Jacob Pabst is the globe-trotting CEO of Artnet, the art world’s premier trading platform.
Given China’s cultural boom, it is not surprising that he is often called to Beijing from his New York base.
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On his first visit there, Pabst, a Centurion cardholder, booked a fast-track greeting service via American Express.
While fellow passengers boarded a bus to the airport terminal, Pabst stepped into a limo on the tarmac, which took him seamlessly through immigration and customs. “I could sit in the car and call a couple of friends, then I was on my way to the hotel,” he recalls. “I felt like President Obama sitting in the back of that car.”
Such discreet services have become an increasingly important lure for the traveling elite, whether offered in airports, on planes or at hotels.
See how American Airlines subtly launched an entirely stand-alone service—Concierge Key—from its AAdvantage loyalty program (aa.com). Made famous by George Clooney’s character in the film Up in the Air, this is a frequent-flier Fight Club with an order of omertà. Its reported benefits are crave-worthy, though, and include a personal in-terminal escort, dedicated phone line and VIP pre-boarding.
According to Nina Flohr of fractional flying firm VistaJet, one driving factor lies behind the boom in such ultra-exclusive travel amenities: “The art of travel is disappearing fast—it’s no longer Pan Am, when the whole thing was a special, luxury experience,” she says. “Today it’s about getting from A to B quite effectively. But you want people to feel more comfortable on the way.”
Niche amenities, Flohr says, aren’t simply boldfaced blandishments. Rather, as the elites travel more often and go farther, “it all relates back to time: Everybody is busy, so how can we make more time available for you, yourself, your family?”
We traveled the world to unearth ten enviable, exclusive travel benefits. Each of them cuts corners in the most luxurious of ways, from saving time on shopping via unique in-flight treats to a private check-in at Europe’s busiest airport to a private elevator straight to a Presidential Suite—if standing in a hotel lobby for even an instant is unbearable.
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Heathrow By Invitation: Travelers slip inside the airport via a dedicated entrance at Terminal 5 before being transported to a private lounge.
Heathrow has long offered its ultra-exclusive By Invitation check-in experience to select VIPs and heads of state, but it recently started offering the benefit—the earthbound equivalent of a private jet—to an elite few paying passengers.
Travelers slip inside the airport via a dedicated entrance at Terminal 5 before being transported to a private lounge, where passport control, security and luggage collection all take place in discreet comfort.
Guests then board the plane before anyone else. A handful of London hotels, including The Lanesborough (rooms, from $757; Hyde Park Corner; 44-20/7259-5599; lanesborough.com), have partnered with the service to expedite their premium travelers for about $2,250 for six guests.
The Boulders, Carefree, Arizona: This Arizona hideout has its own on-site helipad.
This Arizona hideout has plenty of intriguing offerings—ask about the shaman on staff at the spa—but its most lavish convenience is the on-site helipad.
It creates the ultimate in privacy for those jetting in to Scottsdale or Sky Harbor. After hopping a helicopter directly to the resort, guests can transfer via golf cart to a villa without ever tackling the masses.
Another bonus: Thanks to the helipad, the hotel can offer private aerial tours of local sights, like the Sedona Red Rocks or the Grand Canyon, directly from the compound. Rooms start at $450; N. Tom Darlington Dr., Carefree, Arizona; 480-488-9009; theboulders.com.
Eurostar VIP Check: Partnering with the fully restored St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel nearby, it offers guests of the 38-suite, club-level-style Chambers annex the ultimate in easy check-in.
Now that the Brits have been kind enough to switch the Eurostar (eurostar.com) terminal from Waterloo to the somewhat more politic St. Pancras, the train company is also offering upgraded amenities from its new home.
Partnering with the fully restored St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel nearby, it offers guests of the 38-suite, club-level-style Chambers annex the ultimate in easy check-in.
While the hoi polloi must check in and clear security 30 minutes before departure, St. Pancras guests can lounge in their suites until that time.
A butler then totes luggage to the terminal, fast-tracks security and personally escorts each guest to his or her seat on the train. Rooms start at $620; Euston Rd.; 44-20/7841-3540; marriott.com.
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