Notes

Does VIP Service at the Airport Make Sense?
There is no need to queue for airport security and immigration if you can hire a personal escort to whisk you straight to the front of the line. Growing numbers of airport concierge companies promise this service to fliers, whether they're arriving or departing. خدمات المطار Airport-based companies like these offer services worldwide and are independent of airports and airlines (and are allowed to operate in the airports where they sell services).

Analyst George Hobica, who has used a handful of these services, says airports have become busier in the last several years, so their popularity has increased. These services are perfect for travelers who dislike waiting in lines, find it hard to navigate through airports or have a tight connection. If you have the tendency to rush onto the plane just as its doors shut, booking an airport concierge might be worth your while, he said. In addition, the service makes you feel like a VIP.

Those who have an international departure and are flying in economy class may particularly benefit from an airport escort, Mr. Hobica said, because theyre required to arrive at the airport three hours in advance and have to contend with longer security lines, compared with business and first class fliers who usually have separate security lines. It is possible to save a great deal of time by taking an airport escort, he said.

A company such as Royal Airport Concierge provides airport escorts. Now operating in more than 550 airports worldwide, the company depends on its own greeters and local companies to provide escorting services. According to Ron Gorfinkel, the type of service provided depends on the regulations of the airport and country. For a departure from Italy, for example, a greeter is permitted to escort departing passengers onto the plane and help them stow their carry-on luggage while fliers arriving into Londons Heathrow Airport have the option to be met at their gate and taken to customs and immigration in a golf cart, where they are fast tracked through the lanes. A round-trip ticket for up to four passengers costs between $300 and $450 on average.

My interest in the concept of getting star treatment at an airport prompted me to test out Blacklane PASS last August, a Berlin-based firm that launched an airport concierge service.

The Basics:

With Blacklane PASS, Blacklane offers escorts in more than 500 airports around the world. The company was established in 2011 as a car service company. They are either employed by the airport or by a local airport concierge company. The services Blacklane provides are based on the country and airport rules, just as Royal Airport Concierge does. CEO and co-founder Jens Wohltorf said that the company is generally escorting fast track fliers through security, customs, and immigration, carrying their luggage, and handling VAT refunds. Additionally, they meet arriving passengers at the exit of the aircraft and assist them through customs and immigration as well as baggage claim; they can even arrange transportation and coordinate with a driver for curbside pickup.

The Cost:

The service costs $200 for the first guest and $100 for each subsequent guest. Children two and under are free. The majority of travelers tip their escorts, but Mr. Wohltorf says that it is not mandatory to do so.
My Experience:

For a recent trip from Paris Orly Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport, including travel for myself, my children and my parents, I booked a Blacklane PASS. I reserved the service online a week before our trip (first-time customers must reserve online but subsequent bookings can be made online or via phone) and received a text message from our escort, Reda (only permitted to use his first name), the night before our journey introducing himself and asking if I could text him when we were five minutes away from the airport so that he could greet us. We were given a drop-off point, and when we pulled into the terminal, he greeted us as we approached at the curb with a smile. We had four carry-ons and four check-in bags loaded onto a luggage cart, and Reda had led us to the airline's check-in line. It wasn't a long line, but I did feel a glimmer of pleasure when Reda flashed his pass to an airline employee, who promptly allowed us to bypass other passengers.
Homepage: https://topalpha.de/ar/