If you are frequent holiday maker, you will likely be familiar with the potential perils of booking your airport parking online. Before the days of comparison websites, trusted reviews and quality guaranteed parking providers however, you had to put your trust in companies to care for your vehicle whilst you jet off on your adventure, and you really had no way of knowing whether your car is in safe hands. In recent years, there have been a number of horror stories surrounding airport parking companies, including customers finding their cars abandoned in muddy fields. So how do you know if the company you book your parking with is legitimate? Well, our parking experts have gathered the top tips to finding excellent airport parking at great prices, and with the help of our handy infographic, you can book with confidence.

Decide On the Right Type of Parking First

One of the airport parking options which tends to get used most by scammers is Meet and Greet parking; that’s because its easy to get the money from a customer and park your car in any place they want – of course, all whilst telling you it’s a super safe car park a few minutes away. This option also happens to be a pricier option, so it’s doubly important to check that you are using a reputable company to avoid spending a hefty fee on a scam. If you are traveling with kids, pets or have a lot of bags and want to relieve stress, or if you just fancy treating yourself to a stress free start to your holiday, then meet and greet parking is a great option. However, if you are looking for, for example, cheap Gatwick airport parking and want something cost effective but convenient, you can explore other options here at Parking At Airports such as long stay parking or park and ride.

Is the Company Even Real?

One of the first signs that the company you’ve found to book with isn’t legitimate, is that the company itself doesn’t actually exist. That’s right, when it comes to affordable off site parking and meet and greet parking, some people set up reputable-looking websites and cash in on bookings, only to pick up cars themselves and drop them off in a field, a random car park or another unsecure area. At Parking At Airports, all of the parking providers we work for are 100% genuine, and you can access their website via our comparison tool online. Other ways to check if a parking provider is legitimate however, includes:

Checking for a ‘Contact Us’ page on their website.

Seeing if the address comes up on Google Maps as a legitimate business.

Typing the company into google and searching for recent customer reviews.

Seeing if the company is on reputable comparison websites.

Check For the Park Mark

One of the best ways to ensure that your airport parking provider is reputable, is by checking for the park mark. This is a certification from the British Parking Association; whom award it to parking facilities that meet their requirements. The police check on behalf of the parking association, to ensure that the facility has include adequate lighting, a clean environment, surveillance and quality management; all of which ensure that your vehicle is kept safe and sound whilst you are away. Here at Parking At Airports, all of our airport parking providers have been given the park mark, so you know you’re in safe hands. For example, if you are looking to book cheap Durham Tees Valley airport parking, then you can book affordable on site parking which is awarded the prestigious park mark! If there isn’t a park mark, but you are still interested in booking with that provider, checking for cameras and security features either in person at the airport or via google maps is a great alternative.

Be Sure to Book Online Early

One of the best ways to find a secure parking provider, is by doing your research; and the only way to do that is if you leave enough time to do it! Book your parking online before the day of your flight, and as well as making sure that you don’t miss out on a fab deal, you can be sure your vehicle is parked safely. Compare prices online and book as early as possible so you can avoid the stress of finding a space on the day, and even get an early booking deal on your parking.

Keep Your Valuables Safe and Sound

Finally, keeping your valuables safe means that if something does happen; at least your most valued possessions are kept safe. Either leaving your expensive and precious items at home or keeping them secure at all times is a great rule any time you are travelling, and this definitely applies when leaving your car in an airport car park. Make sure you hide any valuable items you need to leave in your car by putting them in a secure box, and any larger expensive items should be kept out of view as much as possible.

Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to lock your doors!