May 3, 2013, 1:32 pm
Last edit by: RichardInSF
Short term parking:
ParkSFO
Pros:
QuikPark
Pros:
Burlingame Airport Parking (ParkBAP)
Pros:
Anza
Pros:
BART
Pros:
SFO Long Term Parking and Lot D
** The shuttle buses look exactly the same! One says 'Lot D', the other says 'Long Term Parking' (likely no longer a concern? see below re: AirTrain)
SFO Long Term Parking
Pros:
Cons:
SFO Long Term Parking Lot D
Pros:
ParkSFO
Pros:
- Generally highest rated by FTers
- Fast and regular shuttles
- Quick & easy access from 101 freeway
- Register for emails to receive monthly coupons
- Coupons for 1 free with 3+ days, 2 free with 5+ days, 3 free with 7+ days, and 4 free with 9+ days parked in a single stay.
- Coupons are blacked out during Thanksgiving, Xmas, and other peak periods
- www.parksfo.com/coupons/
- June 2013 Coupon
- Often full or forced to valet at higher rate
- More expensive than other off-airport options, especially if no coupon
- Reservations required or risk likely being turned away at entry
- Price listed online does not include tax and fees (which is around 16%)
QuikPark
Pros:
- Online reservations
- Relatively cheap
- must prebook online for best rate and bring printout to give to attendant
- Slow shuttles
- Even with a reservation, sometimes fill up and hard to find a spot
(note: if you book on-line and the lot is full, they will find you a space-you will be stopped at the gate but all you have to do is show them your pre-paid receipt)
Burlingame Airport Parking (ParkBAP)
Pros:
- Consistently one of the cheapest, especially for weekly rates.
- Generally do not have to prebook to get the best rate.
- 3 shuttles an hour only, and a bit slower than average due to distance. Try to arrive at or before :00, :20, or :40 to allow a few minutes wait.
- September 2013: For pickups late, I feel the turnaround times are more consistent with 2x per hour for the shuttle. No posted change, however.
- Poor ratings (see yelp)
Anza
Pros:
- With Burlingame Airport Parking, the only parking South of airport (Other than BART)
- Easy access dropoff, not so easy to get back on freeway (S-101)
- Valet is free (no extra charge) when they are near capacity
- Frequent parker program: Each 30 paid days yields a 5-consecutive-day park for free. Check in on facebook and receive credit for 1/2 paid day as well. (Note: This program has changed. It is now tied into the Fivestars card rather than a paper punch card.)
- When partially full, they require you use their free valet service, and this requirement varies from hour to hour. Be sure to have nothing valuable in your car!
- Poor shuttle service for SFO arrivals at busy weekend/holidays (30-45min wait)
- Need a printed coupon from their website to get the best rate
BART
Pros:
- Free over the weekend (except the cost of using BART to the airport) and holidays, even as part of a longer stay
- Online reservations for weekday parking
- BART schedule is known well in advance
- Pretty much guaranteed a parking spot
- Hard to use if you're trying to park or pick up when BART is closed for the night
- Possibility of getting a ticket if you overstay your reservation
- Can wait up to 20 minutes for BART in off-peak hours, or have to go to San Bruno and back to Millbrae during peak hours (or take a taxi for about $12)
SFO Long Term Parking and Lot D
** The shuttle buses look exactly the same! One says 'Lot D', the other says 'Long Term Parking' (likely no longer a concern? see below re: AirTrain)
SFO Long Term Parking
Pros:
Regular shuttles (not the fastest, not the slowest)- AirTrain blue line now goes to Long Term Parking (no more bus shuttles) but makes quite a number of stops before reaching the domestic terminals
- Sometimes if the normal area and Lot D fill up, you'll get a voucher to use the short-term parking at long-term rates
- Covered Parking in the garage - it gets full at peak times
Cons:
- Expensive
- However, current promo is $12/day for 3 days prepaid online (and the rate decreases for additional days)
SFO Long Term Parking Lot D
Pros:
- Sometimes if the Long Term Parking area and Lot D fill up, you'll get a voucher to use the short-term parking at long-term rates
- Expensive
Tips for Long Term Parking and Lot D- Park near Stop 5 in Long Term Parking and you are the first off the bus and out of the parking lot!
- Although the signs will indicate that a floor is full, I am often able to find a spot on these floors.
- Airtrain station is on level 5 of the garage
Month or longer parking:
Someone who's done this please add experiences - I (rob_flies_ua) would just pay for a shuttle or car service at this point. unavaca recommends taking Uber in this case.
AirportParkingReservations.com coupon:
$5 off: FBFRIENDS415
EXPIRES 12/31/16 @ 11:59 PM PST Coupon Valid Online Only
SFO Parking
Sep 27, 2013 | 5:56 pm
#166
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/MM, AA GLD
Posts: 1,725
Sep 28, 2013 | 9:51 pm
#168
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K/MM, AA GLD
Posts: 1,725
Sep 29, 2013 | 3:35 am
#169
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Oakland
Programs: AA Explat, UA former 1K + PremExec, DL
Posts: 1,160
Sep 29, 2013 | 2:09 pm
#170
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
You can even do what you've suggested from Friday morning - just pay the $2 for Friday, and then you can stay until Sunday night (or very, very early Monday morning). If Monday is a BART holiday, you can stay until end of day Monday.
If you're planning to do this in November, keep in mind that whilst Thanksgiving is a BART holiday, the Friday after it is NOT. If you're staying Thursday -> Sunday, you need to pay for Friday, which basically mean paying for 1 days airport parking.
Last edited by docbert; Sep 29, 2013 at 2:45 pm
Sep 30, 2013 | 7:51 am
#171
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: None
Posts: 375
I was taking a trip the week of the pending BART strike. leaving Monday Oct 7 returning Oct 12. Do I buy a five day overnight pass or if they strike, just a three day pass? Being as cheap as I am, that's why I ask. I already changed my flight from Oak to SFO. I thought SFO was going to run shuttle buses once every 15 to 30 mins to and from SFO Millbrae BART. If they do strike, I expect a three to four week strike.
Sep 30, 2013 | 8:16 am
#172
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Programs: UA 1K/MM, Marriott Titanium, IHG Gold, Hertz PC, Avis PC
Posts: 8,531
[QUOTE=travelingchumley;21528557]I was taking a trip the week of the pending BART strike. leaving Monday Oct 7 returning Oct 12. Do I buy a five day overnight pass or if they strike, just a three day pass?/QUOTE]
I wouldn't count on BART police being a part of any strike, thus I'd be buying a 4 day pass. You don't need a 5 day pass, as you can pay for Monday's parking separately ($2), then then have the Airport parking cover Tuesday-Friday.
However if you're doing this I'd suggest buying it *now*. They stopped selling airport parking passes about a week before the last strike, and there's no saying they won't do the same this time.
I wouldn't count on BART police being a part of any strike, thus I'd be buying a 4 day pass. You don't need a 5 day pass, as you can pay for Monday's parking separately ($2), then then have the Airport parking cover Tuesday-Friday.
However if you're doing this I'd suggest buying it *now*. They stopped selling airport parking passes about a week before the last strike, and there's no saying they won't do the same this time.
Sep 30, 2013 | 1:37 pm
#173
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: None
Posts: 375
just found out the key, was trying to booking a spot through the evening of Oct 11th. The Select a Spot website would not let me. I tried all the Peninsula stations and no go. I tired booking until Oct 10th and bingo. I called the vendor and they will extend the permit via phone if there is no strike since they already have your account info. The employee mentioned I will have no BART ride to Millbrae if there is a strike, but a cab ride should be $12 or SamTrans should be running. Also, I thought SFO was going to run a shuttle.
Sep 30, 2013 | 2:18 pm
#174
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: San Jose, California, USA
Programs: AS Plat, UA MM, AA MM, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,167
What will you do for Oct 11th if there is a strike and they won't extend the airport parking pass? I hope that BART police would be forgiving in such a case (since with no BART running, the garage would be empty), but did the parking vendor confirm that?
Sep 30, 2013 | 3:11 pm
#175
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: None
Posts: 375
I thought I saw from the last strike there would be no enforcement because many people would still be using the lots because of carpooling and Caltrain.
Oct 11, 2013 | 5:35 pm
#176
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: None
Posts: 375
So I wake up at 3am in PHX only to learn there was no BART strike. Well, my airport parking permit was only good till Thursday night. I called Select Spot at 8am and told them my predicament. The rep looked me up via email account and asked if I needed to add one day. Yes. I asked her if it was the same permit number and she said no, BART police have access info to the permits via license plate and would not issue a ticket. Well, let's see if I get a parking ticket on the windshield when I get back tomorrow. I think it's fightable as a co worker punched in the wrong stall number, but had the recipient and won the appeal cause he paid for parking.
Jan 10, 2014 | 5:53 pm
#177
Used to be highman123
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 3,541
ParkBAP seems to be the best deal in town now. $9/day or $55/week. It shares the shuttle with the Hilton but no need to stay at the Hilton to use the parking. Haven't used it yet but I'm going to!
http://www.parkbap.com/reservations.html
http://www.parkbap.com/reservations.html
Jan 10, 2014 | 6:01 pm
#178
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Benicia CA
Programs: Alaska MVP Gold 75K, AA 3.8MM, UA 1.1MM, enjoying the retired life
Posts: 31,849
I parked there this morning at 5. Probably 10% of the lot occupied. January and February are generally pretty slow there, though I have not tried Presidents Weekend which could be a challenge with the other lots that have shut down. Shuttles run every 20 mins.
The shuttle does make a stop at Embassy Suites on the way to the airport.
When I looked at their web site a few days ago it indicated a jump to $15 on April 1. They did this a year ago at Christmas, but if that's going to be their new rate they'll probably be on the higher side.
Tom in Arlington, Virginia
The shuttle does make a stop at Embassy Suites on the way to the airport.
When I looked at their web site a few days ago it indicated a jump to $15 on April 1. They did this a year ago at Christmas, but if that's going to be their new rate they'll probably be on the higher side.
Tom in Arlington, Virginia
Jan 10, 2014 | 9:02 pm
#179
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: San Jose, California, USA
Programs: AS Plat, UA MM, AA MM, IC Plat, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,167
Don't forget that you can also head toward the Hilton and park underneath (and wait inside the Hilton lobby for the shuttle). Covered parking for the same price as outdoor parking!
Aug 8, 2014 | 10:48 am
#180
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: California
Posts: 601
haven't flown out of SFO for about a year, so was surprised at how much rates had increased. ParkSFO now prohibitive for longer than 4 nights stay.
Researched and found smartairportparking.com offers pretty competitive rates. Also, it has a name your own price feature. It had listed QuikPark at Aloft Hotel for $11/night. I was able to get this lot for $8.25/night when I named my own price. Receipt seems to show that tax is included - which saves an additional 10% or so. Nice deal.
Researched and found smartairportparking.com offers pretty competitive rates. Also, it has a name your own price feature. It had listed QuikPark at Aloft Hotel for $11/night. I was able to get this lot for $8.25/night when I named my own price. Receipt seems to show that tax is included - which saves an additional 10% or so. Nice deal.