What If You Never Had to Pay for Parking at the Airport Again?

The nimble car- and ride-sharing industries have rapidly been coming up with transportation services that make the standard car-rental model – go to a fixed location, usually at an airport, argue about why you can't use a debit card, fill up the tank before you come back – look increasingly stodgy and unresponsive. It's no wonder that large national rental chains have been chasing after the innovative models pioneered by outfits like Zipcar, IGO and Lyft. This newer generation of services has found a smart niche leveraging the cars people already own, the empty seats inside of them, or even the eagerness of many people to own no car at all.

This latest idea from San Francisco-based RelayRides illustrates why legacy rental firms still remain a step behind even as they try to move into the local car-sharing and peer-to-peer business. RelayRides just unveiled a particularly tempting new take on the airport rental experience: Starting in August, car owners will be able to park for free at San Francisco International Airport in exchange for allowing RelayRides to rent out their cars while they're gone. Insurance is included, in much the same way as it works for car-sharing companies like Zipcar. The free parking even comes with a car wash and a full tank of gas.