Imagine being whisked through passport and customs control at Sheremetyevo Airport -- straight past the notoriously long lines of fuming travelers.
For $50 to $60, Aerotour can make that happen.
The travel agency has been operating under an exclusive agreement with airport management since November to give passengers this kind of VIP treatment.
Airlines and travel agencies contacted by Vedomosti said they could not think of another airport in the world that offers such a fast-track service.
"This could only happen in overcrowded Sheremetyevo," one official said.
Aerotour charges travelers who want to get through passport control quickly $50 for departures and $60 for arrivals. Cash and credit cards are accepted, and children under 12 qualify for 50 percent discounts, according to the agency's web site (www.aerotour.ru).
The main requirement is that travelers notify Aerotour 24 hours in advance. A representative of the agency will then wait at a designated place in the airport and lead the client past the lines. The entire clearance process is promised to take no longer than 10 minutes, not including the time it takes to collect luggage.
"We are proud that the airport signed the deal with our agency," said Aerotour head Yekaterina Yermakova. "There has been a lot of interest."
She would not say how many people use the service daily, calling the number a commercial secret.
Sheremetyevo handled 11.5 million passengers last year, 60 percent more than was intended when it was built.
Aerotour was set up in 1989 and was one of the first Russian tourist agencies to be certified by the International Air Transport Association.
Yermakova defended the fast-track service, saying it is not unusual considering Aerotour has a solid reputation and a strong management team. Furthermore, 25 percent of the agency is owned by Aeroflot, she said.
It may seem odd, then, that Aerotour managed to get a deal that has evaded Aeroflot for years.
Aeroflot has long been trying to get fast-track privileges for its first- and business-class passengers, but Sheremetyevo has repeatedly rejected its requests, deputy Aeroflot general director Lev Koshlyakov said.
Koshlyakov could not explain how a travel agency affiliated with Aeroflot had managed to leapfrog the airline.
"This is a remnant of the old Aeroflot," he said. "Today we are restructuring our relationship with our many subsidiaries to make our work with them more effective."
Sheremetyevo officials would not comment.
A Sheremetyevo source familiar with the situation said Sergei Belyayev, who has headed the airport since December, disliked the arrangement and wants to have it canceled.
But the fast-track service continues to operate.
A passport control official at Sheremetyevo said there is nothing illegal about the service -- all customs and border procedures are observed. He said the speeded-up processing was possible because Aerotour notifies customs in advance about its clients.
He would not say whether passport and customs officials receive a fee for the service.
Maxim Trofimov of the Trofimov and Partners law firm said the agreement with the airport violates the law governing competition, because the right to escort travelers through a faster line has been offered to one agency only.
There is another way to avoid the rigors of standing in line at Sheremetyevo, but for a price. VIP International, which operates the airport's two business lounges, offers membership packages starting at $7,000 per year that allow travelers to relax in sofas or sip drinks at a bar while their paperwork gets swiftly processed at a special checkpoint. Those not wanting to splurge on the annual membership can get one-time use of the VIP halls for about $150 through Moscow travel agencies.
Aerotour, meanwhile, is confident that it has something weary travelers want.
"Fast track creates an excellent mood at the airport before and after a trip!" its web site declares.
For $50 to $60, Aerotour can make that happen.
The travel agency has been operating under an exclusive agreement with airport management since November to give passengers this kind of VIP treatment.
Airlines and travel agencies contacted by Vedomosti said they could not think of another airport in the world that offers such a fast-track service.
"This could only happen in overcrowded Sheremetyevo," one official said.
Aerotour charges travelers who want to get through passport control quickly $50 for departures and $60 for arrivals. Cash and credit cards are accepted, and children under 12 qualify for 50 percent discounts, according to the agency's web site (www.aerotour.ru).
The main requirement is that travelers notify Aerotour 24 hours in advance. A representative of the agency will then wait at a designated place in the airport and lead the client past the lines. The entire clearance process is promised to take no longer than 10 minutes, not including the time it takes to collect luggage.
"We are proud that the airport signed the deal with our agency," said Aerotour head Yekaterina Yermakova. "There has been a lot of interest."
She would not say how many people use the service daily, calling the number a commercial secret.
Sheremetyevo handled 11.5 million passengers last year, 60 percent more than was intended when it was built.
Aerotour was set up in 1989 and was one of the first Russian tourist agencies to be certified by the International Air Transport Association.
Yermakova defended the fast-track service, saying it is not unusual considering Aerotour has a solid reputation and a strong management team. Furthermore, 25 percent of the agency is owned by Aeroflot, she said.
It may seem odd, then, that Aerotour managed to get a deal that has evaded Aeroflot for years.
Aeroflot has long been trying to get fast-track privileges for its first- and business-class passengers, but Sheremetyevo has repeatedly rejected its requests, deputy Aeroflot general director Lev Koshlyakov said.
Koshlyakov could not explain how a travel agency affiliated with Aeroflot had managed to leapfrog the airline.
"This is a remnant of the old Aeroflot," he said. "Today we are restructuring our relationship with our many subsidiaries to make our work with them more effective."
Sheremetyevo officials would not comment.
A Sheremetyevo source familiar with the situation said Sergei Belyayev, who has headed the airport since December, disliked the arrangement and wants to have it canceled.
But the fast-track service continues to operate.
A passport control official at Sheremetyevo said there is nothing illegal about the service -- all customs and border procedures are observed. He said the speeded-up processing was possible because Aerotour notifies customs in advance about its clients.
He would not say whether passport and customs officials receive a fee for the service.
Maxim Trofimov of the Trofimov and Partners law firm said the agreement with the airport violates the law governing competition, because the right to escort travelers through a faster line has been offered to one agency only.
There is another way to avoid the rigors of standing in line at Sheremetyevo, but for a price. VIP International, which operates the airport's two business lounges, offers membership packages starting at $7,000 per year that allow travelers to relax in sofas or sip drinks at a bar while their paperwork gets swiftly processed at a special checkpoint. Those not wanting to splurge on the annual membership can get one-time use of the VIP halls for about $150 through Moscow travel agencies.
Aerotour, meanwhile, is confident that it has something weary travelers want.
"Fast track creates an excellent mood at the airport before and after a trip!" its web site declares.
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