Travelers move through LA/Ontario International Airport in this 2014 file photo.
ONTARIO >> Parking rates are changing at Ontario International Airport come May 15, some going up, some down.
In a special meeting Thursday, the Ontario International Airport Authority unanimously approved several rate changes. The board also created premium parking and set new pricing for valet parking, which was introduced in December.
For example, travelers will save $3 a day if they choose Economy Parking, which goes down to $10 per day next month. That will make it the cheapest offering available.
But the most used parking — which the airport calls value parking and which had been the most economical — rises from $9 to $13.
This is the first time parking rates have been adjusted since April 21, 2009, Airport Authority CEO Kelly Fredericks said.
"I look at this as a market correction and providing new products," he said.
Staff conducted a comparative analysis and Ontario airport's pricing still remains at or under competing airports, Fredericks said.
The current rates "are mismatched to marketplace demand, leading to customers having difficulty finding convenient parking spots at certain times and in certain lots," an authority staff report says.
Currently, the parking lots closest to the passenger terminals are priced the same as the lots farther from the terminals.
As a solution, the authority created premium parking in front of the terminals, for those who don't want to walk long distances. The daily rate there will be $24.
The rate changes will increase monthly non-aeronautical revenue by $100,000. Fredericks said the additional revenue helps air carriers by reducing their operating costs at ONT.
Lot 3, between Terminals 2 and 4, will be designated Economy Parking at $10 per day; currently the cost for this lot is $13 per day.
Daily parking rates at Terminal 2 and 4 will remain $18 per day.
New Premium Parking will be offered immediately in front of Terminals 2 and 4 for motorists wanting to park for only a few hours, after which the daily rate will be $24.
Lot 5 near the Consolidated Rental Car Facility and east Terminal 4 will be designated Value Parking at $13 per day; currently this lot, often filled to capacity, is $9 per day.
Valet parking located on the outer curb of Terminal 4 will cost $25 per day; the introductory rate was $20 per day.