Short of flying private, The Private Suite at LAX is as luxurious as an airport experience gets. If you’re a CEO, a celebrity longing to evade TMZ cameras, or perhaps you’ve recently won the lottery—this is definitely how you’ll want to travel.
Quietly introduced last year, this first service of its kind in the U.S. lets premium-class commercial air travelers bypass the traffic, hassle and crowds by transiting through a dedicated private terminal just south of the airport. Inside a gated, guarded compound within view of the LAX runway, guests spend time in one of 13 chic hospitality suites, each with a bathroom, two-person daybed, lavish food pantry and bar, and access to on-site shower and spa facilities. TSA screenings as well as customs and immigration processing are done at the location, and, at boarding time, passengers are chauffeured across the tarmac in BMW 7-Series sedans directly to their planes. “Head-of-state style” is what they call it.
It’s one of those brilliant, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that concepts that feels like the future of luxury travel. The Private Suite is owned and operated by Gavin de Becker & Associates, the consulting and security firm that protects many of the world’s richest and most powerful people.
The company calculates that most LAX passengers require 2,200 footsteps to get from car seat (or stinky Uber) to plane seat. Those using The Private Suite walk just 70 steps (and all of them springy and completely life-affirming, guaranteed). Members have access to in-suite meals, in-suite massages, manicures, haircuts, a menu of children's toys and a kids' play area, parking and car detailing, and use of a conference room and video-conferencing studio. There’s even a concierge doctor on call. Even without the extras, the service lets first- and business-class travelers avoid stressful drop-offs and pick-ups, skip lines and evade paparazzi.
One way to access the suite is to book a package through The Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills. The hotel recently partnered with The Private Suite and is the only resort property in Los Angeles offering Private Suite service to its guests. Suite 9 is branded with color tones and a design scheme that match the style of The Waldorf. It’s super-deluxe, with a Japanese-style toilet, wine fridge and every imaginable travel item, from eyeshades and lint brushes to chocolate-to-go.
As part of the Waldorf package, guests receive a year’s membership for The Private Suite – normally $4,500. Members pay an additional $2,700 for each domestic flight or $3,000 for international. Both cover a group of up to four people. To use the service without membership, the fee is $3,500 for each domestic flight and $4,000 for each international flight, both with two companions allowed. United Airlines also has a partnership program with The Private Suite for its elite flyers.
Taking that stinky Uber to the airport costs extra.
