We get a lot of questions from customers about how to make their trip as smooth as possible. Most people have heard of ‘meet and greet’ services but aren’t sure what is available from their airline versus what independent companies offer. Some airlines offer their valuable frequent flyers a meet and greet service, but it’s very rarely confirmed and is completely dependent on who else they have flying that day (British Airways Special Services team for example). Other airlines offer a paid meet and assist service, but it tends to be for customers who find walking long distances difficult or need wheelchair assistance. So, unless you are the highest tier of loyalty with an airline, if you want a full meet and greet service to ensure your trip runs as smoothly as possible, an independent company is probably the way to go.
With that in mind, if you’re wondering if paying for a service is really necessary, take a read below as we share some of our experience.
Firstly, do you recognise any of these scenarios?
You travel for business a lot and know exactly how it all works, often better than the airline staff! You’ve seen the meet and greet companies waiting for other customers and wondered if they are actually worth paying for, what can they offer that you don’t already know or get access to, it’s not like you need help with navigating the airport?
Or… you arrive at your destination, you’re tired, you’ve got a busy few days and getting off the plane and out of the airport as quickly as possible is critical. Waiting in the immigration queue is one of your biggest time wasters but does anyone actually get to the front of the queue quicker, isn’t it just inevitable you’ll have to wait?
Or… your parents are off on the holiday of a lifetime but they have to connect through one of the big hubs. You know how big and confusing the airport can be and you don’t want them to miss their connection or not get time to enjoy the lounge but they would be mortified if you booked them the airline meet and assist wheelchair service but that is all that the airline offer.
These are just a few of the scenarios we talk to our customers about and time and time again we recommend they try a meet and greet service but the key is to ensure that it actually offers what they are looking for.
Who do you choose?
There are quite a few companies claiming to offer this kind of service but how do you know you can rely on them? Experiencing the services we offer our customers is key to us so when James (MD) and Karen (Leisure and Repats Director) recently travelled to Abu Dhabi with their family, they used one of our most recommended providers, Fastrack VIP, to find out what the service really offers customers who want a seamless journey. This is their thoughts on the service:
“Oh what it is to live the celebrity lifestyle!
I think we all knew that the great and the famous have a knack for being fast-tracked through airports with privileged access to lounges and queue jumping services discretely hidden behind smoked glass panels and have often wondered what it would be like. Well, now we can find out. The new Fastrack VIP service not only cuts time and stress but is available now to business and leisure travellers on demand and when you know who to ask. At Meon, we’ve always enjoyed privilege access to specialist meet and greet support at airports around the world for our Emergency Medical Assistance travellers but now Fastrack VIP, who offer this exclusive service to those in the know have extended their VIP meet, greet and lounge access to business and leisure travellers.
Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, we were greeted and fast-tracked past security queues, baggage queues and sheer weight of traffic queues and guided straight from airside to kerbside into the waiting taxi without breaking pace. At the best of time this feels exclusive and special however once added to an eleven-hour flight with tired children and landing at an unfamiliar airport it suddenly becomes a compelling necessity to maintain calm, tranquillity and sanity. What a great start to a week on the beach. The next time I fly on business and need to get from point to point without delay I won’t hesitate either.”
We love that Fastrack VIP offer a range of services and are also happy to build bespoke packages for clients who want something very specific. You can choose to have their dedicated team meet you to ensure you’re checked in and get to the aircraft without delay, or meet you to help you through a complex transfer or on arrival if you want to speed through immigration and get on with your day. They pride themselves on offering customers comfort, convenience and value and their team have a seemingly endless amount of knowledge about how to get you where you need to be as quickly as possible without rushing you.
Fastack VIP describe their service as a cost-efficient luxury which provides travellers with an expertly trained assistant who will be on hand to ensure that their journey runs smoothly from the moment they arrive at the terminal. They can take care of customers luggage, documentation, security & logistics, all while prioritising comfort and convenience and offer tailor-made services so customers journey through the airport is stress-free and seamless.
For more information on the service Fastrack VIP offer or adding it on to your trip, speak to any of our team.
