Everyone I know has a different view of what’s the most cost efficient way to get to and from the airport if you’re taking a longer trip and don’t wish to leave your car in the parking lot. My parents travel frequently, and many of those times they do fly. I am the person that takes them to and from the airport the majority of the time. Someone once asked me why I did this, why didn’t they hire a service.

It’s much cheaper for my parents to give me money to cover the gas then it would be for them to hire a car. Sometimes two flights going to the same place at different times will have different prices. Sometimes traveling from one airport is cheaper than traveling from another. My parents usually get really good deals on their flights. If their flight scheduled doesn’t exactly mesh with my schedule we adjust accordingly. There have been times it’s still cheaper for me to drive them the night before and them take an inexpensive room near an airport rather than fly at a prime time.

Above all else, I love my parents. Driving them to and from the airport is far more personal for them then taking a car, and it’s the least I can do after they’ve done so much for me over the years. Two nights ago when I drove my parents to the Philadelphia airport we all had a nice little meal together and got to talk. When I pick them up from the airport, as I will later this week, we’ll spend the entire drive back chatting about what happened. It’s nice because I’ll get all the details while they’re fresh, rather than waiting until we all have another two hours we can spend together uninterrupted.

So. How do you and/or your loved ones get to and from the airport?