More parking options coming to Columbia Metropolitan Airport

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The Columbia Metropolitan Airport will be restarting its valet parking operations beginning Monday, May 15.  The service, offline since 2020, will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and cost $25 per day.

“Valet parking is a parking option our passengers have said they would like brought back,” said Mike Gula, executive director of CAE. “Restarting this service has been a priority for the team and we are excited to be able to include this additional on-site parking solution as an option for our passengers.”

After a public bidding process, local valet and transportation provider Southern Valet, a company with 15 years of experience, headquarters in Columbia and offices in Greenville and Charleston, won the contract to operate valet parking services at CAE.

“Our goal is to make valet parking at CAE as easy as flying out of CAE,” said Sean Potter, co-founder and co-owner of Southern Valet. “Being a local company with our headquarters just down the road, we feel that taking the wheel on the valet operation will be a perfect fit for everyone and are excited for the opportunity.”

The valet booth is located across from the main entrance of the terminal on the left. As part of the relaunch, the booth has received a noticeable upfit to the exterior that mirrors the airport’s overall brand and esthetic.

In addition to valet parking, CAE also offers its passengers two other parking options. Premier parking allows passengers access to a private, key-card access lot located on the lower level just outside of baggage claim. The lot is a short walk to the main terminal. The cost for premier parking is $1,000 a year and there is no limit to the number of times this lot can be accessed.

The airport also offers the option to pre-book parking in the surface or garage lots. On average, customers see roughly 18% savings on parking through pre-booking.

Information about all on-site parking options at CAE are available online.