The world’s busiest airport just got more manageable—if you’re willing to pay for it. PS, Hartsfield-Jackson’s private terminal for commercial flyers, has introduced PS Direct, which lets travelers bypass the plane train, baggage claim, and even the hassle of finding an Uber. Instead, just exit through the cabin door of your commercial plane, where an agent will escort you down the jet bridge stairs, onto the airfield, and straight into a BMW loaded with your checked bags. Your driver will then take you wherever you want to go (well, within a thirty-five-mile radius), and barring a traffic jam, you’ll arrive at your destination before many of your fellow passengers have left the airport.
“We operate strictly on the airside road system, following the same routes designated for ground operations,” explains PS CEO Amina Porter. “Securing permission to operate airside is a highly selective process, overseen closely by both the Department of Aviation and TSA to ensure the highest standards of safety and security.”
This kind of experience doesn’t come cheap. If you’re not a PS member, it’s $1,650 a person; if you are, the cost starts at $1,125 a person, depending on your membership tier. One car can be reserved for as many as four travelers (including children), and each car allows four standard luggage pieces. If you need to go farther than thirty-five miles, there’s an additional fee.
This is just the latest offering from PS, which has carved out a niche making the commercial-flight experience feel private. If you want to avoid the airport before you take off, you can reserve a suite at PS’s standalone terminal, complete with large-screen TVs, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the airport’s runways, and a private valet service that will not only park your car but detail it, too. Or, book access to the sleek, on-site lounge serving up icy martinis and caviar. (For non-members, the rate for a private suite is $4,950, while lounge access is $1,295.)
If you feel like booking a pre-flight massage or manicure at the PS terminal, that can be arranged. Kids forget their coloring books? A staff member can quickly provide everything from drawing tablets to board games. And when it’s time to board, PS has its own TSA security line, which takes about two minutes to get through. From there, you’re off in a BMW to board your plane via its cabin door.
Right now, PS has locations in Atlanta and Los Angeles, and new terminals in Dallas–Fort Worth and Miami are scheduled to roll out this spring.
