NAIA Parking Now p1200 Per Night

[Mike J]

10 hours ago, scott h said:

Probably will be. I am sure you know this but for others, I just looked at their web site, it looks like you can reserve a slot in advance. Goodness only knows how reliable it is, but it is something.

[Mike J]

Maybe  the new managers figure if you can afford to fly, you can afford to park?

[scott h]

2 minutes ago, Mike J said:

Maybe  the new managers figure if you can afford to fly, you can afford to park?

 

[OnMyWay]

13 hours ago, scott h said:

Probably will be. I am sure you know this but for others, I just looked at their web site, it looks like you can reserve a slot in advance. Goodness only knows how reliable it is, but it is something.

I think booking in advance is mandatory with them if you really want to get a spot.  Before the online option, you had to call.  With only 200 spots, they have to manage them carefully.  I have an account there but have never used it. 

Most larger airports have online parking booking options now, I would suspect.

[OnMyWay]

https://www.autoindustriya.com/editors-note/why-i-park-overnight-at-naia.html

Why I park overnight at NAIA
Hi I'm Vince Pornelos
Vince Pornelos

The Airport Parking Fee Question
“We’ll drive you to the airport tomorrow, anak.”

That was what my Mom and Dad said to me every time I was set to fly out of the country for my many work trips. Of course, given the often ungodly hours that I needed to be on the road to make it to a flight I was booked for, I always declined. Besides, it’ll cost too much fuel and time for them to have to bring me to the airport, and then drive back.

I don’t live in the NCR. I live in Antipolo. Given the time and distance, parking at the airport was the only reasonable option for me because the last thing I wanted at the time was for two senior citizens to be stressed out in traffic. How I wish they were still around because now the airport has jacked up the fees by a factor of 4.

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I’ve been parking at NAIA T1, T2, and T3 (Edit: T4 apparently has parking across the street) for over a decade now, and back then parking was PHP 50 overnight. I kid you not, parking back then was ridiculously difficult, as the PHP 50 fee was basically nothing.

Then in 2013 (I think) the parking shot up to PHP 300, and I remember that shock because my salary can’t justify that expense. A typical 4-day work-related trip for a motorshow or drive event would mean I’d be spending anywhere between PHP 1200 to 1500 on parking instead of PHP 200 to 250.

So I took cabs to the airport. Cabs are fine and can be convenient, and the cost was comparable to parking. The real problem is going back; instead of just paying a fee and driving off, you’ll have to wait for a cab. That gets much worse especially if your return flight lands at peak hours. There’s also the problem that regular cabs refuse to drive such a long way and do not have a fare going back unless they live near my area and are waiting for a convenient go-home fare. And even if you wanted a regular cab, you’d have to go to the departure level and wait for a passenger to get dropped off.

If you take the airport taxi, then you’ll get a ride right away. The problem is that the metered taxi at the airport arrival area runs at a different rate than regular cabs. We have to get it out of our system that passengers from international flights are rich and oozing with $$$.

App-based ride-hailing changed that, but the taxis and airport taxis complained. So they were restricted at the airport, which didn’t last. There’s also the problem of surge and availability during rush hour. If it’s a rainy payday Friday, may the odds be in your favor.

So the PHP 300 per 24-hour rate didn’t look so bad for a fairly regular traveler. And for many years, that’s how it was. My system was stable and predictable… up until last week.

A memo from the now privatized NAIA management has infamously raised the parking fee. The PHP 300 overnight 24-hour parking fee was gone; the price skyrocketed to PHP 1200. Even for motorcycles, 24-hour parking is now PHP 480. NAIA blindsided us. Even passengers who parked before the immediate implementation of the fee but have to exit now have to pay the new fees.

Why I park overnight at NAIA image

Some math: if I fly out for a typical trip wherein my car would be at MNL for 96 hours, I would now pay PHP 4,800. If my flight was out of CRK (Clark) I would have to prepare PHP 738 of toll fees on my RFID for the roundtrip, fuel up about PHP 1,200 worth of diesel (more than enough), and prepare a parking fee of PHP 1,000 (PHP 250 per 24 hours at CRK). Yes, it's more time, but it the whole thing would cost just below PHP 3,000.

The New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC), the San Miguel company that is now in charge of managing the passenger terminals at Metro Manila’s primary aerodrome, was quick to release a statement that the move to raise the fees wasn’t for profit. They say the goal was to clear the airport parking facilities of owner-parked vehicles that have no airport-related business or legitimate travel.

NNIC says there are a lot that have been taking advantage of the relatively affordable fees and were depositing their cars long term. And if we look at a map, we can see why: both NAIA Terminals 1 and 3 have become surrounded by new condominium developments, casinos, and hotels. There are even reports of concessionaires subletting their assigned slots for a fee to non-airport users. When NNIC raised the fees, they said it was targeted to discourage these practices.

If that is truly the intent, then they got the result they wanted. Photos circulating on social media showed near empty parking lots at T1, T2, and T3. Bravo! Indeed NNIC (as operator), MIAA (in its new regulatory function), and DOTr (as the umbrella agency for transport) were so successful in clearing up the parking lots that it looked like the pandemic all over again.

There is just one problem: there is no way to tell now whether the vehicles cleared were from (A) non-passengers taking advantage of the parking, (B) actual passengers, or (C) other people with legitimate airport business like employees.

There is no way to distinguish. Just as the cost made it prohibitive for abusive parkers, it also made it a hold-up for legitimate passengers, aircrew, and airport staff who also need space to park. By the way, for a lot of the airport staff as well as employees of concessionaires that usually park a motorcycle there, the entry fee and overnight fee (some do work overnight) also became way too much given local pay scales. Would an employee making just over minimum wage be able to park their Mio there? Not at the new costs.

Why I park overnight at NAIA image

When we spoke to one of the attendants at the terminal parking booth, even they were shocked. The long-term parkers (passengers or otherwise; again, no way to tell) may not have enough cash on hand to pay the cash-only basis of the parking lots, so they get yelled at by the drivers. How do they adjust? The attendants presented their personal e-wallet accounts so the customer could pay them, and then they’d head to a place that would encash for them so they could balance their cashbox at the end of the shift. But they get deducted a fee for that; the inconvenience fee. The people at the tiny box office shouldered those fees for the big corporation and the big government agency.

If NNIC, MIAA, and DOTr are true about the intent that the high parking rates are for the benefit of passengers and not for profit, then it makes zero sense to also raise overnight fees so much for legitimate passengers that park, then fly, come back, and drive home. Now only the rich can afford to park there, but they rarely do because chances are they have drivers to bring them there. It’s the middle class that gets hit the most with this price hike. There needs to be a provision wherein an arriving passenger can present a used boarding pass, a passport stamp, or even some kind of proof of arrival to use a truly passenger-friendly rate.

Why I park overnight at NAIA image

Some would say that parking at other international passenger terminals is much more expensive than NAIA, so we checked and converted directly based on today’s (9 October 2024) exchange rates. Below are the 24-hour rates, and some do vary as there are budget parking lots beside the airport or in the vicinity that are run by airport management.

LAX Los Angeles, USA: USD 60 (PHP 3,417) to USD 35 (PHP 1,993) with pre-booking

LHR London, UK: GBP 45.30 (PHP 3,378)

JFK New York, USA: USD 40 (PHP 2,278) to USD 35 (PHP 1,993) with pre-booking

SIN Changi, Singapore: SGD 40 (PHP 1,746) for first 24 hours with pre-booking

HND Tokyo, Japan: JPY 2,140 (PHP 820)

ICN Incheon, South Korea: KRW 9000 (PHP 423)

BKK Bangkok, Thailand: THB 140 (PHP 239)

There are a few surprises here, like how Changi isn’t the most expensive; Heathrow and LAX are. Also, we expected Haneda to be pricey, but it’s fairly cheap for overnight parking given how premium real estate is in Tokyo. The same goes for South Korea’s primary hub if you go to the parking tower. But Suvarnabhumi is the most surprising, as the long-term parking is just PHP 239.

The difference, however, is that the majority of the passengers from those airports do not really need to park because all those airports (except for LAX) have already active rail lines to make travel easy to and from the nearest city center. JFK has the Airtrain, Changi has its own MRT, London has Heathrow Express, Tokyo Haneda has both train and monorail, and Incheon has AREX. The train for LAX is under construction. Many of the major capital cities worldwide have some kind of rail connecting them to the major city centers that depend on it.

Rail is the great equalizer for all people regardless of salary and alphabetical class designations. But NAIA has zero. That's the result of decades of inaction, apathy, and the big C. Not that big C. The other one. 

To be fair, DOTr does have trains on the way; there’s the Metro Manila Subway which will link to Terminal 3, but they revised their start of operations to 2029. Given the track record of delays with any infrastructure development, I won't be surprised to say it'll be delayed at least another 3 years after that. There’s also the MIA LRT1 station that is nearing completion and is scheduled to open by Q4 2024 (now), but the way it’s positioned at the corner of Roxas Boulevard and MIA Road means it’s much closer to the casinos and malls rather than the passenger air terminals. 

Based on MIA Station’s location on Google Maps, it’ll take 55 minutes to walk the 3.9-km Terminal 3, 45 minutes for a 3.5-km walk to Terminal 1, and 36 minutes for the 2.5-km walk to Terminal 2. Terminal 4 is the closest to MIA Station at 1.9 kilometers, and even that walk is 27 minutes. And it's not a straight line; that's ground level. Try that with luggage. 

Many statements indicated that the PHP 1200 parking fee was recommended by the ADB. SMC and NNIC have been very quiet on the matter, apart from the press release stating it was not for profit or revenue. What really hit a nerve were the comments of the SOTr during the 2024 Aviation Summit in Pasay City just last week. He told reporters there that there should be no overnight parking at the airport, and that parking should only be for passengers and people fetching arriving passengers.  

Airport parking long-term for the duration of a trip was never the preferred option. As a car owner, I get nervous when I park at the airport that something may happen to the car (like that fire at T3 parking), but those who do park at the airport take the risk because it’s the only feasible one available.

If there was a rail network ready, then great! We’ll pick that. The P2P bus routes from malls also work, but these take way too much time and you’re at the mercy of EDSA traffic. Taxi or ride-hailing are no good either; it’s expensive and you’re also at the mercy of the already selective nature of the taxi business.

Not all of us are blessed with family that are willing to bring us to the airport and fetch us when we get back. For many passengers and aircrew, affordable parking at the terminal was the only option. If you want to weed out the parkers that take advantage of PHP 300, have them present a boarding pass with an ID or passport from the day upon exit. If they can't, then charge them the hold-up fee of PHP 1200.

Was that too much to ask for?

[scott h]

Just last Friday, my BIL went to NAIA to pick up his daughter who is visiting from Sydney. Instead of as in the past circling around the drop-off area as in the past, he went directly to the parking area, found a parking spot not to far from the terminal, went and waited. Naturally his daughter was delayed well past her arrival time by baggage, customs and immigration. So, he comfortable waited instead of circling as he had done in the past. So, in THIS instance the new parking policy worked by reducing the old traffic congestion by at least one car.

46 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Was that too much to ask for?

IMHO, this is beginning to remind me of the Transgender athlete controversy that is consuming the States right now. Where a vocal minority are demanding things change to make their lives better to the detriment of the majority. 

 

[OnMyWay]

https://wheels.ph/blogs/2024/10/14/58118/the-solution-to-naias-long-term-parking-is-simple-but-not-profitable/

The solution to NAIA’s long-term parking is simple, but not profitable
Vincent Villa
By
Vincent Villa
October 14, 2024
It has been a few weeks now and New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) – the new manager of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) – remained firm about the new parking rates. Prior to October 2024, parking in NAIA is priced at P40 for the first 3 hours, P15 for every succeeding hour, and 300 for every 24 hours. The new management then imposed new rates of P50 for the first 2 hours, P25 for every succeeding hour, and a massive P1,200 for every 24 hours. 

According to them, the move was done to deter the use of parking by those who don’t really use the airport. Apparently customers from nearby establishments use the airport’s parking space as storage for their vehicles. 

The move was certainly effective. Images of mostly empty parking areas floated in social media just a day after the new rates were imposed. Maybe there is validity in their statement that nearby establishments benefit from airport parking. There was rejoicing in the comments section of every image stating how they now have an easy time to find a spot while they wait for their passenger to arrive. The P10 peso increase for the first 2 hours is negligible since they can now find a parking space easily.

That’s the thing, they’re waiting for someone else. How about us who travel independently? 

The empty slots are not a direct indication of parking abusers. There are people like me who have no parents, family members, relatives, or friends that can drive or fetch me to and from the airport. Aside from that, I live in San Rafael, Bulacan – a good 71 km away from NAIA. Before you become a genius and say there’s a nearer Clark International Airport, most of my trips are work trips. That means I am bundled with colleagues from Metro Manila so NAIA would be the ideal terminal for our flights. But unlike those from Metro Manila, I do not have the option of taking a ride-hailing app. Should I walk 2 km to the main highway at 10pm with my 2 suitcases and backpack so I can get a bus to Cubao where I can book a Grab to make it to my 5am flight? The same thing goes for those from the east and south of the metro. 

The alternative for us would be Park ‘N Fly, but that’s not perfect either. I’m also a regular customer there and I’ve already seen families and individuals who complain about the waiting time for the shuttle. Those are the times the roads going to the airport are congested and so the shuttles take a lot more time to return. The worst was those who only have 30 mins to spare before their flight and they’re still there at the lounge. Imagine the travel time (10-15 mins), queue at the check-in, immigration, scanning, etc. I really hoped those people made it into their flights.

That’s what airport parking does – it lessens the factors for one to be late in their flights. Now, there are a lot of parking spaces but again, the steep 300% increase means we’ll have to find parking somewhere else. NNIC says it was not for profit. Yeah, right. 

If they’re so adamant about warding off the colorum vehicles and those who mis-use the airport parking, the solution is simple – VERIFICATION. If you’re entering the parking, show an online or printed ticket. You can also limit the amount of cars that accompany a passenger (no more whole barangay for one departing passenger). More importantly, if you’re exiting the parking lot, show your arrival boarding pass or a stamped passport. That solution is a low-hanging fruit, ready to be picked. Besides, they’re already doing that with passengers who are entering the departure gates. If they can do that to people going into the airport itself, I don’t see any reason why they can’t do it in the parking lots. 

This move by the NNIC and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) shows two things. First – how anti-mobility they truly are. They only saw the situation from their perspective and didn’t make an effort to see it from another angle. These officials and businessmen rarely drive themselves to the airport so how would they know the plight of a passenger who has no relative or driver to take them to NAIA? The MIAA knows that the regular cabs and airport taxis overcharge their passengers, and yet for years they aren’t doing anything about it. Remember those times, around 2014, when ride-hailing apps can only drop passengers off at the airport. They are not allowed to pick up passengers as the airport rules state that only airport taxis can do it. Even now, they’re not doing anything to stop the price abuse of these cabs. 

Add to that, there’s no public transportation available in the airport. There’s no true people-mover like a train or bus that has direct access to NAIA. 

Second, it is a foreshadowing of more exorbitant and illogical fees to come. NNIC has flaunted that they already paid P30 Billion to the government and will pay P2 billion annually for 25 years. They will also remit 82.16% of revenues to the government. No wonder they won the bidding. That also meant they needed a lot of fees to recover their capital. In the MIAA Revised Administrative Order no. 1 series of 2024 (where this parking hullabaloo came from), there are a lot more unregulated charges coming the airport’s way. Some are towards passengers (like the 900% increase for the VIP service), some are on the shoulders of airlines – which will lead to increased fares because that’s how business works. One does not let the cost eat the profit margin. 

The NNIC always speaks of ‘international standards’ when talking about the future of NAIA. What they fail to see is that the model airports in their eyes like Singapore’s Changi, South Korea’s Incheon, or Japan’s Narita and Haneda, are in countries with much better public transportation. If they don’t have a car, or do not want semi-private transportation like taxis, they still have an option in going to the airport directly via bus or trains. There’s none of that in NAIA. 

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, scott h said:

IMHO, this is beginning to remind me of the Transgender athlete controversy that is consuming the States right now. Where a vocal minority are demanding things change to make their lives better to the detriment of the majority. 

Scott, you have got to be kidding?  What a ridiculous statement.

1 hour ago, scott h said:

Just last Friday, my BIL went to NAIA to pick up his daughter who is visiting from Sydney. Instead of as in the past circling around the drop-off area as in the past, he went directly to the parking area, found a parking spot not to far from the terminal, went and waited. Naturally his daughter was delayed well past her arrival time by baggage, customs and immigration. So, he comfortable waited instead of circling as he had done in the past. So, in THIS instance the new parking policy worked by reducing the old traffic congestion by at least one car.

Good for him.  Now he can have the entire parking lots to choose from.

So it seems you are in favor of No Long Term parking?  Normal people will not pay p1200.  Rich people may use it but they also have driver's. etc., and not need it.  The lots will be empty and available for those like you who live nearby and occasionally need to pickup a relative.

Why don't you acknowledge that there are workable simple solutions that accommodate short and long term parking needs, and keep out all the non-airport parkers?  Apparently, just keeping out those illegitimate parkers would probably solve the problem.

1 hour ago, scott h said:

Was that too much to ask for?

You left out the article context for that statement.

Not all of us are blessed with family that are willing to bring us to the airport and fetch us when we get back. For many passengers and aircrew, affordable parking at the terminal was the only option. If you want to weed out the parkers that take advantage of PHP 300, have them present a boarding pass with an ID or passport from the day upon exit. If they can't, then charge them the hold-up fee of PHP 1200.

Was that too much to ask for?

 

[scott h]

8 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Scott, you have got to be kidding?

No, I am not. And I am sorry to be at loggerheads with you on this issue. 

13 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Why don't you acknowledge that there are workable simple solutions

There are, lots of them, but unfortunately, they do not satisfy your particular problem of living far away with no nearby family.

Airport and airline employees? They can be shuttled to the airport. (like they used to do IAW some of the earlier articles) But that would cut into the bottom-line profit of the airlines and employers. This is what a lot of employers do here in the Metro. SM, the casinos, even the auto repair shop that I take my car for servicing.

Show a boarding pass? Now it is my turn to ask if you are kidding. How long do you think it will take for those condo folks or others looking for cheap parking, to start slipping the parking attendants or whoever 100p bill to look the other way? Because you KNOW that will happen before the ink is dry on the policy paper.

For those in your situation? I offered you a solution, and I would be willing to bet that others in your predicament also have friends or family who would also help them. 

As I said in my first post on this topic I believe. "Drastic problems need Drastic solutions" This problem was "Drastic" for those of us who live near the airport. 

So now let me ask you a question. IF you had a relative, that lives near the airport, where you could easily have parked your car in the past and they gave you a lift to the airport in the past would you be as incensed as you are? Or would you have just shrugged it off and put it down the vulgarities of the Filipino way of doing things. The way I shrugged off getting a ticket in Subic for a violation that you have said previously they do not ticket residents.

 

 

[earthdome]

I will be giving the short term parking a test Sunday when my SIL fly's in from Saudi.