Are airport VIP services worth it?
Rather than waiting in long airport security lines and immigration lines, why not have a personal escort take you there faster? As far as airport concierge services are concerned, it's a promise they make to travellers, whether they're leaving or arriving. Companies such as these provide their services worldwide and are independent of airports and airlines (they have permission from the airports where their services are sold).
The popularity of these services has increased in the last few years as airports have become more congested, according to airline and airport analyst George Hobica. He said they're ideal for travelers who dislike standing in long lines, need help navigating through an airport, or have a tight connection and are short on time. The airport concierge is a good idea if you like to get onto a plane right before it closes, he said. Also, you'll feel like a VIP with this service.
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. According to him, an airport escort can save you a lot of time.
A company that specializes in providing airport escorts is Royal Airport Concierge. Now operating in more than 550 airports worldwide, the company depends on its own greeters and local companies to provide escorting services. Ron Gorfinkel, the founder of the company, said the type of service provided depends on the rules of the airport and the 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. It costs between $300 and $450 for up to four passengers depending on the company.
As a result of being intrigued by the idea of getting star treatment at an airport, I decided to try Blacklane, a Berlin-based company that launched a concierge service in August, Blacklane PASS, at the airport last year.
The Basics:
Blacklane began as car service company in 2011, but now offers escorts in more than 500 airports worldwide via its Blacklane PASS service. The escorts are either employed directly by the airport or by an airport concierge service. Blacklane, like Royal Airport Concierge, offers services based on country and airport rules. According to Chief Executive and Co-Founder Jens Wohltorf, escorts fliers through security, customs, and immigration, carries their luggage, and facilitates VAT refunds. Also, they assist passengers through customs, immigration, and baggage claim, and can even help arrange transportation and coordinate curbside pickup.
The Cost:
Guests are charged $200 for the first time, and $100 for each following time. Children two and under are free. Wohltorf points out that the majority of fliers tip their escorts, but one is not required.
My Experience:
My family, my two children, and I booked Blacklane PASS for a recent trip from Paris Orly Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport. VIP Airport lounge access TopAlpha 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. Our driver gave us a drop-off location, and when we arrived at the terminal, he was already waiting and smiled as he welcomed us. Reda loaded the bags onto a luggage cart and guided us to the front of the check-in line for our airline, La Compagnie. While the line was not long, I did feel a sense of elation when Reda showed his pass to an employee, who quickly allowed us to bypass the line.