The One Service That Makes Getting Through the Airport Easier Every Time

David Lowy, the president of Vancouver-based Renshaw Travel, has spent his career planning trips for demanding clients who expect top-notch service. And while he considers himself pretty savvy — he’s on T+L’s Travel Advisory Board, after all — something Lowy will often splurge on is an airport greeter. These concierge-style pros will meet passengers planeside, help them breeze through customs and immigration, and guide them to baggage claim — turning what can be a hectic and overwhelming ordeal into a soft landing.

Where this kind of VIP service really shines, Lowy says, is when you’ve got a connection. “Let’s say you’re going Chicago to Frankfurt to Athens, but you only have an hour to connect,” he says. “It’s a huge airport and you have to clear immigration into the EU and then go through security. If you have a guide, they know the fastest route — and sometimes they can even put you into a car to speed things up.” Depending on the airport, the cost of such white-glove treatment may run to a few hundred dollars, Lowy adds. “But it’s worth it.”

Travel advisors can arrange for a meet-and-greet at almost any airport, but you can also book the service on your own. Royal Airport Concierge is one of the larger providers, with operations in more than 700 locations worldwide; arrival and transit help can also be booked on travel platforms such as GetYourGuide and Viator.

“This type of thing is newly relevant after the travel debacles of the past few years,” says Jack Ezon, also a member of the Travel Advisory Board and the cofounder of Embark Beyond. “With losing bags always a possibility and airport chaos an ordinary occurrence, our clients are much more willing to splurge to ease travel concerns.” Among Ezon’s clients, demand for airport greeters is up more than 160 percent compared with pre-pandemic times, he says.

Still, some airports, such as Hamad International, in Doha, Qatar, or Incheon International, near Seoul, run so smoothly that the value proposition of a private chaperone may not add up. In other destinations, the cost-to-benefit ratio is a no-brainer, says T+L editor in chief Jacqui Gifford.

“I was flying back to New York City from Dubai, connecting in Istanbul,” she recalls. “People on my flight were very stressed about making the tight connection, given the size of Istanbul Airport. But I’d arranged for a greeter through IGA Pass, which has a range of services including buggies, fast-track security, and lounge access. He whisked me to my gate — and took away all my stress.”

A version of this article appeared in the November 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline "Worth Every Cent."