Does VIP Service at the Airport Make Sense?
Rather than waiting in long airport security lines and immigration lines, why not have a personal escort take you there faster? A growing number of airport concierge companies promise this to their customers, whether they're taking off or landing. The companies offer their services in airports worldwide and are independent of airports and airlines (they have permission to operate at the airport where they provide services).
Various airlines and airport analysts, including George Hobica, who has used one of these services, say that the use of these services has increased as airports have been busy in recent years. 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. He recommends hiring an airport concierge if you want to get on the plane right before its doors close. Moreover, you are made to feel like a VIP.
Those who have an international departure and are flying in economy class may particularly benefit from an airport escort, Mr. VIP Service 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, airport escorts can save you a lot of time.
As an example of an established company providing airport escorts, look no further than Royal Airport Concierge. This company, established in 2006, now operates in more than 550 airports worldwide and relies on its own greeters and local providers to deliver its services. Founder Ron Gorfinkel says that the type of service provided depends on the rules set forth by 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. Depending on the company, travel costs can range from $300 to $450 for up to four passengers.
I was intrigued by the idea of getting star treatment at an airport thanks to a personal escort, so I decided to try Blacklane, a Berlin-based company that launched an airport concierge service, Blacklane PASS, in August 2018.
The Basics:
Founded in 2011 as a company offering car services, Blacklane PASS now provides escort services at more than 500 airports worldwide. They are either employed by the airport or by a local airport concierge company. Similarly, Blacklane provides services tailored to particular countries and airports. According to Jens Wohltorf, CEO and founder, the service escorts passengers through security, customs, immigration, carry their luggage and process VAT refunds. Additionally, they meet arriving passengers at the airport gate and help them process customs, immigration, and baggage claim. They can even assist with arranging 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. Most fliers tip their escorts for services rendered, but Mr. Wohltorf tells me that this is optional and absolutely not necessary.
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. 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. After we got to the terminal, he was waiting for us with a smile at the curb. Reda loaded the bags onto a luggage cart and guided us to the front of the check-in line for our airline, La Compagnie. Although the line wasn't chaotic, I did feel glee when Reda flashed his pass to an airline employee who promptly let us bypass the others.
Our next task was to claim a VAT refund for the shopping we had done while in Paris. During the refund process, we dealt with an employee who said that receipts were not sufficient to claim our refunds, saying that we needed to provide the actual items. This caused our situation to become sticky. We had packed most of our groceries into our check-in bags unaware that this rule applied. Bringing the refund in excess of $1000 was negligent of us, and the money went squandered. In spite of my father and myself begging her to allow me to get a refund, she refused.
Reda stepped in on our behalf, telling her that we were airport VIPs. She eventually relented and processed our refund. Without his assistance, how would we have survived?