I’ve been spending quite a bit of time at the Tri-Cities airport lately. I’ve flown back and forth several times in the last month and also picked up people doing the same. Last night, while playing chauffeur once again, I witnessed the latest transformation at the growing airport.
Anyone who has used the airport for any length of time will know that between 10:30pm and midnight it is quite busy. Some airlines are still bringing passengers in from various destinations and the line outside the parking booths waiting to pay before departure can get long. Last night was no different in this respect, but the service at the ports was quite different.
The airport becomes cashless
Both cash registers only accepted credit cards. Just about a week ago, I gave cash to an employee. I asked the parking attendant who was walking between the cash registers why both cash registers only accepted credit cards and he told me that they no longer accept cash at the airport.
We were all a little surprised, so on my way to work this morning I decided to contact airport director Buck Taft to find out what the change was all about.
Port of Pasco
96% of transactions at Tri-Cities Airport are made by card
That’s what Buck told me during our conversation, and that’s why they’re moving toward cashless payments. He told me they’ve been working to implement it for the past 12 months. They’ve received feedback that many travelers want an easier way to exit the airport rather than being stuck in a line. Combined with the data showing that only 4% of transactions were cash, the change just made sense.
So how will this work?
The machines that automatically dispense tickets for each lot have been changed. This is what you can expect when you enter the lots.
TC Airport Facebook
When leaving the airport, you will be asked to scan your ticket and pay with your card at the counter as you exit the airport.
The decision to go cashless did not come from the FAA or any other federal agency. It was made internally based on transaction data and feedback from customers who use the airport heavily. On the Facebook page, PSC hoped for another added benefit:
With this change, our parking attendants will be able to roam the parking lots and assist travelers while they are mobile, rather than being stuck in a booth. We hope this will lead to even better customer service.
Tri-Cities Airport has seen passenger volume increase year over year, so this move will give the company a head start on growing demand.
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