Let’s be real: very few things would be cooler than landing at an airport and seeing a driver waiting on the ramp to personally escort you to your connecting flight in a Porsche. Fortunately, 
Delta Air Lines
has made that experience a reality for some of its customers, thanks to a transfer service that the carrier launched in 2012.
But this red-carpet service comes at quite a cost, either in the form of direct payment for the transfer itself or indirectly in the form of the extensive purchases that will be needed to earn you the elite status needed to qualify for a complimentary Porsche gate transfer. Let’s take a closer look at Delta’s Porsche transfer service and see what it has to offer passengers.
Where is this luxurious experience available?
The first important thing to note regarding this luxurious experience is that it is not available at all airports served by Delta Air Lines. It is notably available at a handful of airports across the United States, all of which happen to be major Delta hubs. They are as follows:
So immediately, one can notice that there are a few important Delta airports that have actually not been included on this list. The most important of which is Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), which, despite its status as a major connecting hub for the airline, does not offer this exclusive service.
This is a fascinating omission on the airline’s part, as this airport is one of the most important connecting hubs for passengers who are looking to connect on Delta flights to transatlantic destinations. However, the need for such a transfer service at Logan Airport is likely rather small due to the airport’s relative size and the fact that most Delta flights from the facility all depart from the same terminal.
Nonetheless, the remainder of the airports on this list pretty accurately sum up all the places where a Delta Air Lines traveler might expect to have a connection, or more specifically, where a rapid gate-to-gate ground transfer would be most needed, according to an analysis from One Mile At A Time. However, if one is struggling to make a tight connection and needs to zip across a massive airport like Atlanta, these transfers can be a godsend.
There are two pretty standard ways to end up in a Delta Porsche
There are two major ways in which someone might find themselves onboard a Delta Porsche transfer vehicle, the most common of which is by earning elite status on the airline itself, according to Destinations Unknown. Diamond Medallion members, those who have the highest tier of status within Delta’s official medallion scheme, are eligible for these free transfers and likely will be the first served if a transfer vehicle is available. It is not entirely clear if those with Delta360 status, the carrier’s unofficial highest status tier, are offered these free transfers before other Diamond Medallion members.
Nonetheless, the transfer service is always a surprise to all, including the chosen passengers themselves and even the flight crew on the arriving flight. The selection process appears to be completely random, though it does seem to favor those with tight connections (and reasonably so). Many online have been quick to point out that managing to be selected for these kinds of free transfers is extremely difficult, even for the airline’s most loyal frequent fliers.
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There is a second, albeit riskier and more unusual way to end up in the back of a Delta-branded Porsche. For those with a little extra cash, Delta also offers a paid VIP select service for flight transfers that costs $350 for the first person and $100 for each additional person. However, the service does not guarantee a ride in a Porsche and may instead end in an on-foot or golf cart escort.
The experience
Selected travelers are greeted at the gate of their arriving flight by a driver holding a sign with their name on it. Instead of stepping onto the jet bridge and making their way toward the terminal, they are told to deplane directly onto the apron via a separate staircase. There, they collect their luggage and are chauffeured straight to the aircraft servicing their next flight, where they have an opportunity to take a few pictures with their car, which is often a Panamera.
If the aircraft is ready for boarding, then the passengers will be among the first onto the plane; otherwise, they are simply escorted to their gate, where they wait out the remainder of their layover. The entire process takes 10-15 minutes and can save up to half an hour for those who might otherwise have to take a shuttle or speedwalk between terminals.
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So, what is the purpose of offering such a luxurious transfer process?
When it comes to providing luxury services for their most loyal customers, Delta has been known to pull out all the stops. For a partner who is traveling to an important meeting and has an extremely tight connection, Delta deciding to offer a rapid luxury connection can be one of the most important things that encourages that given traveler to remain loyal to the airline. At the end of the day, high-paying business travelers pay for convenience and comfort, and these Porsche transfers can offer exactly that.