You will no longer be able to use cash to pay for parking at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, after a change in policy given a push by the coronavirus pandemic.
RDU has been moving toward cashless parking at its decks since last April when it closed the cashier booths after the sharp drop in travel brought on by COVID-19. Currency was still an option at two payment kiosks outside the terminals until November; since then, people who want to pay in cash have to push an intercom button at an exit gate so someone from the staff can come out to accept it.
On Thursday, the airport's governing board voted to go completely cashless. No timetable for the change was given; the move will require the replacement of the two payment kiosks that still take cash and the installation of new signs throughout the airport and other outreach efforts, so customers aren't caught unawares.
Jeffrey Slayton, RDU's director of parking, explained the reasoning behind the move to board members in January. Not collecting cash is not only cheaper and more efficient for RDU, Slayton said, but it also "allows us to operate in a more health-conscious manner" by minimizing human contact.
Even before the pandemic, Slayton said, about 95% of parking revenue came from credit or debit cards. That number rose to about 99% after RDU closed its cashier booths, he said.
"Since our customers have basically started that transition, it would be relatively easy for the parking operations to migrate into a totally cashless operation," he said.
It's not clear yet how someone will be expected to pay for parking if they don't have a card or a payment app on their phone. Slayton said RDU will develop a way to accept cash during a transition period, but not long-term. He also noted that there are reverse ATM machines in both terminals that allow people to convert cash into a credit card, though they'll need to know to do that before going to their car and heading for the exit.
RDU urges people to book and pay for their parking online in advance at ParkRDU.com. To make that more attractive, the board voted Thursday to eliminate a $3 fee to change or cancel online reservations, effective immediately.
The ParkRDU website doesn't yet reflect the new cashless policy; in fact, it still says cash is accepted at the payment stations outside the terminals, which hasn't been true since November.
Parking revenue down but signs of rebound
Parking is one of RDU's largest sources of income. In the fiscal year that ended just as the pandemic took hold, people paid more than $65 million to park in the airport's decks and remote lots, Slayton said. With travel curtailed during the pandemic, parking revenue is expected to be off 75% in the fiscal year ending this month, he said.
But there are signs that air travel is starting to pick up, says Michael Landguth, RDU's president. Landguth said he expects about 470,000 travelers to pass through RDU this month, up from about 300,000 in February, making March the busiest month at RDU since the pandemic began.
Earlier in the week, RDU released the results of an online survey of people who have traveled through the airport. It found that large majorities who answered agreed that being vaccinated against COVID-19 made air travel safer and that they had either flown after getting their shots or intend to book a flight once they've been fully vaccinated.
"While RDU and airlines have made tremendous strides in restoring passenger confidence," Landguth said in a written statement, "vaccinations will be the final piece that ignites the industry's recovery."
And in another sign of confidence that air travel will rebound, La Farm Bakery and Cafe plans to begin selling sandwiches and fresh baked goods in Terminal 2 in June. The restaurant, an off-shoot of the popular Cary bakery, had planned to open late last spring, before the pandemic forced a postponement.
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