San Francisco airport will be getting a ‘PS’-style private terminal for commercial airline passengers, allowing them to skip the lines and crowds of the airport. Chock full of amenities, the separate terminal means clearing private security and getting driven to the aircraft.
The airport has posted plans to offer a ground lease for a private terminal. They’ll be taking proposals September 30 – October 7.
- The listing summary says proposers must have at least two years experience managing or owning a Private Terminal that includes TSA and CBP screening processes, and must show $15 million or more gross sales per year from such operations.
- Taken literally, that qualifies only PS since only they have direct experience with private TSA and U.S. Customs clearance.
- If construed broadly as ‘security and immigration’ rather than TSA and Customs then it could allow Manchester Airport Group (private terminal in Manchester, UK), SATS (JetQuay at Singapore Changi), Fraport (Frankfurt VIP terminal), Al Majlis (Dubai) and possibly TAV / primeclass. But none of them have experience working on this sort of project with U.S. Homeland Security.
Currently, PS operates at LAX and Atlanta, and next month new terminals open in Dallas and Miami. There’s a ps-style terminal planned for Washington Dulles as well.
PS is a private terminal for people flying commercial flights, designed to replicate much of the private aviation ground experience. The terminal is away from the main passenger terminal, with dedicated line-free TSA screening, customs/immigration processing on eligible international arrivals, luggage handling, and airside transportation directly to or from the aircraft.
This is basically a pay-to-use Lufthansa First Class Terminal, where you’re driven across the airfield to the plane and walked to the aircraft door. On arrival, an agent meets you at the aircraft door, escorts you to a waiting car on the ramp, and either takes you to the PS terminal or directly onward. International arrivals can clear customs/immigration at PS.
American Express Centurion (Black Card) cardmembers receive member preferred pricing plus two complimentary visits per year ($825 per person for the Amex-exclusive space, $3,550 one-way for a Private Suite for up to 4 travelers then $500 each additional traveler, and $1,050 per person for PS Direct airside transfers for domestic arrivals where available).
With new Miami and Dallas ps terminals opening this month, American Airlines ConciergeKey members get one free visit.
There’s currently a dispute over Washington Dulles amending its RFP for a ps-style terminal to favor the Irish government as bidder, backed by Virginia’s two Senators and local Members of Congress. One suspects that, given that the bid is fronted by a former DHS Assistant Secretary, they probably didn’t realize (i.e., were tricked) that they were intervening on behalf of a foreign government’s airport operator.
There’s a LOT of money floating around out there. Everybody wants to be important. Pretty soon so many of them will have abandoned the main terminals for lounges and specialty terminals, that what’s left will be convenient for the rest of us ‘average” people.
Not the way I’d spend my money but I’m not responsible for the domain of others.