What It’s Like Traveling Through Atlanta Airport's New Private Terminal

30.11.2023 - 22:01 / cntraveler.com / London Heathrow

Eliminate the airport, and suddenly, flying commercial almost feels like flying private. At least that’s what PS, a company that curates premium pre- and post-flight experiences, wants travelers to believe. After sampling the service for each leg of my recent round-trip journey from Los Angeles (LAX) to Atlanta (ATL), I’ll just say this: PS is the most luxurious way to fly commercial, bar none.

While a Gulfstream this is not, the PS treatment removes an often loathed part of the journey: the chaos and crowds of an airport. Now, with its latest opening, travelers heading to or through ATL can experience Hartsfield-Jackson in the most elevated way possible—that is, by circumventing the airport entirely.

The idea of flying commercial without ever setting foot in the terminal is refreshingly simple. However, it’s logistically complex, and before 2017, such a service wasn’t publicly offered in the U.S. However, a few airports abroad—those at London Heathrow (LHR) and Dubai (DXB) come to mind—have had private facilities for years.

The founders of PS, formerly known as Private Suites, saw an opportunity to bring the experience stateside. The company opened its doors nearly seven years ago with a single location at LAX—and it has been a game-changer for the Hollywood jet set and other well-to-do travelers ever since. Now, the service is at last available at a second airport.

Notably, ATL is not just any airport. Nearly 94 million passengers traveled through Hartsfield-Jackson in 2022, according to Airports Council International (ACI), making it the busiest airport in the world. “Opening our second PS location in America’s busiest airport brings countless travelers that fly to and through Atlanta the convenience and luxury that has become synonymous with the PS brand,” says Amina Porter, CEO of PS.

PS currently operates at LAX and ATL with plans to expand to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) in spring 2024 and Miami International Airport (MIA) in 2025.

Far from the bumper-to-bumper traffic of a terminal entrance or exit, PS guests are welcomed to a separated enclave where caviar and champagne await. (In fact, it’s so far removed from the airport's main hub that during my most recent PS visit, I had to argue with my Uber driver that I was indeed going to the correct drop-off.)

Security lines are nonexistent. A fully private TSA checkpoint—or customs facility for international travelers on arrival—ensures the process is a seamless affair taking no more than a few minutes. Typically, PS representatives stagger the TSA process so there aren't any other travelers. In some rare instances, those on the same flight may see another face or two.

And the cherry on the top? Travelers are chauffeured, typically in a swanky BMW,