As much as people are encouraged to fly because of cheap fares, including cheap airplane tickets, cheap vacation packages, and discount travel packages, travelers are sometimes frustrated by long security lines at airports and crowded terminals.
It used to be only the rich, famous, or most elite frequent fliers were allowed to speed through security. Today airlines are increasingly providing fast track access to any flier with the right credit card or who is willing to pay for the privilege.
Airlines are determined to eliminate the frustration felt by long security lines for their highest paying customers, giving them a more complete elite experience.
Special airline representatives at an ever growing number of airports are meeting celebrities, powerful executives, and wealthy vacationers at curbside and privately escorting them from check in through security to boarding.
American Airlines has created a private check in lobby at the Los Angeles airport for VIPs who are greeted by name, provided preprinted boarding passes, and then promptly taken by elevator to the front of security lines. This service has been expanded to Miami and is coming this year to Chicago, Dallas, and New York.
Special treatment is not being limited to getting VIPs simply through security. Deltas new Sky Club in New York has a hidden lounge within a lounge with magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline for its most special passengers. In Atlanta Delta drives select VIPs from one plane to another in a Porsche without ever having to enter the terminal when making connections.
Special treatment is also extended when boarding. Celebrities often prefer to be the last ones in their seats to avoid having to deal with passengers requesting autographs. Airlines are working to ensure last second boarding goes as smoothly as possible, even going so far as reserving overhead bin space for them.
American has reconfigured gate bridges on some planes so that coach passengers do not walk through first class on transcontinental flights.
Large airlines, such as American, derive 70 percents of their revenues from 20 percent of its customers. A one-way transcontinental business class ticket purchased last minute can cost over $2,500 vs. a non refundable coach ticket purchased at least 21 days in advance that can cost as little as $159.
Airline VIP treatment is not being limited to celebrities. American has come out with a program it calls Five Star Service which costs between $125 and $275 for the first passenger. Delta offers a similar program which it has named VIP Select and is only available through the airlines corporate sales department and select travel agents and costs $125 for the first person.
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