There are premium airport departure, connection and arrival services that you can buy all over the world. Some are offered by airlines, others by airports, and some by third party services. In fact it isn’t even always clear which is which.
- On arrival this can mean meeting you curbside, escorting you through security and it may include lounge access. You’ll be dropped off at the lounge and collected and escorted to your gate.
- For connections you can be met on the jetway or at the gate and escorted to your connecting flight. With a long connection this may include lounge access, a shower, and then escort to your connecting gate.
- On arrival this generally involves being collected at your arriving gate and escorted to immigration where you’ll often skip queues. In the most premium versions of this service it may even mean being met at the aircraft and taken by electric cart through the terminal — or even by car across the tarmac.
Denver’s airport is actually trialing a meet and greet service to assist passengers with departures, arrivals and connections. And at this point the service is free.
We are currently offering our meet & assist services free of charge. During this time, we’ll be evaluating the program and making adjustments for a future paid service. We value your feedback on the services provided so we can continuously improve our service and look at providing additional offerings in the future.
The service is currently only available 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and has to be booked at least 48 hours in advance. This isn’t for wheelchair service. And they have to have staff available.
I made a request for assistance on Saturday and heard back on Sunday, with staff assigned to an upcoming trip. I was given details of the service, the names of the staff members, and their cell phone numbers.
On arrival: [Redacted] will meet [redacted] at the arrival gate. She will be wearing purple, DEN branded uniform with a grey cardigan sweater and carrying a name sign. She will help them through to [REDACTED]. [Redacted]’s cell is XXX-XXX-XXXX.
On departure: [Redacted] will meet [redacted], help them to the Southwest counter, and through to their gate. [Redacted’s] cell is XXX-XXX-XXXX.
In general I much like the Denver airport, though not TSA there or the distance it is from city center. They have a lot of fun on Star Wars Day and conspiracy theories about the airport abound. They’ve also been really easy to work with on FOIA requests! This is just one more friendly move by the airport.
I’ve used the JetQuay terminal in Singapore both on arrival and departure when my hotel was selling it at half the price of buying direct.
Jetquay Terminal, Singapore
American Airlines offers “5 Star Service” in 16 airports. Delta has VIP Select. United Airlines puts its branding on the third party Global Airport Concierge service. Bear in mind it may be cheaper to book Global Airport Concierge with a Mastercard discount.
Pricing ranges tremendously, with tarmac transfers in Europe costing as much as $2000 while a simple meet and greet on arrival in Southeast Asia may be $20. What’s new is that services especially in Europe have gotten cheaper.
I’m a fan of these offerings, but I like to see them affordable. I think that a meet and greet buggy service at under $50 for 2 people in Bangkok, including assistance from plane through immigration and with baggage claim (with handover to your transportation into the city) is a real value that more travelers would take advantage of if they were aware of the service.
At first world prices though it’s strategically useful to be aware of the option but not something most readers will take advantage of.
What Denver is offering, though, would cost a few hundred dollars from a premium concierge service. I don’t know how long it’ll be around for free. You can’t beat the price and I’m excited to hear about experiences using it!
Denver’s airport shouldn’t even be called Denver given its location. Renting a car is even worse.
Depending on traffic you can almost drive from parts of Denver to the airport in Colorado Springs in the same amount of time as going to the airport in Denver. The wait times for an Uber are insane. I’ve paid $80-$90 off-peak Uber.
DEN based traveler here.
What exactly is the “service” here? Someone to walk around the airport with you?
Seems exceedingly pointless.
If this service is pointless to you, don’t pay for it. I know many people who buy air tickets for their anxious relatives or foreign language speakers who would find a lot of value in an escort service especially through immigration and customs.
Not worth it for most travelers, just like the premium for First Class over Business intercontinental is not worth it. But if the difference in price is negligible or if it changes the outcome (grandma making her connection in a foreign terminal, rockstar avoiding being pelted by undergarments while waiting in line at the Cinnabun), it is “worth it” to cut a few lines, maybe hop a car to the baggage claim or next flight.
Good tip – I’m trying it Saturday with the family and will report back.
Sorry Gary DIA is a horrible airport and I am based in Denver. Here we have a airport that took several extra years to open and was meant to take the best of other airports. However the idiot designers made it so there is only a train between two of the concourses that regularly breaks down. I flew back into the debacle of another broken train system two weeks ago. This has happened multiple times and all DIA ever says is we didn’t do our best. Atlanta, Cincinnati and I am sure a few others seem to all have a middle tunnel that you can walk to the gates if the train fails.
Without it, I would’ve missed my flight. Not something I’d pay for in the future either.
Denver was an absolute zoo on Saturday morning. Over three dozen people in the Premier access check in and a dozen in global services lines. TSA was a worse poop show than normal and United didn’t give me or my wife precheck (either way, systems issue?).
The guide knew we could check our bags without a fee at the curb and skip the lines. She got us in the wheelchair and employee line to skip some TSA wait. The coloring books for the kids was a fun touch.
Good for the inexperienced and in frequent fliers, but I knew where I was going. If Denver wasn’t such a mess, it wouldn’t be necessary.