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If you can hire an escort to take you to the front of the security and immigration lines at the airport, why would you want to wait any longer? Growing numbers of airport concierge firms make this promise to fliers, whether they are arriving or departing. Companies like these provide their services in airports around the world and are independent of both airports and airlines (they have permission to sell their services in airports they operate in).Analyst George Hobica, who has used a handful of these services, says airports have become busier in the last several years, so their popularity has increased. 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. 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. In addition, the service makes you 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. According to him, an airport escort can save you a lot of time.One well-established company that provides airport escorts is Royal Airport Concierge. With its arrival at more than 550 airports world-wide in 2006, the company employs its own greeters and local companies to provide escorting services. Founder Ron Gorfinkel says that the type of service provided depends on the rules set forth by 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. Price varies but is typically $300 to $450 for up to four passengers.<img width="353" src="">I was intrigued by the idea of getting star treatment at an airport thanks to a personal escort, so I decided to try Blacklane, a Berlin-based company that launched an airport concierge service, Blacklane PASS, in August 2018.The Basics:<img width="431" src="">Blacklane began as car service company in 2011, but now offers escorts in more than 500 airports worldwide via its Blacklane PASS service. The escorts are either employed directly by the airport or by an airport concierge service. Blacklane, like Royal Airport Concierge, offers services based on country and airport rules. https://topalpha.de/ In general, though, co-founder Jens Wohltorf says he escorts fast track fliers through security, customs, immigration, and carries their luggage, as well as processes VAT refunds for fliers. They assist passengers with customs and immigration, and can arrange transportation and provide curbside pick-up. In addition, they meet arriving passengers at the exit of the plane and assist them with baggage claim.The Cost:Each subsequent guest will pay $100. Children two and under are free. Most fliers tip their escorts for services rendered, but Mr. Wohltorf tells me that this is optional and absolutely not necessary.My Experience:Earlier this year, I booked Blacklane PASS for a trip from Paris Orly Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport for my parents, my children, and myself. 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. After we got to the terminal, he was waiting for us with a smile at the curb. 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. Although the line wasn't chaotic, I did feel glee when Reda flashed his pass to an airline employee who promptly let us bypass the others.After we checked in, it was time to claim a VAT refund for the shopping we did in Paris. This is where our situation got sticky: the lady who managed our refund process told us that having receipts for our items wasn't enough to claim refunds. We needed actual items in order to do that. As we were unaware of the rule, the bulk of our shopping was packed in our check-in bags. The refund amount added up to more than $1000, and it was remiss of us to let this money go. Despite my father and I begging her to make an exception, she would not budge- no items, no refund.<img width="494" src="">Reda stepped in on our behalf, telling her that we were airport VIPs. Her persistence paid off and she processed our refund. How would we have managed without his help?