Want to avoid EU airport issues? Here’s how SkyVIP can help

It has been a stressful travel year for a plethora of reasons, and the rollout of the European Union’s Entry/Exit System hasn’t made it any easier. The new EU immigration checkpoint system gathers travelers’ biometric data to replace the physical passport stamps involved in the passport control process.

The end goal is to make the immigration process much more efficient for travelers visiting Europe. For now, though, delays and long lines at airports across the continent persist as airport staff and travelers navigate the new process.

When some travelers, including some of my TPG colleagues, began reporting EES wait times upward of three hours earlier this summer, I started to get nervous about my upcoming trip to Sicily. I was flying from New York City to Rome, where I’d have a two-hour layover before making the quick hop to Sicily.

I considered rebooking my second flight because I wasn’t sure whether two hours would leave me enough time to pass through EES. But instead, I was lucky enough to try SkyVIP’s Meet & Greet service, which provided a designated escort through passport control and to my connecting gate.

Here’s what my experience was like using SkyVIP.

What is Europe’s Entry/Exit System?

EES is the EU’s automated digital system that non-EU nationals use each time they cross the external borders of a participating EU country for short stays. Travelers can expect to provide personal data at an automated kiosk or counter. Passport control officers will photograph your face, scan your fingerprints or both. This information gets recorded in a digital file, but you won’t receive a passport stamp.

As you can imagine, there’s a bit of a learning curve to processing this new information for hundreds of travelers from all over the world at once. Plus, the timing didn’t help — the rollout coincided with peak summer travel season, flooding European airports with first-time EES users all at once.

This has led to long lines, crowding at checkpoints and difficulty navigating terminals.

How SkyVIP Meet & Greet can help

SkyVIP is a personal airport assistance service operating at more than 500 airports worldwide, including more than 50 in the U.S. There are three service types: VIP Meet & Greet, VIP Terminal and VIP Private Suite.

Offers vary by service type, but SkyVIP’s services are designed to provide a personalized airport experience, with assistance navigating the airport and, depending on the service and airport, security and other checkpoints.

If you’re arriving at the airport to board a flight, the greeter will meet you at the curbside check-in.

If you’re arriving by plane, your greeter will wait at your gate and escort you through the airport. The service is also available for travelers connecting between flights.

They will help coordinate baggage pickup and carry your bags. Depending on the airport and service booked, SkyVIP may also provide access to available Fast Track lanes. These priority lanes can help you pass through airport checkpoints more efficiently, but they don’t allow you to bypass mandatory immigration procedures or EES.

Basically, the service eliminates much of the guesswork when navigating an unfamiliar airport and helps travelers move through airport checkpoints more efficiently.

My experience using SkyVIP

When my two sisters and I landed at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO), I was a little stressed about navigating the airport after a long overnight flight. I had been worried about how long passport control might take and whether we’d have enough time to make our connecting flight to Sicily.

So, I was genuinely relieved when I saw our SkyVIP greeter waiting for us right at the gate, holding a sign with my name on it. It was reassuring to immediately know that someone was there to meet us and show us where to go.

After introducing herself, our greeter began leading us through the airport. She first brought us to a quiet restroom area and watched our bags while we freshened up after the long flight. Then, she led us toward passport control. She was friendly and helpful throughout the experience, and it was nice not having to worry about where to go or what to do next. Rather than stopping to check signs or figure out which direction to walk, we could simply follow our greeter.

At passport control, we went through the EES process, including scanning our passports and providing our fingerprints. We initially had a little trouble getting our fingerprints to scan, but our greeter showed us exactly how to position our fingers and explained what we needed to do to complete the process. There were only about two people ahead of us on the separate VIP-access route, and I didn’t realize at the time that our greeter had coordinated an alternative passport-control procedure with airport authorities. I later learned that we had been directed along a separate route that bypassed the main passenger flow, which made the process feel very straightforward to me.

She continued helping us navigate the airport after passport control and offered to wait while we got some coffee and breakfast. She then led us to our connecting flight gate, so we didn’t have to figure out how to get there ourselves.

For us, the biggest benefit was the convenience and peace of mind that came with having someone meet us at the gate and guide us through each step of the airport process. I had been anticipating a potentially complicated or lengthy passport-control experience, so seeing our greeter waiting for us was an immediate relief. Even though I didn’t realize at the time that a separate passport-control arrangement had been coordinated on our behalf, the process felt remarkably simple from a passenger’s perspective. Having our greeter there to explain the EES fingerprinting process and guide us through the airport also made the arrival feel much less stressful.

Who can benefit most from airport Meet & Greet?

SkyVIP is extremely beneficial to travelers who are stressed about the time constraints of connecting flights or about arriving on time, and they will likely appreciate the added comfort and guidance this service offers.

It’s also a very helpful service to those who get easily overwhelmed in airports, have mobility issues or are traveling with young children. Anyone who doesn’t want to carry their luggage, as well as business travelers who simply want peace of mind upon landing, may also appreciate the service.

Some service types offer added privacy and access to exclusive lounge areas, which may appeal to business travelers or those wanting to start off their trip on a calmer note.

How much does SkyVIP cost?

SkyVIP rates vary based on date, time, airport and other factors.

For the basic Meet & Greet service, a booking for one person would cost $415; a reservation for three would cost $674.

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For travelers facing a tight connection or an unfamiliar airport, that added assistance could be particularly valuable.

How to prepare for EES before your next European trip

EES is still new, and the experience at any given airport can vary significantly from day to day, and a little preparation goes a long way.

If you are connecting at a European airport, book a flight with a long layover to increase your chances of clearing passport control in time, as lines can be unpredictable. It’s also helpful to stay up to date on the news and procedures at the specific airport you’re visiting, and to note which terminal you arrive at and depart from.

And if you’re worried about a tight connection or simply want a stress-free arrival, consider a service like SkyVIP. Having a knowledgeable greeter who knows the airport, understands the EES process and can guide you directly to the right place will help remove the layers of uncertainty, which can make a huge difference on a busy travel day.

Bottom line

SkyVIP is a meet-and-greet service designed to make navigating the airport easier, with a dedicated representative who guides you through the arrival or departure process.

For me, the biggest benefit was the convenience and peace of mind that came with having a friendly, helpful staff member waiting at the gate and guiding me through the airport. I didn’t realize at the time that our greeter had coordinated an alternative passport-control procedure, but having her there to help us navigate EES and get to our connecting gate made the experience feel seamless. Ultimately, SkyVIP makes the most sense for travelers with tight connections, families or anyone who wants a more hands-off airport experience.