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Rather than waiting in long airport security lines and immigration lines, why not have a personal escort take you there faster? An increasing number of airport concierge companies make this promise to fliers, regardless of whether they're departing or arriving. 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).In the past several years airports have become busier, which has increased the popularity of these services, according to airline and airport analyst George Hobica. According to him, using a concierge service is perfect for travelers who get irritated by standing in long lines, need assistance finding their way through an airport or have a tight connection where time is of the essence. If you like to board a plane just when the doors are closing, a concierge is a great idea, 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. It is possible to save a great deal of time by taking an airport escort, he said.A company such as Royal Airport Concierge provides airport escorts. Based in 2006, it now operates in more than 550 airports worldwide and uses both local and national companies to guide its escorts. In his statement, Ron Gorfinkel explained that 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. A round-trip ticket for up to four passengers costs between $300 and $450 on average.As someone who is curious about escorting guests to an airport, I attempted an airport concierge service, Blacklane PASS, which was launched by a Berlin-based company in August of last year.The Basics:<img width="351" src="">With Blacklane PASS, Blacklane offers escorts in more than 500 airports around the world. The company was established in 2011 as a car service company. It is either the airport itself that hires the escorts, or it is a concierge company that provides them. https://topalpha.de/ Like Royal Airport Concierge, Blacklane offers services specific to a particular country or airport. Generally, according to CEO and co-founder Jens Wohltorf, fast-track fliers are escorted through customs, customs and immigration, and their luggage is carried. 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:Every additional guest is charged $100, with a first-time cost of $200. Children two and under are free. In contrast to most fliers, Wohltorf said gratuities are optional and 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. 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. Once we arrived at the terminal, he was waiting at the curb and greeted us with a smile. 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. While the line wasn't overly long, I had a moment of glee when Reda handed his pass to the employee, who kindly allowed us to bypass other passengers.Checking in, we filed for a VAT refund to be reimbursed for the shopping we had done while in Paris. We ran into a little problem here: the employee- a lady- who helped us claim our refunds said that receipts weren't sufficient- we needed the actual items. Due to our unfamiliarity with this rule, we had packed the bulk of our shopping in our check-in bags. In the end, the refund amount amounted to more than $1000, and it was irresponsible to let it go. Even after demanding an exception, my father and I were unable to get a refund- no items, no refund.As our representative, Reda informed her that we were airport VIPs. A moment later, she agreed to refund our money. Without his help, what would we have done?