DFW International Airport Gives The Gift Of 8,100 New Parking Spaces And Free Parking Gift Cards For The Holiday Traveler Who Has Everything Else

(DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TX – December 19, 2005) Travelers flying from DFW International Airport will receive gifts of bounty, ease and free parking during this busy Christmas and New Year’s travel season, and a new survey shows DFW’s brand new International Terminal D and Skylink people mover system make traveling through DFW a holiday treat. 

DFW will distribute discount coupons at Express and Remote lots from Dec. 22 to Dec. 25 for one to two days of free parking at the terminal lots. The coupons must be redeemed by Jan. 3, 2006. 

“We know that many people will be traveling with families and running fast to catch airplanes over the next couple of weeks and we want to make it as easy and fast for them as possible to find a parking space,” said Ken Buchanan, executive vice president for revenue management at DFW. “We have a lot of parking spaces, but of course, when you’re hurry, the one space you want is hard to find. We know this will help.” 

The free parking gift card program is an extension of the discounted holiday parking program that launched at Thanksgiving. The Airport distributed more than 5,000 discounted parking coupons and more than 3,600 were redeemed, a remarkable 68% redemption rate. More than 5,000 more coupons are anticipated to be distributed this week. The coupons are also redeemable in the new high tech 8,100-space parking garage attached to International Terminal D. 

DFW ranks among the top airports worldwide in the number of parking spaces with over 40,000 – 28,000 at the terminals, 7,000 in Express and 5,000 in Remote. For more information about parking at DFW International Airport, log onto the web at http://www.dfwairport.com/parking. 

For passengers traveling with small children or lots of luggage, one useful tip would be to park in the new garage at International Terminal D, which is DFW’s only terminal parking facility with elevator service. The new garage also features smart technology allowing parkers to quickly find an open space, and color coded floors with paper takeaway tags at the elevators to help parkers remember their spot. 

Passengers are advised to arrive 90 minutes prior to departure time for domestic flights, which allows plenty of time for check-in and security screenings. For international flights, arriving two hours early is usually recommended. Once passengers move through security, they are welcome to take a quick ride on Skylink and visit any of DFW’s five terminals for a multitude of shopping and dining options. International Terminal D is an especially attractive option for Airport explorers, with its many new and unique restaurants and shops. For more information about shopping and dining options at International Terminal D, go to http://www.dfwairport.com/flyer/05/12/shops.html on your web browser.

High Passenger Ratings for the Holidays

As millions of passengers connect through DFW during the Christmas - New Year’s holiday season, many will enjoy their first encounter with DFW’s new International Terminal D and Skylink train. The terminal and train, which both opened earlier this year, make DFW travel easier, faster and more convenient than ever before, according to more than 90% of passengers polled last month. Equally impressive: nearly 80% of all international travelers polled rated their customs and immigration experience better at DFW than other airports around the world.  

“Our team is very proud of these first impressions of Skylink and International Terminal D because these sentiments come from local passengers and international travelers who have experienced our new facilities first hand,” said Joe Lopano, DFW’s executive vice president for airline and terminal management. “And we will continue to look for ways to improve.” 

DFW will also be deploying its Holiday Helper program on Dec. 22, the busiest ‘getaway’ date of the upcoming holiday travel season. Employee volunteers will be distributing crayons and coloring books and other holiday treats for children, and internationally-flavored entertainment will be provided across all five of DFW’s terminals. 

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Skylink and International Terminal D are proving to be very popular with passengers. Here are the results of a survey conducted at DFW from Nov. 7-13, 2005. 

▪ 90% of travelers rated their overall experience at Terminal D as good to outstanding. ▪ 94% of connecting passengers rated their overall experience with Skylink as good to outstanding. ▪ 80% of Terminal D departing passengers estimated their security check wait time to be less than 5 minutes. ▪ 66% of international passengers estimated their wait time at Passport Control to be less than 5 minutes. ▪ 79% of arriving passengers rated the International Terminal D customs process better than other airports around the world. ▪ 87% of travelers said the art program at International Terminal D made their travel experience more pleasurable. ▪ 76% of travelers rated their experience with International Terminal D concessions as good to outstanding.