DAE think the free airport shuttle trick is a scam until it saved me $60 in Denver?
I always rolled my eyes at people who park at a hotel and ride their shuttle to the terminal. Last month I had a 6am flight out of Denver and the airport lot wanted $18 a day for 4 days. A buddy swore I could park at a hotel off Tower Road for free if I just grabbed their shuttle, so I did it and nobody blinked. Saved $72, and the driver even helped with my bag. Is this actually a known trick or did I just get lucky with a chill hotel?
Did you ever notice how hotel parking lots are weirdly empty at 5am on a Tuesday? I had a similar thing happen in Salt Lake a few years back, except I wasn't even trying to game it. My flight got moved up and I panicked, parked at a La Quinta near the airport, and the front desk guy just waved me toward the shuttle like it was nothing. What got me was the return trip, because the driver picked up a whole crew of us in the same lot and nobody asked for a room key or anything. Part of me wonders if these places just eat the cost because it keeps their lot looking busy and maybe a few folks come back and book a room later. Either way, the trick works until the one hotel that actually checks catches on.