YMMV: Free Parking at Clevel. Airport

[HansGolden]

This is a big YMMV, but it worked for me. I'd be interested to hear if it works for other folks. I'm deliberately using non-standard abbreviations to make so it's not Googlable.

I stayed at the Sh****on Clevel. Airport the night before my flight, leaving my car parked there for three days. (It's right on the airport grounds with 24/7 on-demand shuttle or if the weather's nice, you can easily walk. It also is a Cat2 which costs 1600+$30 or 3k.) The parking there is integrated with the airport's parking system, yet you can pay when you check out (charged to room) or pay at the booth. I was forced to do the latter because in order to charge it the room, you must be immediately leaving on checkout (the ticket gets validated by the front desk), which I was not. Normally in that situation, I would have left my ticket above my visor, but because I thought I could charge to room--the obvious choice to get more *points--I took it inside in my wallet. As cheap mag stripe cards are wont to do, my card got inadvertently demagnetized. The automated machine would not recognize the card at the exit booth. I hit the assistance button and a hotel manager came out to assist. He tried the ticket a few times first at my gate and then the other. When he was unable to get it to work, he simply manually opened the gate and motioned that I was free to go.

As I'm sure you know, magswipe tickets can be kept safe from demagnetization by keeping them clear of metal objects. 

Please let me know the results of future accidental demagnetizations at this property. (Worst case scenario, the date/time is stamped on the ticket and they'll manually charge you based on that.)

[outsider]

This is a big YMMV, but it worked for me. I'd be interested to hear if it works for other folks. I'm deliberately using non-standard abbreviations to make so it's not Googlable.

I stayed at the Sh****on Clevel. Airport the night before my flight, leaving my car parked there for three days. (It's right on the airport grounds with 24/7 on-demand shuttle or if the weather's nice, you can easily walk. It also is a Cat2 which costs 1600+$30 or 3k.) The parking there is integrated with the airport's parking system, yet you can pay when you check out (charged to room) or pay at the booth. I was forced to do the latter because in order to charge it the room, you must be immediately leaving on checkout (the ticket gets validated by the front desk), which I was not. Normally in that situation, I would have left my ticket above my visor, but because I thought I could charge to room--the obvious choice to get more *points--I took it inside in my wallet. As cheap mag stripe cards are wont to do, my card got inadvertently demagnetized. The automated machine would not recognize the card at the exit booth. I hit the assistance button and a hotel manager came out to assist. He tried the ticket a few times first at my gate and then the other. When he was unable to get it to work, he simply manually opened the gate and motioned that I was free to go.

As I'm sure you know, magswipe tickets can be kept safe from demagnetization by keeping them clear of metal objects. 

Please let me know the results of future accidental demagnetizations at this property. (Worst case scenario, the date/time is stamped on the ticket and they'll manually charge you based on that.)

this is not a deal it sounds like stealing. sorry unless i did not undestood.

[HansGolden]

this is not a deal it sounds like stealing. sorry unless i did not undestood.

It is the manager's choice whether to comp you complimentary parking. The time is still clearly printed on the ticket and he could still charge you the normal rate. However, he can also choose to comp it to you and make it complimentary. Setting up the conditions--without any sort of dishonesty, lying, or stealing--in which he will be predisposed and likely to comp it for you is not stealing in my book. However, if you'd like to explain more, I'm certainly open to being shown wrong.

[outsider]

It is the manager's choice whether to comp you complimentary parking. The time is still clearly printed on the ticket and he could still charge you the normal rate. However, he can also choose to comp it to you and make it complimentary. Setting up the conditions--without any sort of dishonesty, lying, or stealing--in which he will be predisposed and likely to comp it for you is not stealing in my book. However, if you'd like to explain more, I'm certainly open to being shown wrong.

I am talking about the mistakenly demagnetizing. 

[Drago]

this is not a deal it sounds like stealing. sorry unless i did not undestood.

+1

[Dan]

Well you def get points for creativity.
Still for $5 for off-site and $8 for on-site I think I'll stick with those options.

How much does the hotel charge for parking?

[HansGolden]

Well you def get points for creativity.
Still for $5 for off-site and $8 for on-site I think I'll stick with those options.

How much does the hotel charge for parking?

$8/day. Plus it's a super cheap * stay/night credit.

[Drago]

$8/day. Plus it's a super cheap * stay/night credit.

Hmm, do they allow check in and out imm to receive the stay credit?

[HansGolden]

Hmm, do they allow check in and out imm to receive the stay credit?

Pardon, I wasn't talking about the $8, though that would certainly be something to try, I was talking about the 3k or 1600+$30 for an actual room for the night. I live about 2.5 hr from Clevel. and so with a 6a flight, a room the night before is very nice as well.

[Dan]

Hmm, do they allow check in and out imm to receive the stay credit?

Why not?

[HansGolden]

The demagnetization is not reliable. However, I found another trick that works more reliably. I park the night before my flight and stay at the hotel. I fly. When I come back, I have another night booked at the hotel. When I check out from that night, I pay my parking ticket at the front desk. They always charge parking based on how many nights the stay was (1) instead of looking at the parking ticket datestamp. So I pay parking for one night instead of 10 or 14 or whatever. If you value an elite night/stay credit at $30 and a point at 2 cpm, then breakeven point is a three or five day flight/parking:
Weekend: 3k * 2 cpm = $60 + $10 parking = $70 === 4 days * $10 = $40 + $30 for elite credit = $70
Weeknight: 4k * 2 cpm = $80 + $10 parking = $90 === 6 days * $10 = $60 + $30 for elite credit = $90

Please notice staying at the hotel the first night before flight is not necessary if you're just looking for cheap/free parking.

Also notice that I was conservative in my night/stay valuation and my points valuation. The breakeven point is much quicker if you value nights/stays higher or points less.

I highly value the convenience of being able to sleep at the hotel the night before an early morning flight. Shoot, when I came back yesterday, I had only got a few hours of sleep the night before, my bags hadn't made the flight (I missed the cutoff by 3 minutes), so it was invaluable to crash at the hotel for a three hour nap for only 4k points (definitely worth two quick CVS stops!) while I waited for my bags and recuperated. And that's not even counting the almost free parking and yet another elite night.

I'm at 62 nights for the year and heading rapidly toward 100. I don't believe I've had a single paid stay.

[HansGolden]

How much does the hotel charge for parking?

It's up to $10/day now.