How much should I give?

[mi*vida*loca]

Family charges each other for favors?? In my family we just pay the gas and toll. I've driven my grandma to Newark airport which is 1.5 hours away, for free. Never would I ask her for money and never would I take a penny from her. Even when I was dead broke.

With that said, I park at the airport. I wouldn't ask anyone to go out of their way if it's not necessary. When I was younger and didn't know about airport parking someone would drop me off for free (family) but the airport is a 20 minute drive.

 

[dish rag]

$100 each way. I would just leave your car at the airport.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

For $11 a day to park at the airport I would just drive myself rather than ask someone to take over 3 hours out of their day.

 

[tvguy]

Rent a car one way each way.
That's what we used to do when there were very few flight options out of Sacramento and had to go to San Francisco.

 

[ronandannette]

Rent a car one way each way.
That's what we used to do when there were very few flight options out of Sacramento and had to go to San Francisco.

Not a bad idea, actually. One time I rented a car here in town at an off-site location for airport drop off. It cost me 19 bucks.

 

[paisleys]

For $11 a day to park at the airport I would just drive myself rather than ask someone to take over 3 hours out of their day.

I agree. For $132 it will also be nice to just get into your car and go when you get back.
My MIL is still barely speaking to me because I won't get her at the airport that is a 182 round trip drive for me anymore. There is an airport 25 miles from here but she doesn't want to take a connector. Last time I picked her up, it was over 3.5 hours with traffic, I drove twice as long as her flight and all with my little ones buckled into the back. It's a lot to ask someone to drive that far. She didn't offer me gas $$ but I would not have accepted it anyway. But I won't do it again! Anyone who drives in South Florida knows what that I95 corridor is like.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We need a ride (to/from) the airport. Airport is 1.5 hours away and gas in this area is $2.35/gallon. He (cousin) has a Honda Pilot.

Just not crazy about leaving my car at the airport for 12 days...

100.00

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I would just park at the airport. My airport usually has a coupon deal where you can park for $6 a day, so it would only be $72. That's a lot less than a lot of people are suggesting you pay somebody to do it!

I forgot about that. We also parked and flew because when we called for a car to take us it was over 100 bucks! Keeping it the lot was cheaper.

 

[DopeyDame]

I would be really hard pressed to ask someone to do something that inconvenient for me. But if I had to, and it was a relative or close friend, I'd pay for gas and some lunch money, but think it would be really awkward to straight-up pay them hundreds of dollars. Certainly anyone in my circle would refuse the offer.

 

[Disney Doll]

We paid a driver $300 round trip to take us to the airport which is about 1-1.5 hours depending on traffic.

 

[wenrob]

My DH has been parking at the airport for anywhere between 3 days and two weeks for years and has never had a single issue. A lot of the time it ends up being cheaper than a cab and back. I vote park your vehicle at the airport it's more convenient for all of you.

 

[sk!mom]

I would never ask someone to go so far out of their way to save me a small inconvenience. Therefore, if for some reason I had to, I'd pay a couple of hundred.

 

[MillauFr]

I would never ask someone to drive 3 hours to drop me off at the airport. That just seems like a crazy waste of time. Just drive yourself and pay the $11 per day.

 

[mnrose]

I wouldn't ask someone to do that....that's a big chunk of time to do twice in 12 days! (3 hours each trip, not including waiting time). At a minimum, I'd offer to cover gas money and lunch...or roughly $40-50 each way. Having said that, it's only a few bucks more to drive and park yourself. I'd do that every time for that little difference in money! I only avoid parking if parking is more than $50 higher than taking a cab/uber. Otherwise, I prefer to park.

We DO drive my MIL to the airport when she goes south for the winter, and my BIL picks her up when she comes back (6 months later). That's a bit different. First of all, it's only an hour each each, and second it's 6 months between trips.

 

[xlxo]

Thoughts if someone drove 1.5 hours one way for me....

• how much am I saving compared to the bus, taxi or an alternative shuttle service?
• how much are you saving on parking?
• are they giving up time from work?
• if they say no to money directly..... consider a few gas cards and/or restaurant gift cards.

Personally, I love driving and 1.5 hours one way is not a biggie for me... especially with my hybrid.

 

[Aliceacc]

Price out the cost of an airport limo/taxi/Uber/ whatever. Then offer accordingly. Your cousin the college student could probably use the money, and might end up missing a day's work to do the favor.

 

[scrapquitler]

I would just pay to park at one of the airport off site lots, especially for an airport that far from home. I wouldn't want to inconvenience anyone to the point that they had to drive that far in each direction (two round trips) and then possibly get stuck waiting even longer if my flight was delayed for some reason. When I park at my local airports off site valet lot, it costs me something like $8/day. It's a lot more convenient and easy to pay that than to try and reimburse someone for 7 or 8 hours of time over two days plus all their gas.

 

[MouseOfCards]

At least $100, probably $200.

I would never, in a million years, ask someone to drive 6 hours round trip unless I was going to compensate them fairly. I just re-read the OP, didn't realize it was both ways, $400.

I would cover gas round trip (both trips) lunch and give $100 for the inconvenience. Which is why it is cheaper and more convenient to drive myself.

I'd suck it up and pay to park my car for 12 days. I couldn't ask someone to drive 3 hours round trip just to drop me off at the airport.

I would just park at the airport.

Yes, once you start working these numbers, and factor in the inconvenience for the cousin, I'd just drive and park myself.

Good grief drive yourself. What's wrong with parking your car for 12 days? You got bars of gold or a dead body stored in the trunk?

$100 each way. I would just leave your car at the airport.

For $11 a day to park at the airport I would just drive myself rather than ask someone to take over 3 hours out of their day.

My DH has been parking at the airport for anywhere between 3 days and two weeks for years and has never had a single issue. A lot of the time it ends up being cheaper than a cab and back. I vote park your vehicle at the airport it's more convenient for all of you.

I would never ask someone to go so far out of their way to save me a small inconvenience. Therefore, if for some reason I had to, I'd pay a couple of hundred.

I would never ask someone to drive 3 hours to drop me off at the airport. That just seems like a crazy waste of time. Just drive yourself and pay the $11 per day.

I wouldn't ask someone to do that....that's a big chunk of time to do twice in 12 days! (3 hours each trip, not including waiting time).

Essentially agree with most of these responses. Either give him a really generous tip for his time and consideration, or just drive yourself and pay for parking. Otherwise you may be creating a bad reputation or causing a long-time family grudge. Can already imagine the things he'd be telling friends and/or relatives over the years ("Spent 3 hours driving cousin to airport and they were so cheap that . . .").

Also, would not do Uber, since don't want others to know our address and we'd be out of town (they might find our gold bars or dead bodies).

 

[sam_gordon]

I would not ask or expect someone to drive me 3 hours round trip unless they were already making that trip. Gas would be $15. $10/hour (an extremely LOW rate IMO) would be another $60 (because they are making two 3 hour trips). Now you're at $75 at minimum. Add some $$ for wear and tear on the car and you're at $100. Why don't you want to pay $132 to park in the garage? Another advantage of having your own car in the garage is if your returning plane is late, your driver doesn't have to wait for you.

 

[Gracedis1]

I would buy him lunch and give him a $50 gift card. As a college student I would have been ecstatic to receive that. I always did it for free!