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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? Growing numbers of airport concierge firms make this promise to fliers, whether they are arriving or departing. 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).<img width="496" src="">George Hobica, an airline and airport analyst who has used these services, says these services have become more popular in recent years as airports have become busier. They're perfect for travelers who are annoyed if they're forced to wait in long lines, need help finding their way in a busy airport or have a tight connection. He advises booking an airport concierge if you like to board your plane right as it is about to close. 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. He said an airport escort can save you lots of time.A company such as Royal Airport Concierge provides airport escorts. 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. https://topalpha.de/vip-service/ According to Ron Gorfinkel, the type of service offered 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. The company's pricing varies, but an average ride costs $300 to $450 for up to four passengers.After hearing about Blacklane's PASS concierge service, which launched in August of last year, I decided to try it out. Blacklane is a Berlin company that provides airport concierge services.<img width="334" src="">The Basics:<img width="431" src="">Originally a car service company, Blacklane now provides escorts at 500 airports worldwide through Blacklane PASS. They are either employed by the airport or by a local airport concierge company. Royal Airport Concierge and Blacklane both provide services based on country and airport regulations. Jens Wohltorf, the company's chief executive and co-founder, said the company escorts fast track fliers through security, customs and immigration, assists them with luggage and helps process VAT refunds. Also, they assist passengers through customs, immigration, and baggage claim, and can even help arrange transportation and coordinate curbside pickup.The Cost:Every additional person costs $100. https://topalpha.de/ Each guest costs $200. Children two and under are free. Mr. Wohltorf said that although most travelers tip their escorts, it is absolutely not mandatory.My Experience:Blacklane PASS was the perfect solution to a recent trip I took for my family, my parents, and my two children 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. 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. In a luggage cart, Reda loaded our four carry-ons and four check-in bags and led us to the front of the line at La Compagnie, our airline. 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.<img width="322" src="">Once the checks had been processed, we were ready to claim our VAT refunds from the shopping we had done in Paris. We encountered a sticky situation here: the employee with whom we dealt for the refund process told us that receipts weren't enough for claiming refunds; we needed the actual items. As we were unaware of the rule, the bulk of our shopping was packed in our check-in bags. Bringing the refund in excess of $1000 was negligent of us, and the money went squandered. Even though my father and I pleaded with her to make an exception, she refused- no items, no refunds.Reda stepped in on our behalf, telling her that we were airport VIPs. Then she relented and completed our refund. Without his help, what would we have done?