This Private Airport Terminal Will Make It Feel Like You're Flying Private — Even When You're Not

PS is expanding across the U.S., with plans to bring the elite, celebrity-loved airport service to Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, and beyond.

It's no secret airport terminals can be hectic and that flying private offers an often quieter, calmer experience. But now, thanks to one company, travelers don't need to choose.

PS, a rapidly expanding travel company, offers travelers flying commercial the added comfort of a private airport terminal experience. The company, which launched its first private terminal at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in 2017, plans to open new terminals in Atlanta in 2023, Dallas in 2024, and Miami, in the former Pan Am headquarters, in 2025.

"Our mission is to make people love the airport," CEO Amina Porter told Travel + Leisure. "It's a tall order, but the idea is to make people love the journey as much as they love the destination because the worst part of travel is the travel itself." She added, "We can change that, and we have been changing that."

Like its first outpost at LAX, the company's new spots will operate out of a private terminal with both Transportation Security Administration screening and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the building.

Travelers can choose from different service levels depending on their membership tier. The All-Access Membership, which costs $4,850 per year, allows members to book private suites for $3,550 for up to four guests or book space in the Salon (a high-end lounge) for $750 per person. Travelers who purchase a Salon Membership for $1,250 per year can access the Salon area each time they travel for $850 per person or pay $4,850 for the private suite for up to four people. PS also allows non-members to enter the Salon for $1,095 per person or to book a private suite for $4,850 on a one-off basis, again for up to four people.

In addition to the comfortable lounge and stellar food options (think caviar, Champagne, and elevated burgers), travelers get the added perk of being transported via private car directly from the lounge to the tarmac and right onto their awaiting aircraft. The company also offers the PS Direct service, bringing travelers from the plane to their homes in a chauffeured BMW.

T+L recently caught up with Porter to talk about private experience and everything travelers need to know about this exclusive service.

Travel + Leisure: What do the private suites come with?

Amina Porter: "The private suite is exactly what it sounds like. The only people in it are the people you are traveling with. It feels like a hotel suite, but there's no bed. There's a daybed in case you want to take a nap, but it's really more of a private living room that has a private restroom as well.

The one in Los Angeles [doesn't have a] private shower, but in our future locations, the suites will each have their own showers. There's a TV and a fully stocked pantry, and you could get spa services in there — so you can get massages, your nails done, and barber services."

What do travelers get in the Salon?

"The salon is a social lounge. It's centered around the bar. It feels maybe more like a member's club. It's still much more private than the airport. Even the Centurion lounge at the airport will probably have 100 or 200 people in there. The salon will have 30 at most."

What is the experience from lounge to plane like?

"Let's say you're flying from Los Angeles to London on British Airways. You would come to our terminal, which is a low-key building. We would valet your car for you if you drove yourself, and then you'd go to either the salon or the private suite, where you would hang out for an hour and a half or so.

And then, when it's time to board, you clear TSA, and we board you into our BMW and drive you across the airfield, across the tarmac, and pull up to your British Airways flight. So we pull up to it like a car pulls up to a private jet. And then we would escort you up the jet bridge stairs — usually reserved for airline personnel — and plop you in right into your seat."

Why was Los Angeles your first location?

"Los Angeles Airport had an acute need for privacy for many airport travelers. Being that Hollywood is centered here, there are a lot of public figures that go in and out of LAX. The airport is kind of the most democratic place. And that caused an issue because it caused a huge security risk for the airport. There were paparazzi everywhere that were causing bottlenecks and actual physical encounters with the public figures, distracting the TSA officers. It was just not a good situation."

Are you thinking about expanding beyond the airports you’ve already announced?

"Yeah, we'd love to be in international airports. There are a few obvious ones that we'd love to be in: London, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong. But for now, we're very much focused on the United States just because we have a lot more wood to chop here. We'd love to be in New York, we'd love to be in D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, places like that."

What’s the biggest request you get from members?

"People are like, 'How early can I come?' Or 'I love the burger, can I take one home with me?' They can take 10 burgers home with them — we love to send them home with burgers — or anything they want."

Editor's Note: This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

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