If you can hire a personal escort to whisk you to the front of the line, why wait in long security lines? A growing number of airport concierge companies promise this service to departing and arriving passengers. 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 some of these services, said their popularity has risen in recent years as airports have gotten busier. He said they are ideal for travelers who get frustrated waiting in long lines, have trouble navigating through an airport or who have a tight connection at an airport. 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. 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 told me that an airport escort can save you tons 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 said the type of service provided depends on the airport and country rules. 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. Price varies but is typically $300 to $450 for up to four passengers.
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:
Originally a car service company, Blacklane now provides escorts at 500 airports worldwide through Blacklane PASS. The escorts are either employed directly by the airport or by an airport concierge service. Royal Airport Concierge and Blacklane both offer services based on country and airport regulations. Generally, according to CEO Jens Wohltorf, the company escorts travelers through security, customs, immigration, and handles refunded VAT. Furthermore, they meet arriving passengers at the airport and assist them with passport control, transportation, and curbside pickup as well as customs and immigration.
The Cost:
Guests are charged $200 for the first visit and $100 for every subsequent visit. Children two and under are free. In contrast to most fliers, Wohltorf said gratuities are optional and not required.
My Experience:
For my recent trip from Paris Orly Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport, my two children and my parents booked 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. 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 our four carry-ons and four check-in bags onto a luggage cart and led 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.
Airport Service Agent After we checked in, it was time to claim a VAT refund for the shopping we did 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 packed most of our purchases in our check-in bags without knowing this rule. Over $1000 in refunds was owed to us, and we were remiss in not returning the money. My father and I asked her to make an exception, but she refused- no items, no refund.
As our representative, Reda informed her that we were airport VIPs. She eventually relented and processed our refund. Who knew what we would have done without him?