, than miss my flight and the wedding we were traveling to the next day.

When we got back on Monday, the car was still there, everything was fine. I think the roundtrip Ubers totaled to under $25, compared to $33-$57 that airport parking would have cost, so we ended up saving a little. But I didn't do it to save money, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it, especially for longer trips.
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Old Jun 30, 2018, 8:14 pm
  #49  
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Originally Posted by swag
One data point for one specific Walmart:

I did a 3 night trip out of MSY over Memorial Day weekend. We drove to the airport on Friday to find all the lots and garages were full. We drove off-airport to discover all the private airport parking lots were also full. I didn't have time to drive home and taxi back and make my flight, so in a bit of a panic, I drove to the nearby Walmart on Veterans Blvd in Kenner, parked there, and called an Uber.


I figured I'd rather pay the tow fee, if that happened, than miss my flight and the wedding we were traveling to the next day.

When we got back on Monday, the car was still there, everything was fine. I think the roundtrip Ubers totaled to under $25, compared to $33-$57 that airport parking would have cost, so we ended up saving a little. But I didn't do it to save money, and I'm not sure I'd recommend it, especially for longer trips.
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And thanks for the report ^
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Old Jul 3, 2018, 5:20 pm
  #50  
 
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This is one of the most entertaining threads I have ever seen! Having seen some of the people at Walmart at 3:00 am - I can say I would never leave any car of even modest value in that parking lot. It could get jacked by crack/meth users in some places. Or simply towed and impounded. Take the Uber or other car service from your home or a place where you can get without leaving your car. Or, do secure long term airport parking, again depending on value of car.

Last edited by MikeFromTokyo; Jul 3, 2018 at 6:50 pm
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Old Jul 3, 2018, 5:50 pm
  #51  
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not all walmarts are equal >

walmart.com/store/5936/vienna-va/details
walmart across from bentley dealer and audi dealer
in between sheraton hotel and mercedes dealer
shares building with 24 hour gym, garage, offices
also right by a 4-year-old metrorail station
tysonswest.com

walmart.com/store/2086/plano-tx/details
bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2006/03/20/daily21.html
wine prices as high as $500 a bottle
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 3:28 pm
  #52  
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Walmart parking

That might cost you more in the end if your car is towed or stolen. Better to take a cab to the airport.
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Old Sep 4, 2018, 10:14 am
  #53  
 
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Even if Walmart is opened 24/7, the parking lot is sometime the responsibility of the strip mall owner (a different corporation). At night, there are usually fewer cars in the lot and security driving around may notice a car sitting in one spot. Its a remote chance, but your car may be towed when you return from your travel.
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Old Sep 4, 2018, 10:47 am
  #54  
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Welcome to FlyerTalk .... sort of

Sort of because I have to correct almost everything in your post.

Originally Posted by new2flyertalk

Even if Walmart is opened 24/7, the parking lot is sometime the responsibility of the strip mall owner (a different corporation). At night, there are usually fewer cars in the lot and security driving around may notice a car sitting in one spot. Its a remote chance, but your car may be towed when you return from your travel.
And when have you seen a WalMart in a strip mall? They are stand alone buildings with a parking lot, though I suspect they will start to lease some of that parking lot like Home Depot to a business such as Chicken Express, since the lots are so huge.

Wired.com story says:


If you've ever tried to sleep in your car on a long trip without planning ahead, you may have run into the law at some point. Each U.S. city has a different policy and tolerance for car-sleeping and it's hard to find a legit spot if you don't know where exactly you'll be stopping.What you can count on is one of Walmart's over 3,000 stores being nearby. The company's policy of allowing overnight stays in their parking lots is intended to boost sales, but has the tangential effect of creating a subculture around its locations (though they're still at the mercy of local laws).

Just Google people sleeping in WalMart parking lot and you will find a bunch of hits, including the quote above and the whole article.
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Old Sep 4, 2018, 11:11 am
  #55  
 
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In my area, the three Walmart that I know of are in strip mall. They have the own large building but there are smaller stores connected to them. Google map Walmart in Manville, NJ.
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Old Oct 14, 2021, 8:26 pm
  #56  
 
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Did it work out?

Were you able to park in Walmart parking lot and Uber to airport without any problems?
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Old Apr 8, 2022, 8:59 am
  #57  
 
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Does Target match the offer in this instance?
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Old Apr 14, 2022, 2:32 pm
  #58  
 
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Another idea (more plausible a few years ago when rental rates were much less) is to rent a car from a place near your home and then drop it off at the airport. The one-way charge, if any, might be reasonable if the two locations are in the same geographic area.
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