One of the more interesting projects I've worked on over the years has been trying to better connect airport parking and concessions marketing.

On paper, it makes perfect sense.

If someone has reserved parking, we know they're coming to the airport. We know roughly when they'll arrive, and in many cases we know where they're parking. Compared to most marketing challenges, that's an incredible amount of information. Naturally, the next question becomes, "How do we use that to drive concessions revenue?"

It's a reasonable question.

The challenge is that, in my experience, the answer isn't nearly as straightforward as it seems.

We've tested a variety of approaches over the years, from promoting concession offers in parking emails to highlighting terminal dining and retail opportunities before travelers arrive. The thinking was simple enough: if someone is already committed to parking and flying, introducing another airport product should be a natural extension of the journey.

The results have been...underwhelming.

Not universally unsuccessful, but certainly not at the level many people expect when they first look at the opportunity.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about why.

The honest answer is that I'm not sure anyone has it completely figured out.

Part of it may come down to mindset.

Parking is an essential purchase. If you're driving to the airport, you have to solve that problem one way or another. Food, retail, and many concession purchases are different. They're discretionary. Travelers may decide where to eat once they're through security, or they may skip buying anything altogether.

Timing may also play a role.

When someone is reserving parking, they're focused on getting to the airport, making their flight, and keeping the trip on schedule. Asking them to also think about lunch, shopping, or a promotional offer inside the terminal may simply be too much in that moment. Those decisions often happen later, after the traveler has settled in and the stress of getting to the gate has passed.

Then there are behavioral factors that are much harder to measure.

Some travelers head straight to an airline lounge. Others grab coffee from the same place every trip without giving it much thought. Many walk directly to their gate, especially on shorter business trips. We've also seen limited traction with services like in-terminal order-ahead or food delivery, despite what seems like a logical fit for the airport environment.

None of those observations mean airports should stop looking for ways to connect parking and concessions.

I think they simply remind us that a shared customer isn't necessarily a shared marketing opportunity.

That's an important distinction.

One of the lessons I've taken away from this work is that parking shouldn't be viewed as the engine that drives concession sales. They're different businesses with different customer motivations, even though they happen to serve many of the same travelers.

Where I do think the opportunity exists is in building complementary strategies rather than dependent ones.

Parking should focus on removing uncertainty before the trip begins. Concessions should focus on improving the time travelers spend inside the terminal. Those objectives naturally support one another, but they don't necessarily require the same messaging, the same offers, or even the same timing.

I've found that's a healthier way to think about the relationship.

Not as a cross-sell challenge to solve, but as two parts of the same airport experience, each creating value at a different point in the journey.

Sometimes the best strategy isn't forcing those moments together.

It's making sure each one succeeds on its own.