Aviation legends don’t stand in lines and never remove their shoes. They arrive while the plane is boarding but never miss the flight. They slip into their seat at 2B (only rookies book bulkheads), having never stepped foot on the jet bridge. They know the airport VIP secrets that make TSA Pre-Check feel like a Jersey bus station.
KEEPING IT PRIVATE
The next best thing to flying a private jet is the use of a private terminal that’s only available to members of P/S or those who pay a one-time use fee. Guests don’t stand in line to check bags or line up to board with Zone 1. Think velvet couches and chilled champagne instead of sticky vinyl seats and Auntie Anne’s.
The boarding zone is a private car on the tarmac. Take a quick climb up the stairs on the side of the jet bridge and then pop into your seat. The same service can be booked for arrival. Guests deplane down the stairs to a waiting car while someone else jockeys for position at baggage claim. This option is only available in Los Angeles and Atlanta—for now. Prices vary but average around $4,000 for the first passenger, unless you have the American Express Centurion card (the black card), and then it’s just a membership perk. reserveps.com
BUTLER SERVICE, ANYONE?
The next tier down from a fully private suite is a private concierge available at most airports. Fast Track can be booked for both arrival and departure. A representative meets guests at the curb, takes their luggage and moves them quickly through security. You’ll wait in a VIP lounge instead of waiting in line or lurking around the gate. There are no worries about missing your flight, because the concierge is also an escort to the boarding gate. This service is especially useful for arrivals at international airports. Guests clear customs and immigration in a fraction of the time it would usually take. Each airport controls the companies authorized to offer Fast Track services. A good travel advisor acan organize this service or check Royal Airport Concierge at royalairportconcierge.com. Prices vary.
Delta’s airport concierge service is one of the best-kept secrets in travel. Called VIP Select, the service is rarely advertised by the airline and is only bookable by calling an unpublished phone number or emailing the private service (see info at the bottom of this post). VIP Select allows passengers flying in any cabin to check in alongside Delta One passengers. If this doesn’t sound like a big deal, or worth $500 for the first passenger and $100 for each additional passenger, you haven’t experienced the Delta One treatment. The private check-in lounge at LAX feels like walking into a Ritz hotel. The bellman takes your luggage while a server offers chilled champagne and caviar canapes. From there, it’s a short walk to a private TSA screening with no line and entrance to the SkyClub lounge with reserved seating. The service is available for departures, arrivals and connecting flights. When it’s time to board the plane, passengers are transferred to their gate (depending on the airport, this could even mean being chauffeured in a Porsche across the apron). At the gate, fliers have a choice of boarding first or last—with reserved overhead bin space, of course.
The service is similar for connecting flights. Connecting passengers are met at their flight and transferred to the SkyClub and taken to their departing flight when it’s time to board. Arriving passengers are transferred from their plane to a designated spot at curbside pickup that agents pre-coordinate with the person responsible for picking them up.
United Airlines offers a similar service for its Global Services members. You can’t pay for Global Services status. You need to be invited.
Hawaiian Airlines offers the ultimate VIP experience for special occasions, honeymoons or people who just like to be taken care of. Book the premium service, and the host completes check- in before the travelers even arrive at the airport. The service includes priority baggage handling, access to expedited lines outside TSA, a private escort to the boarding gate (via private car service, depending on the terminal) and an option to board the aircraft first.
When the service is booked for arrival, passengers are greeted with a lei, receive carry-on baggage assistance, a private transfer to their transportation and baggage delivery to their final destination on Oahu. (Connecting passengers get a combination of these services.) But the biggest perk of this service is access to Apartment 1929, the airline’s brand-new private airport lounge. The exclusive area has indoor seating as well as an outdoor patio, and it offers access to a liquor menu curated by Bar Leather Apron, a James Beard Award winner. Guests can also pre-order meal service and make a shower reservation. Prices for the experience start at $500 for a party of two. Travelers can also use Hawaiian Miles to cover the service.
YOUR LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Here’s how to get in touch with super-secret services
DELTA
855-235-9847
vipselect@delta.com
Available at:
Atlanta (ATL)
Detroit (DTW)
Los Angeles (LAX)
Minneapolis (MSP)
New York (JFK & LGA)
Salt Lake City (SLC)
San Francisco (SFO)
Seattle (SEA)
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES
808-470-3988
premiumairportservice@hawaiianair.com
FOR THE REST OF US
Clear is a pay-to-play workaround for long airport lines. But even its lines are getting long, so the company has added dedicated lines for members who also have TSA Pre-check. However, the fastest way through security is by enrolling in the airline’s dedicated Digital ID programs. Delta was the first airline approved by the government to launch a Digital ID program. Fliers who have a Known Traveler Number and a passport on file with Delta can opt into the program on their Delta Airlines profile. After uploading a biometric photo they can use the dedicated Digital ID lines where you clear security by simply looking at a screen. It’s very Big Brother and also very worth it. There are rarely more than three to five people in these lines. Other airlines will launch similar programs soon.