Originally Posted by
theflyingbird2022
Hello fellow explorers,
I'm curious what everyone thinks of VIP services. (i.e. Platinum in Dublin, VIP in Zurich, Heathrow VIP etc.).
Feel free to speak / type your mind outside of these questions.
Some Questions:
1. Do you book both departure and arrival services for a one way flight. If you only book one (i.e. departure services) what's stopping you from booking both departure and arrival services?
2. Do you book these services on every trip? In a typical year how many time do you use these services?
3. Do you book them (and how i.e. phone / email) or is it a travel agent / personal assistant or someone else? Who?
4. If you could say in 3 words why you book them or the value you get from these services. What would them words be?
5. What is the one thing you wish would change in the area of VIP services. i.e. there biggest problem.
Thanks and happy travelling.
Ill try my best -
1 - generally arrival only, in order to save time on passport control, immigration, etc.
2 - not every trip; generally only when it’s included as part of my arrival transfer to the hotel (ex Peninsula Hong Kong Rolls-Royce transfer)
3 - hotel concierge handles it most of the time. My Advisor did it once, IIRC
4 - seamless, quick, and easy?
5 - not sure I have anything to offer re how they should change. But I think there are fewer and fewer airports where I would even consider it. Many more places are moving to e-gates for all passport holders, which makes immigration easier and many times quicker. Plus, many places are quick even without it - I don’t recall ever waiting more than about five or ten minutes in the Schengen zone for passport control. And with international loads being what they are right now, volumes are down a lot.
I appreciate it most in HKG just due to the airport size - they pick you up in a buggy and drive you to passport control