This site is showing the Westin at $14 a day over Memorial Day weekend. https://www.cheapairportparking.org/

They also have a pretty good AAA long term parking rate there coupled with an hotel stay. Although when I used it recently, the lot was almost full and I was lucky to find a spot. Not sure what they do if there's no spaces left.

I plan to park at ParkSFO for 2 weeks. I downloaded the iPhone app and tried to make a reservation. But the app takes me to its website. I made the reservation on the website, but I couldn't find it in the app. Is it supposed to be the case? Why do we need the app then?

Also see:

correct. Reservations are only via web, and not connected to app at all. It’s incredibly stupid.

App allows you to create an account and add your card, allowing for paperless and [theoretically] fast entry/exit via the QR code. Realistically, that can take a bit as it can sometimes takes [me, at least] a while to position my phone properly to get it read. Sometimes I can get it done pretty much right away, others, seems like it takes a couple of minutes.

when you arrive, there may or may not be a security guy asking if you have a reservation. Sometimes I just say yes and I get waved through, others I’ll show either my email confirmation or even just the app QR code (which doesn’t really prove I have a reservation, but it’s faster usually to do that then the email) to get through. Have no idea what happens when it’s busy and you don’t.

also note the sensors showing which spots are full are absolutely awful - there’s often many, many greens on spots that are full, which makes the numbers you see on the places where they show that completely unreliable. I sometimes see, say, 40+ spots on a level where I can’t find a spot at all. So you just have to drive through kind of ignoring that info is even there.

that all said, appreciate it’s a covered garage, and with the coupons, it’s the cheapest off-airport parking, and the busses are pretty frequent and reliable (have had trouble with Anza in the past when I’ve tried them, and even with Airtrain to airport LTP). Also pretty safe and reliable, honestly, so IMO, best off-airport parking at SFO.

I do know what happens when it's busy and you have no reservation. The person asks to see an actual reservation and the app is not sufficient. If one does not have a valid reservation, one is turned away and goes to park at SFO LTP. Trust me, this is how it goes down :)

Cheers.

Thank you for the detailed description and advice. I have taken a screenshot of my reservation and saved it to my phone. It's good to know that the app is not integrated with the reservation system. So essentially, I presume I can also just do it the low tech way by not using the app but taking a ticket at the entrance.

The reservation is just a non-binding placeholder and has nothing to do with your actual stay. Once you show the reservation to the attendant (if needed), it no longer serves any purpose.

The actual parking can still be done via the app and is much easier than the old-fashioned ticket method. The key, I've found, to having it work reliably at check-in and check-out is to have the phone brightness up. But with payment method stored and very easy inclusion of relevant coupons, doing the stay via with app is really easy and a marked improvement over the old way.

Sure, I'd like if the reservation could be made from the app. But, given that it has no connection to the stay, I'm OK with it being separate since it has no impact on check-in/check-out.

Cheers,

It's also worth noting that ParkSFO is not exactly United Airlines or Amazon so expecting world-class app functionality seems a bit over the top.

When I was parking here frequently, I loved the app for skipping payment lines. I never thought to focus on what the app can't do, as opposed to appreciating what it actually does do.

One more question. If I use the app to check in/out and pay for parking, at which stage do I scan the coupon?

I probably won't start using the app until reservation is added to it.

No scanning necessary. You just apply coupon with the payment screen. It shows which are available.

Cheers.

Certainly your choice, but the reservation is outside anyway, not needed at all after showing the guard, and the app is much more convenient than the ticket method.

Cheers.

Yes it makes paying much quicker. You can take your time getting off the shuttle and don't need to worry about how many people are getting in line to pay the cashier.

I don't worry about that, and I rarely have people in front of me in line.