Airport VIP services, how to enjoy flight waiting

Airport VIP services make life better. Travel is the most beautiful thing to do in life, but to visit new places and meet new cultures it is necessary to spend time on planes and also in the airports. For security reasons, passengers must be there one or two hours before the departure. The exact time depends on the type of flight. But sometimes the border management requires a lot of time. Thanks to the airport VIP services the process becomes easier and enjoyable.

It is quite boring to wait in the lounge for the plane, especially in small airports. But there are some ways to enjoy more time spent inside the airport. Not only in the main destinations the companies are improving fastly airport VIP services provided to passengers. The goal is to make them more comfortable. Not only the airlines offer VIP lounges. But also the companies that own the airports. There are hotels, meet and greet services, and much more.

Airport VIP services

What are the main airport VIP services proposed? The variety is really big and I just tried a few of them. But I have to say that in the last years in many countries to wait for the plane is becoming a pleasure. Sometimes, unbelievable, it happens that I want to go ahead of time, just to enjoy a specific service. Do not worry, it never happens when the place to visit is so interesting and attractive.

 

Some examples of airport VIP services

I generally make a distinction among the services: the ones that help the passenger to not lose time and those that are created to make the waiting pleasant. In the first case, I intend fast track, check-in reserved, priority boarding, and so on. The comfort is given by the private lounges, the small cars to move inside the airport, the complimentary food and drinks. These are airport VIP services.

What can happen inside the airport for a passenger who wants to enjoy better the waiting? Well, I can describe one of my trips, including the return. I use quite often two airports: Milan Malpensa, Italy, and Istanbul Ataturk, Turkey. So just to give you an example I can describe the different steps made before and after the flight. So I have the chance to go a bit more deeply into airport VIP services.

Direct experience

With my car I arrive at Milan Malpensa Airport (Terminal 1), I park under the terminal, with the elevator in a while I am in the departure area. I do the check-in and then I move to the security check. Thanks to the fast track I skip the queue and I go directly to the passport control. After that, I am free to reach the Vip Lounge. Meanwhile, I monitor the status of my flight. I can have some food and drinks, read newspapers, use the Wi-Fi, relax or work seated in comfortable armchairs.

At the proper time, I can go to the gate and seat on the plane. When I land in Istanbul Ataturk, a very big and crowded airport, I go down from the plane and I find dedicated personnel of the airport. The staff dedicated to airport VIP services is ready to take me to the passport control with an internal shuttle. I go with the driver and the assistance to passport control. There is a line dedicated, so I do not have to wait for the other passengers.

Going outside the airport

I go with the staff to the baggage claim and then a driver with a luxury car takes me to the hotel. On the way back a car with a driver come to the hotel to pick me up and to take me to the airport. A person waits for me at a reserved entrance. So I can do immediately the security control with my luggage and go to the check-in. I go with the assistant at the airport to the check-in. Then to a dedicated line for the hand baggage security check and passport control.

With the internal shuttle, a driver, and assistance I go to the VIP lounge to wait for my flight. They’re a great variety of food and drinks, newspapers, showers, and sofas where I can relax waiting for my flight. At the proper time, a person comes to me and takes me, using the private internal shuttle take me to the gate for boarding. This service helps me to skip all the queues and also it allows me to enjoy more the waiting.

 

Obtain the airport services

How to get services? It is easy and you don’t need to be a VIP. According to the different airports, the policy can be different from the offer for the passenger. I mentioned Milan Malpensa and Istanbul Ataturk. In both cases, there are cards to be bought by passengers. There are various levels of membership with different prices, from a few hundred euros to 2.500 euro more or less. The fee for airport VIP services can be convenient if you travel often.

Better divide the two proposals. In Milan, you can purchase a card from Sea Club, for Malpensa and Linate airports, that it cost 1.000 euro per year and it gives them access to all the VIP lounges, also the ones at the entrance and the one at arrivals. In the first one, it is possible to do the check-in for the flight. But it depends on the deals with the airline company.

You can also benefit from other services, with a discount on the prices, as the Meet and Greet service (like the one that I described for Istanbul). To do all the steps before and after the flights with a preferred lane and assisted by a hostess. You can also rent a car with a driver and have the support you need to prepare yourself and wait for your flight.

Istanbul airport VIP services

In Istanbul, the company that manages the airport is Tav, owner of different airports in the world: Turkey, Croatia, Macedonia, Latvia, Georgia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia. You can request a free car park and valet service, discounts for transfers, fast tracks, lounge access, ring service, business check-in, advantages in using bars, restaurants, and the Tav hotel inside the airport.

You can buy the card that allows you to use the lounge and fast track for free every time you need in the Tav airports for 350 euro. If you prefer you can buy a card that gives you a certain amount of services for free-spending 1700 euros or the unlimited card for 2700 euros, in this case, you will have also transfers to the city free. Those rates are the yearly fee. It is also possible to have some guests that can have the same advantages for free. You can extend airport VIP services to family, colleagues, or friends.

Card usage

Of course, it depends on how much you go to these airports. If you do not fly often to those destinations you can just buy single services when you need them. Anyway in worldwide airports there are many opportunities. A guest can have more comforts and benefit from more services to have a pleasant waiting, relaxing, and using better lounges with free food and drinks.

 

Airline companies and cards

Almost all airport VIP services in the globe have a card that allows a passenger to have discounts and facilities access. There are also other types of cards, like Priority Pass that allows passengers to enter the lounges of the majority of the airports around the world. The cost is different and it depends on the level, so on how many entries the passenger wants to be included. The basic level is cheap but it gives only a discount.

Many benefits for passengers arrive also by certain credit cards, like Diners Club, Mastercard, and Visa that allow the holders to use Vip lounges in the airports. The other way is reserved by the airline company. If the passenger travels in business or first class or has a specific card of the company can use the fast track, Vip lounge, and other services that are useful to go fast and to live a nice experience before leaving.

 

The airport’s proposals

Around the world, there are innovative services dedicated to passengers. Because there are more travelers and it is important, also concerning the competition among sector companies, to offer tailor-made services. That allows making more pleasant the time spent before the departure or after the arrival. I enjoy also that kind of benefit in between flight connections.

In Los Angeles airport, thanks to The Private Suite you have the chance to enter using your car in a private area of the airport. Then have a steward that takes you to a suite that is your private lounge for the time you need, with tv, magazines, food, and drinks, and no one enters. Then you have the reserved safety check and passport control. With a car, the staff takes you to the plane. It’s one of the best airport VIP services.

Around the world

Cathay Pacific and Qantas are offering airline lounges with a spa. There you can have a massage or a treatment to relax and recover energy to travel. In Frankfurt, in the lounge, you can find a cigar room. And there is also a superb restaurant, where the variety of water is, even more, one of the wines. In Paris, you can eat a dinner made by a famous chef. These are just a few examples of VIP services at the airport.

Get Airport VIP services without a card

These are only a few examples of airports and airline proposals for passengers, but you can find a lot of interesting features and also not only concerning the lounges. If you don’t have a ticket or a card to take advantage of the services provided you can always buy them. The costs are not high and you can pass faster or seat in a better setting, finding also satisfaction if you are hungry or thirsty. Keep into consideration that in case of delay of your flight you will enjoy your time with a spa treatment or some entertainment.

How to get airport VIP services

If you don’t want to pay a fee to the airports, you can use a travel credit card. This is the best way to earn air miles with your daily expenses. Also, you will find included airport VIP services. The trick is to select the right card. How to do it? Easy, follow the steps I suggest you through my article. Also, keep in mind that credit cards give free air miles, so check out my guide to learn more and get more benefits during your trips.

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