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If you can hire an escort to whisk you straight to the front instead of waiting in long airport security lines and immigration lines, then why bother with those lines? There are now a growing number of airport concierge companies offering this service to passengers whether they're departing or arriving. Globally, these companies offer their services at airports and are independent from both airports and airlines (they have permission to operate at the airports where these services are sold).<img width="320" src="">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 have the tendency to rush onto the plane just as its doors shut, booking an airport concierge might be worth your while, he said. The service also makes you feel as if you are 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 said 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. As of June 2018, it operates in more than 550 airports worldwide and chooses to hire local companies for its escorts and greeters. The type of service provided will depend upon the rules and regulations of the airport and the country, according to Ron Gorfinkel. 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:With Blacklane PASS, Blacklane has expanded from being just a car service company to offering escort services at more than 500 airports. https://topalpha.de/vip-service/ They are either employed by the airport or by a local airport concierge company. Like Royal Airport Concierge, Blacklane offers services specific to a particular country or airport. CEO and founder Jens Wohltorf says that company generally escorts fast track ticket holders through security, customs and immigration, carries their luggage, and handles VAT refunds. They assist passengers at the airport with customs and immigration as well as baggage claim; they can even arrange for transportation and contact a driver for curbside pickup.The Cost:Guests are charged $200 for the first time, and $100 for each following time. Children two and under are free. Mr. Wohltorf said that giving a gratuity is not required and is completely optional.My Experience:<img width="456" src=""><img width="348" src="">For a recent trip from Paris Orly Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport, including travel for myself, my children and my parents, I booked a 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. We were given a drop-off point, and when we pulled into the terminal, he greeted us as we approached at the curb with a smile. Reda stacked our four carry-ons and four check-in bags on a luggage cart and guided us forward to the head of the check-in line for the airline we were flying, La Compagnie. Despite the fact that the line wasn't long, I felt a little giddy when Reda flashed his pass to an airline employee, who promptly allowed us to bypass other passengers.Checking in, we went to claim a VAT refund for the Paris shopping we had done. Upon our first contact with the employee dealing with our refund, she informed us that receipts for the goods we purchased were not sufficient for claiming refunds; we needed the actual goods to claim the refund. We had packed most of our groceries into our check-in bags unaware that this rule applied. In the end, the refund amount amounted to more than $1000, and it was irresponsible to let it go. I begged my father and her to allow me a refund, but she refused to do so.<img width="470" src="">We told her that we were airport VIPs and Reda interjected for us. After a pause, she relented and issued our refund. Were we able to cope without his help?