Notes

Do airport VIP services 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. Globally, these companies provide service in airports and operate independently of airports and airlines (they are allowed to operate in the airports where they sell their services).


George Hobica, an airline and airport analyst who has used these services, says these services have become more popular in recent years as airports have become busier. They are ideal for travelers who get frustrated when they have to wait in long lines, need assistance finding their way through airports, or have short connections when time is of the essence. A concierge is the perfect choice if you like to board the plane just as it's closing, he said. The service also makes you feel as if you are 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. He said you can save a lot of time by hiring an airport escort.

In terms of airport escorts, Royal Airport Concierge is an established company. Since 2006, it has operated in more than 550 airports worldwide, using its own greeters and local companies for its escorts. The type of service provided will depend upon the rules and regulations of the airport and the country, according to Ron Gorfinkel. 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. According to the company's pricing, a four-passenger trip will cost an average of $300 to $450.

The idea of experiencing star treatment at an airport because of a personal escort intrigued me, so I tried one offered by Blacklane, a Berlin-based company that launched an airport concierge service, Blacklane PASS, in August last year.

The Basics:


Originally a car service company, Blacklane now provides escorts at 500 airports worldwide through Blacklane PASS. The escorts work for either the airport itself or for an airport concierge service. Blacklane, like Royal Airport Concierge, offers services according to country and airport regulations. According to Chief Executive and Co-Founder Jens Wohltorf, escorts fliers through security, customs, and immigration, carries their luggage, and facilitates VAT refunds. They can also arrange transportation and coordinate with a driver for curbside pickup. They meet arriving passengers at the plane's exit and assist them through customs and immigration.

The Cost:

For the first guest, the service costs $200, and every subsequent guest costs $100. Children two and under are free. The typical passenger tips his escort, but Mr. Wohltorf said gratuities are completely optional.
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. The driver gave us a drop-off point, and when we pulled up at the terminal, he was waiting at the curb to greet us. VIP Airport lounge We stood in line for our airline, La Compagnie, at the beginning of the check-in line after Reda loaded our several carry-ons and four checked bags onto a luggage cart. Despite the fact that the line wasn't long, I felt a little giddy when Reda flashed his pass to an airline employee, who promptly allowed us to bypass other passengers.


My Website: https://topalpha.de/vip-service/