Another added benefit of the airport’s premier valet program is that parking space is transferable, meaning the customer could let friends, family, colleagues or associates use the pass to park one vehicle at a time per purchased pass, said Director of Operations and Maintenance Len Silvernail.
“Believe it or not, we’ve received some significant interest based on surveys [airport officials] did,” Commissioner Don Brown said. “Studio folks and people with the Mercedes’ and the Ferraris, those leery of leaving their cars in the parking lot, it’s there if they want it.”
Commissioners this week said they viewed the valet program as an added revenue generator for Bob Hope, which like most airports across the country has seen its passenger counts and number of flights drop throughout the recession.
Feger told the authority this week that with parking revenue dipping below the budgeted amount, the authority has begun studying whether to delay or drop planned capital improvements to the airport.
Among those who have shown interest in the annual program are corporate clients and business travelers “to whom money is neither the first, second or even third or fourth priority,” airport spokesman Victor Gill said.
Of the 12,000 customer surveys issued to airport visitors, 40 responses were received, with a handful showing interest in the new parking program. To enter the yearlong program, customers must put down a $2,434 deposit and make the $2,217 monthly payment.
Valet fees for the platinum service are $18 per hour with a $30 daily maximum. Gold service costs $12 per hour with a $20 daily maximum.
Potential Black Diamond clients include large corporations as well as Las Vegas casinos, both of which could use their stalls as an employee or a customer perk, Feger said.
Costs to the airport would be minimal, Silvernail said. The authority’s parking contractor, Central Parking Systems, estimates that no additional attendants are needed for the first 40 to 50 Black Diamond subscribers, which would net the airport an additional $584,000 to $730,000 annually.
Silvernail added that the overhead charges are relatively low. It’s estimated that one stall would cost $22,000. The expense would include an advertising campaign. Each additional Black Diamond space would cost the authority about $2,200, according to a report to the airport authority.
“It’s good to see them being creative,” Brown said. “Time will tell how much this might help.”
