Are you an airport VIP?!
By: Maggie Ballantyne, Team Lead and Travel Advisor
July 10, 2025
I love being an airport VIP whenever possible! It’s the best way to make sure every trip starts and ends with as little stress as possible! I’ve enjoyed VIP airport services in Jamaica, the Bahamas, St. Lucia, and Paris, and I’ve helped my clients experience that same first-class treatment in other destinations too. So, what exactly does it mean to be an “airport VIP”? These premium services are designed to make your travel experience smoother, faster, and more luxurious. From expedited arrival and departure processes to private lounges and personalized assistance, airport VIP services can be arranged through the airport itself, private concierge companies, or even some airlines. As a trusted travel advisor, I work with my preferred partners to arrange these VIP experiences for my clients, making sure every trip feels smooth, stress-free, and effortless from start to finish.
Wondering what airport VIP services include? Maybe you’re stressed about not speaking the local language, navigating directions or signs in another language, or just feeling overwhelmed in a new environment. Maybe you’re worried about getting through customs or making it to your shuttle on time. That’s where Arrival VIP services can make all the difference. Here are a few examples of Arrival VIP Services designed to alleviate stress:
· Meet & Greet at the Gate: A dedicated staff member meets you as soon as you step off the plane. This is especially helpful in foreign countries where you might not speak the local language. They’ll guide you exactly where you need to go, ensuring a smooth and stress-free arrival.
· Fast-Track Through Customs & Immigrations: Skip the long lines and move straight to the front like the VIP you are. I’ve personally saved hours using this service giving me more time to enjoy my resort on the travel day.
· Porter Service: Let someone else handle your luggage!
· Lounge Access: If you have a layover or need to wait for transportation, lounge access offers a comfortable place to relax. While no two lounges are the same, most let you enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi, drinks, snacks, clean restrooms, and charging outlets.
· Family & Child Assistance: This is an upgrade that some airports allow you to book in addition to the services listed above. This is specialized help for families traveling with young children, including stroller assistance, fast-track family lanes, or access to family-friendly lounges.
No one wants their vacation to end feeling stressed or like they need a vacation from their vacation. Just like arrival, departure VIP services can help take the hassle or aggravation out of your journey home. This is especially helpful during peak travel times like summer vacation and holiday breaks! Whether you want to breeze through security, relax in a lounge, or enjoy those final moments of your trip stress-free, these services are designed to make leaving just as easy as arriving. Here are some examples of Departure VIP Services:
· Curbside Greeting: A friendly greeter meets you right at the airport entrance when you get dropped off, assists with your bags, and ensures you get to the correct check-in area for your airline without any hassle.
· Assistance with Check-in & Baggage: Skip the lines and let someone handle your check-in and the baggage drop off for an easy and efficient start to your departure.
· Private Security Lane or Fast-Track Service: Instead of waiting in the long security line with travelers from multiple airlines rushing to their gates, you’ll have access to a shorter, expedited lane. I’ve had times when this service was the difference between catching my flight or missing it! Some airports offer additional services where a staff member will accompany you from security to your gate, helping with any gate changes or questions along the way.
· Access to VIP lounges: Relax before your flight with access to lounges offering food, drinks, Wi-Fi, clean restrooms, and comfortable seating just like on arrival. There are usually TV screens so guests can stay updated on boarding times.
I’m a firm believer in only recommending services I trust and would feel comfortable booking for myself. If I’m not confident in a service, I won’t push my clients to try it either! That’s why whenever I travel, I make it a point to experience these VIP services firsthand. Not only do I book these services when I travel to new places, I also take detailed notes on the airports, time how long different lines take, scout out the best lounges and restaurants, and observe which airports have easy-to-follow signs and which ones can get a little chaotic. These first-hand insights will give you a better idea of what to expect and how VIP services can truly elevate your travel. I admit, after experiencing a few myself, I’m hooked and look forward to being a VIP more and more in the future!
CLUB MOBAY IN JAMAICA
I consider Club Mobay an essential part of any Jamaican vacation. Montego Bay International Airport is busy with tourists around the clock and often feels crowded. Club Mobay has saved me hours upon arrival, helping me get to the resort faster and starting my vacation sooner. It also ensures I never miss my flight when it’s time to head home. The staff are friendly and go out of their way to make the airport enjoyable rather than stressful. Want more details? Check out my full review: Club Mobay: Essential to Any Jamaican Vacation — Wishes Family Travel
NASSAU FAST TRACK SERVICE
In July 2024, I tried the VIP Arrival Service in Nassau, Bahamas. To be honest, this service didn’t dramatically change my airport experience, but I still enjoyed it and learned from it.
We were greeted by a dedicated staff member as soon as we stepped off the plane, and she was very friendly and welcoming. She guided us quickly through the airport, pointed us to a much less crowded restroom, and brought us to the front of an already short customs line. She explained that the airport was unusually quiet on our travel day because several flights that morning were cancelled, but later on that afternoon and on busier days, when the customs line can stretch for a couple of hours, this service would have saved us a lot of time.
She walked us straight to the Sandals Lounge, made sure we were checked in, and we were on our shuttle to the resort in less than five minutes.
Overall, I would still feel comfortable recommending this service to my clients, especially first-time visitors or anyone who feels uneasy navigating a new airport. It’s always nice to have someone there to guide you and welcome you to the start of vacation.
EXPEDITED ARRIVAL IN ST. LUCIA
The airport in St. Lucia is quite the opposite of Jamaica’s Montego Bay. It’s small, with only a few flights arriving and departing at one time. That being said, when several flights land close together, the airport fills up. On our arrival in December 2022, our greeter was waiting for us as soon as we stepped off the plane and onto the tarmac. We were then escorted to the front of the customs line, bypassing passengers from our flight and one previous flight.
At peak times, the customs line can stretch outside onto the tarmac. I had read about this and didn’t want to start my vacation potentially standing for hours under the Caribbean sun with my luggage on blacktop. That expedited customs entry alone was worth what we paid for the service. After customs, our dedicated staff helped with our luggage and escorted us straight to the Sandals lounge, where we enjoyed snacks and drinks before hopping into our shuttle to the resort. Please note, you do not have to travel to a Sandals resort to reserve expedited arrival services!
I timed everything (from the moment we stepped off the plane to walking through the door of the lounge) and it took just 14 minutes. Later in the week, we met other guests at our resort who arrived during peak times and told us their process took two hours! This service is limited and tends to sell out since only a small number of passes are available each day. Once flights are booked, I encourage my clients to notify me so I can arrange their shuttle and check availability for this service.
GLOBAL CONCIERGE SERVICE IN PARIS
I have been fortunate enough to fly out of the US and explore other countries 10+ times. For some reason, flying to Paris gave me a lot of anxiety. To combat this, I booked a Global Concierge Service that seemed similar to what I have experienced in St. Lucia or Jamaica. Let me tell you, I am SO happy I did! As soon as I landed and turned my phone on, I had a text from a woman named Ana, who would be my guide through the airport. She did speak English, which was very helpful. As soon as I got off my flight, she was waiting with a sign for me! Here is a timeline of how it went:
I landed at 8:15 AM: Ana organized my carry-on items, my paperwork, and passport, while watching my personal belongings for me so I could use the restroom to freshen up. Ana took me on the train from my gate to immigrations at a different area of the airport. This was especially helpful as there were no signs or announcements in English and I had no idea I was going to need to hop on a train. There was a sign that showed the wait time for immigrations and it read 2 hours. Anna saw the sign, told me to hold on a minute, went over and spoke to an agent, waved me forward, and I was walked up to the front of the line and waited 3 minutes.
From immigrations, she took me through what I perceived to be staff walkway, or “shortcut,” to avoid crowds for a large event coming into town and we went to baggage claim. Luckily, my bag was one of the first off. After grabbing my bag for me, she walked me to the terminal where the Disneyland Shuttle brings guests from the airport to the resort. This was very helpful as I did not notice many signs for this shuttle and she knew exactly where I needed to go. Once we arrived at the shuttle station, I was again brought to the front of the line and my luggage was loaded on the shuttle for me. From there, I said goodbye to Ana and thanked her because she alleviated everything I was nervous about. She was friendly, efficient, chatty, and very professional. By the time we said goodbye I felt like I was saying goodbye to a friend! Here is how the rest of the morning went:
On shared Shuttle to DLR Paris at 9:05 AM
Departed for Resort at 9:08 AM
My bus made two stops before arriving at my resort. I arrived at my resort at 10 am.
Without this service I would have been at the airport this entire time! I am so happy I booked this to start my trip off without a hitch. And the shuttle from the airport to the resort is incredibly convenient. There is an option for a private ride, but I opted for the shared shuttle and it was great! I met some friendly people and it was interesting to stop at other resorts since this was my first time in Disneyland Paris and everything was new to me! This is something I can help you add onto your vacation package and take care of before your trip!
As your trusted travel advisor, I’m here to take care of every detail so your VIP experience starts long before you even arrive at the airport. The services I offer go beyond just booking your vacation; I love sharing tips like Arrival and Departure VIP options to help make your trip as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
If you’d like to learn more about ways to travel with ease, or you’re ready to start planning your next vacation, reach out to me at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com. You can also follow along at www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie for travel tips, deals, and more!
All VIP services discussed in this blog were purchased at a retail rate (pricing available to the general public).