Parking passes, why not chainwide?

Just curious as to why when you purchase a parking pass along with your season pass that the parking pass isn't honored at the other parks in the respective chain that you purchased the pass?

I know they are giving the gate away already but I was just wondering why the big corporate chains don't allow access to all of their lots with a parking pass. SF, CF, and Paramount all have this policy it seems.

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Arena football has arrived in the Windy City. Go "Chicago Rush"

I know not all Six Flags Parks have parking passes.

And not all six flags parks charge for parking! ;)

Which Six Flags park doesn't charge for parking (one with the name "Six Flags" in the title...). I've been to every US one and have always had to pay for parking. SFKK's is the cheapest at $4 I believe now.

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"It's no party at the park, either."

It's interesting for SFKK because I don't think you're paying just for parking , it's also for the fairgrounds in general!

Did I ever mention that Thunder Run rules? :)

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Gotta(heavy breath) get myself(breath)funnier for(breath) offseason.(breath)So unfunny(breath) must.....try....harder.

Chitown - I've been asking the same question for the past couple years! One thing I hate is paying for parking, but if they had a chain-wide parking pass I wouldn't have any problems with paying for it.

One of the greatest benefits of being a Busch Platnium passholder is that they give you free parking at all the Busch parks, and free parking upgrades on most days. It may cost almost $300, but for 2 years and a ton of benefits, I don't have any problems with the cost.
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Corey
"Afterward, services resumed for about 20 minutes until the congregation realized the church was on fire." - www.channel3000.com
*** This post was edited by rOLLocOASt 11/11/2003 10:24:35 AM ***

Why would Six Flags want to give away something that is almost pure profit?

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

They wouldn't be able to use that practice at AstroWorld as they don't own the lot. It's a city lot that is used for all of Reliant Park (Reliant Stadium, Reliant Arena, Reliant Center, Astrodome, and if it's still there, Reliant Hall). The city regulates the parking there, so they wouldn't be able to change the price or offer a season parking pass.

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Swat at the sun alongside El Diablo in 2003!
Only at Six Flags AstroWorld!
http://www.houstonthrills.com
*** This post was edited by Houston Thrills 11/11/2003 11:39:10 AM ***

Chitown, at least SFGAm they OFFER a parking pass with your season pass. SFMM does not. The only thing they offer is a parking book of 7 uses for $35.(correct me if that price is wrong)

It's like Rob Ascough mentions, it's pure profit. Nobody would give that up, not Six Flags, Crdar Fair or Paramount.

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SCREAM with me... in 2003!

*** This post was edited by Soggy 11/11/2003 2:53:43 PM ***

SFGAdv offers a parking pass, too. I believe it was $30.00 last year (daily parking is $10.00).

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

Rob Ascough said:
Why would Six Flags want to give away something that is almost pure profit?
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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

It's like Rob Ascough mentions, it's pure profit. Nobody would give that up, not Six Flags, Crdar Fair or Paramount.

Definately the reason.

BTW HoustonThrills , Very nice site.

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Gotta(heavy breath) get myself(breath)funnier for(breath) offseason.(breath)So unfunny(breath) must.....try....harder.

Consider the same tired argument that always crops up....*we* (enthusiasts) make up a tiny fraction of their business. Not many *mortals* (LOL) visit a Six Flags other than their home park....

While I've suggested a parking option good at all parks in the chain, I would be terribly surprised to see it come to "pass"...;)

Rob Ascough said:
Why would Six Flags want to give away something that is almost pure profit?

How is this different from gate? I mean, if you go, you have to pay for parking and gate either in the form of a pass or per visit. Why is parking so different from gate? And it doesn't how much the park paid for the parking lot and how much it paid for park improvements etc. (as you suggest by mentioning that it's all profit). Those are sunken costs and should not affect the pricing system.
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff

The European Six Flags seasonpass works at all the parks, and so does the parkingpass.

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Roarrrr...

Now Europe has the right idea! ;-)

It would be nice but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

-Tina

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Gimme speed, height, airtime and plenty of LAUNCH!!!
*** This post was edited by coasterqueenTRN 11/12/2003 5:33:18 AM ***

Is it possible it has to do with local parking taxes. I don't really care about the fact the parking passes are only for one park, I just hate the fact like with CP you have to join Joe Cool to get it put on your SP ID, what a rip, I don't need Joe Cool other than that, and just buying a regular pass would be pointless for me because my gf and I take turns driving, so one week we have her car and then next we have mine, along with that I buy a car, then get rid of it in a few weeks or months, I rarely have the same car for over a few months. They should add it on your ID reguardless if your in Joe Cool or not.

It's pretty simple as why they do not. The reason they offer free admission with a season pass is to give you are reason to goto another park. If there was no benefit to the company, do you think they would offer free admission to all parks in the chain? For parking, it has no bearing on weather you will go or not. It may be a nice customer service move. However, I believe that the majority of the people who purchase a season pass at the big chains will 95% of the time only use it at their main park.

All things considered, I'd wager a Euro or two that a MUCH greater percentage of SF's continental properties have visitors from *other SF homeparks*....

Easier to spread them out here in the States for some reason...;)

$. The whole idea of a season pass is to get you back to spend money on other things at the parks. Parking fee is just a sneaky way to upcharge customers on admission fees. In reality, when you visit another park, you have to pay an admission fee (parking) even with your season pass.

Thus they are not season passes as advertised in my eyes, they are discount passes (big discounts).

Hershey includes parking with their season pass, no upcharge. Kings Island has been offering it free if you get there by the end of the previous season, but that again is just a sneaky little way to get you back to the park in the fall and spend just as much.

onceler said: "A bunch of stuff"

I disagree. How would it be any different if the park charged you $10 everytime you used your season pass at a different park and gave you free parking?

Would that change your decision to go? The fact that parking and admission seem to be distinct products does not change the fact that $10 of yours goes into SF's bank account when you travel. Similarly, they could (for arguments sake, let's forget the logistics) let you have free parking, free gate, and then charge you and extra $10 for a hot dog.

When I calculate the cost of going to a park, I include everything that I might spend (gas, tolls, parking, food souveniers, upcharges, DDR, etc.) and that's the price that I make my decision around. I don't care if they charge me at the parking lot, the gate, the rides, the concessions, or on my way out of the park. If the number's the same, it won't affect my decision.

I suppose the crux of my point is:

You say that parking cost doesn't affect your decision to go. If it were $20 would you still travel to another park? How bout $50?
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Be polite and ignore the idiots. - rollergator
"It's not a Toomer" - Arnold Schwartzenkoph
"Those who know don't talk and those who talk don't know." -Jeff
*** This post was edited by ApolloAndy 11/12/2003 8:20:54 PM ***