Seattle-area vacationers can now park for free at Sea-Tac airport – as long as they are willing to rent their car to inbound travelers while they are away.
Peer-to-peer car-sharing startup Flightcar has set up a facility at a lot on International Blvd offering owners unlimited free parking, a free car wash and the chance to earn some passive income while on vacation.
"While you’re on your trip, you actually get notifications so you know what’s happening with your car," said Flightcar president Kevin Petrovic.
"Because we use other people’s cars and don’t use our own cars, we’re actually able to offer a little bit of a lower price," Petrovic said.
Petrovic added that free airport parking comes as standard even if the car remains idle.
Depending on the car model, owners will be compensated with between 5 to 20 cents a mile every time the vehicle is rented.
Flightcar has some strict rules for would-be renters, such as a maximum limit of 100 miles of driving per day, and no smoking is allowed in the car.
All potential renters’ recent driving history is screened by Flightcar, so any DUI’s or drivers with violations in the last three years are barred.
Drivers under 21 are hit with an additional $25 per day fee.
The company also takes out full liability and collision insurance on every available vehicle to the tune of $1 million.
Conventional airport parking at Sea-Tac can cost up to $28 per day.
Since launching the service 18 months ago, Flightcar has gained 30,000 members at its current locations at San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Boston.
