The Fast Lane | TSA PreCheck

There is nothing more frustrating for air travelers than a seemingly endless line at airport security. Fortunately, ditching the extra-long wait (and cumbersome task of unpacking nearly all of the contents of your carry-on) is slowly becoming a trend of the past. In 2011, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launched the TSA PreCheck program as an intelligence-based approach to expediting airport security.

What is TSA Pre✓?

The Transportation Security Administration manages and operates an expedited security screening program, allowing certain travelers to move through security more quickly and easily when departing from participating airports in the U.S.

What does TSA Pre✓mean for travelers?

TSA PreCheck allows low-risk travelers to experience expedited, more efficient security screening at participating U.S. airport checkpoints.

• If you have a TSA PreCheck indicator on your boarding pass, proceed to the TSA Pre✓lane
• Present your boarding pass and Government-issued ID to the Travel Document Checker
• Have the TSA Travel Document Checker scan your boarding pass barcode
• Remember, your children age 12 and under may go with you
• Keep on your shoes and belt, your laptop in its case, and your 3-1-1 compliant bag in your carryon.

Experience:

• Quicker transit through airport security screening
• Faster moving lines
• Improved travel experience

No Removal of:

• Belt
• Shoes
• Light outerwear/jacket
• Compliant bag and laptop from carry-on

How does TSA Pre✓work?

Travelers can become part of the TSA PreCheck program in one of three ways:

• Pre-enrolling on the TSA.gov site 
• By invitation through an airline's frequent flier program
• Admission into another Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler program (Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI) 

Learn more about the four Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trusted Traveler programs that include TSA Pre✓Eligibility

Here at Westwind Airport Valet the goal is to provide our clients with safe and convenient travel arrangements. Don’t forget you can book your parking reservation online quick and easy by visiting www.westwindairportvalet.com.

The Best Vacations Have No Plans

You have a week of unused paid time off at work which you do not want to go to waste. Your mission is clear. You’re going on vacation!  Have you ever considered NOT planning for vacation? The majority of us plan every day down to the minute filled with activities, dining, traveling, and lodging. Try vacation planning by not planning your vacation for a truly exciting and memorable trip.

If you want to take a leisurely, non-planned vacation, plan on doing so during non-peak travel times. Impromptu vacations during peak travel times could mean hotels without vacancy, sold out venues and very expensive airfare.

Lodging

It is a good idea to secure the first two nights of lodging arrangements ahead of time. This will give you an edge on visiting an unfamiliar area. Consider booking a room at a Bed & Breakfast so you can visit with the owners and get ideas of where you should go next.

Transportation

Rental cars are an option in most destinations and allow you to take control and go off the beaten path. An alternative is public transportation via bus or railway. This allows you to enjoy the scenery or even maximize your time by traveling overnight to your next destination.

Meeting Locals

A successful spontaneous trip will require that you meet locals at their local restaurants and bars. Avoid chain restaurants where you’ll likely mingle with other tourists. Local eateries and pubs will show you the true color of the city and give you an informal way to meet locals.

Activities

Some vacation planning you may need to do ahead of time. You need to determine what it is you are going for and what you want to see when you are there. Once you’ve selected a city, region or country, visit their tourism website to find out more about what there is to do. You will often find maps of the area, information about public transit and current events. Social networking sites like Facebook or Pinterest and travel focused sites, also have many recommendations from real travelers on vacation planning.

Here at Westwind Airport Valet, we strive to provide our clients with safe and convenient travel arrangements. Even if you are not making an itinerary for your next trip, we plan to take care of you and your vehicle so you can enjoy your next adventure. Contact us today to Ride The Wave!

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and YouTube to join the conversation and get the latest travel tips and savings!    

Tips From The Insiders

There's no place more reliable to get inside information than from the people who actually work there. Valet parking is no different. When it comes to getting the most out of your experience, especially at Westwind Airport Valet, the employees are the one's who know what to do, and what not to do, to get the best experience possible.

Vehicle Issues

When you valet your car, make sure you mention any issues, such as a door handle not operating properly, or a window that will not roll back up once down, to the valet. We take every precaution with your vehicle, but we simply do not know it like you do. Mentioning things like this will not only ensure we do not further complicate your vehicles issue, but will also help us in parking and retrieving your vehicle when you return.

Reservations

While Westwind Airport Valet does not require a reservation, we strongly recommend you make one. This however, does not include calling 10 minutes away. A reservation is 24 hours or more in advance of your arrival time.

This does several things. It guarantees you a spot, locks in your price, and allows us to be properly staffed for certain times.

We will always have a spot for you to park, but with a reservation we can get information from the reservation, that you may not have time for when pulling in.

Did I mention that reservations are FREE to make? If you have several trips already booked, you can make a reservation for each one and put your mind at ease about where and how you'll get to the airport. You can make one through several different channels. You can call us, visit our webpage, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, even this blog has a reservation portal on it! All of these ways to make reservations are also mobile friendly!

Reservations are also very important during the winter months for indoor parking. While we have room to accommodate outdoor valet, our indoor valet spots are limited. This is a great example of how a reservation would guarantee you a spot.

Cutting It Last Minute

We understand that time escapes us all. Whether you got stuck at the office late, an accident clogged traffic up, or it was a last minute flight, things get rushed once in a while.

The way we operate is "customer service on demand." When there is a customer who needs transporting, we go. We try our very best to be fast and efficient but there may be times that you show up while we're "in transit."

We cannot get in your car and go to the airport, we cannot magically make another driver appear. We cannot leave the building unattended, and we cannot make others wait, because you are running close. So please understand there is not much we can do, and do not take it out on us. We are doing the best we can to provide our world class service to every one of you every time.

Not The Weather Man

We provide excellent white glove services. From a hand wash, to a steam clean, from an oil change, to light body work, we try to help with your automotive needs while you are gone. This does not include predicting the weather.

When you arrive at our facility, we politely ask that you give us a yes or no answer. "If it doesn't rain" simply leaves too much room for the unpredictable, and could wind up leaving a car washed when it rains, or dirty when it doesn't.

Think of this. You say you want a car wash only if it's not raining when you return. The weather says it is supposed to rain all day. It is raining all morning. You are due to return at 1pm. It stops raining at 12:30 pm. You return to a dirty and say it's not raining, but yet it was raining earlier and was supposed to rain all day.

Help us help you by deciding on yes or no. We'll take care of the rest from there.

Never A Bad Question

We offer a variety of services. We also try to help out with what we can. If you have a special request, please ask. While we cannot do everything, we will certainly check into our ability to help you out with something while you are away.

Please Respect Other Customers By Following The Directions

Here at Westwind Airport Valet, we run "on demand." We do not run on a loop, or at certain times. The airport is also not fond of us sitting curbside and waiting on passengers. That is why we politely ask that you have you luggage IN HAND AND BE AT THE EXITS before giving us a call.

We do this because we know luggage gets lost, planes can take a while to unload the passengers, and the terminals can be congested during certain times.

While we do our very best to be all places at all times, it's just not possible. So if you call when you are actually ready to leave, it will only take a few quick minutes for pickup if one of our vehicles is not already over there.

We really do enjoy what we do and value building relationships with those who travel and use our service often, as well as those who trying our world class service for the first time. We believe we have a service that is truly an experience in itself and are proud to show it off. Each and every time we hope that you get the most out of our service and look forward to seeing you next time.

Indoor Parking at Westwind Airport Valet

Indoor parking sounds self explanatory. Parking. Indoors. Assuming for the entire duration the vehicle is parked. Right? Well we thought so too. That's why when you park indoors with us, it is guaranteed to be parked inside our climate controlled, covered garage for the entire duration your vehicle is parked with us.

A few of our customers have pointed out that when they have paid for "indoor/garage" parking at other places, it was misleading. When you park at a parking garage for example, if you park in the outer spaces, your vehicle is left open to the elements that may trickle in. Not exactly what you expect, to come back to a snow covered vehicle when you are paying to park inside a garage.

With us, never worry about any of that as all the vehicles parked inside are completely sheltered from the elements outside, all of the time.

Take a look at the video to get a brief look at where our indoor parkers vehicles are kept.

Everything At Your Fingertips

Automated kiosks. Computer check-ins. iPhones. Smartphones. Tablets. Getting a boarding pass, checking in, getting information, or checking a flight status is all available with a few simple clicks. Whether those clicks come on a computer or a phone, the airline industry has embraced the technology advances with open arms.

Airports now offer automated kiosks, apps on your smartphone, and websites that allow you to do everything you need to do, from the comfort of ... wherever. And now, you don't even have to be present to check in on your flight. Several airlines have an option that allow you to automatically be checked in and receive your boarding pass hours before your flight.

Every day there seems to be something that comes out that seems to streamline the process of getting from point A to B. Even here at Westwind Airport Valet, we have embraced the ever changing world of technology.

We offer several QR codes for our airport parking business that will take you straight to our reservation site, where you can make/change/cancel your reservation. All from the comfort of wherever you happen to be at the time. Other codes take you to our Facebook or Twitter pages, where after a few simple clicks, you can get one of the offers from our airport parking fan pages.

The airlines, the airports, the airport parking, and other travel companies are all becoming more and more available on the various platforms that streamline the process. From the QR codes that offer a quick scan option, to apps that allow you to book, check in, and cancel tickets, to an automatic check in, everything from airlines to airport parking is becoming easily available at your fingertips!

Welcome to the WAV Blog!

Welcome to Westwind Airport Valet's Blog! Here you can come to read about promotions, deals, tips, tricks, and other tidbits about parking, airport travel, and more!

Westwind Airport Valet provides airport parking for travelers going out of the Dayton International Airport. We are locally owned and operated, employ a small group of wonderful employees and have the best fans in the business!

Our valet parking is nothing but the best. We provide covered parking or uncovered parking, valet parking only, and also a wide array of vehicle services such as oil changes and details.

With the airlines being a stress factor, parking at the airport can be just as bad. With Westwind Airport Valet, we take that stress out of airport parking. 


Make your FREE online reservation for Dayton Airport Parking with Westwind Airport Valet, “Park and Fly with a Limo Ride!”