Brand, Choice, Service – Park ‘n Fly’s Focus from Page 40


vans, pick-ups, drop-offs, signs, signals and confusing parking. Paalz said that off-airport parking offers an alternative to all that.You can pull in and park before all the congestion and con- fusion starts. “Business travelers want convenience, and they want it


quick.Nothing isworse than standing on the curb and seeing the shuttles from five off-airport lots go by before the one you parked in shows up.We strive to ensure that that doesn’t hap- pen,” Paalz said. The existence of off-airport parking is in the best interest of


the consumer, he said. It helps control prices, and competition means better service all around “Parking is part of the entire trip. If a person can reserve their


parking space as they plan for their trip, it’s one less thing they have to worry about. It also affects the overall cost of their trip and can greatly increase the stress level, particularly if they can’t find parking and are running against the clock.” Park ‘n Fly hopes tomake travel easier, Paalz said. They are


a part of one of the largest corporate travel companies in the country, BCD Holdings, which shares its building inAtlanta. “We focus on the overall travel experience. If any part goes


bad, it can affect the entire trip.We are a travel partner.” Paalzwants his customers to feel as if themost stressful part


of their trip is overwhen they get into the shuttle. “Wewant them to feel that they are now in a comfort zone.” Safety, and the perception of safety, is a big factor. Large,


sometimes dark and dirty structures can be off-putting. Open space with shuttles driving around increase the security factor, and people feelmore comfortable, he said. Park ‘n Fly owns or runs 18 facilities in 12 markets.When


PT remarked that it seemed much larger, Paalz smiled and said that they also provide their reservation service to parkers at 66 airports around the country.Youmake your reservationwith Park ‘n Fly but you park in an affiliated location. “We would love to run more off-airport locations for own-


ers.We just took over Park One at LAX and have found it a very successful experience.” Paalz came to Park ‘n Fly fromPODS (PortableOnDemand


Storage). “(At PODS) we knew that we had to get our concept out there.When times were slow, we would take a ‘pod’ and sit it on the street near busy intersections.The advertising was great. “Keeping shuttles running through the airport is the same


concept,” Paalz said. “We may not pick someone up on that trip, but we will tell people standing on the curb that next time they should park with us.” The future? “It’s about service, brand and customer loyalty. We are


focusing on technology to help us in all those areas. Come back in a year and see what technology can do for the airport parking business.”


PT


Affinity Partner E


very day your customers depend on you. Tey leave their cars in your parking garage or with your valet and assume everything will be fine. But things can go wrong. Vehicles


disappear from parking garages. Valets crash cars. Pedestrians trip on potholes. And customers file claims. So who can you depend on? For more than


25 years, Alliant Insurance Services has been offering complete insurance solutions for all types of parking operations.We can help you prevent and manage risks while making sure you have the most appropriate coverage for your business. Contact us today.


Customers depend on you.Who can you depend on? Alliant, the specialty insurance leader.


(866) 805-7275, Ext. 775


www.alliantinsurance.com/parking kphillips@alliantinsurance.com


42


MAY 2009 • PARKING TODAY • www.parkingtoday.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76