Which airports offer ramp access, allowing the client to drive their car right up to their private jet?
Private jet clients can often have a limo drive them right up to the private jet, or even drive their own car to the plane. That said, different airports have different policies, and some may not offer ramp access.
Most regional airports offer such access to the ramp whereas many larger and/or high-density fields do not. If you’re going to New York, for example, you could use White Plains Airport and have ramp access; although Teterboro and JFK are both popular options when flying to New York, neither allows access to the ramp. JFK has heightened security requirements that require passengers to go through the FBO, while Teterboro Airport is considered a high-density airport.
At smaller regional airports which generally have less traffic and less stringent security requirements, passengers may be able to drive up to the gate, and an FBO employee on a golf cart will escort your car to your plane. In some instances you may need a police escort; for example, in Las Vegas the Metropolitan Police Department will be called to escort you to your aircraft for a fee of $50.
When you get out of the car, can you take your bags out and give them to the pilot? How does that work?
It’s even simpler than that. By the time you step out of the car, walk over to the plane and shake the pilots’ hands, the limo driver will have opened the trunk and the line crew will have grabbed your bags and loaded them onto the plane. In many cases you’ll never touch your bags; you’ll simply walk onto the plane.
Is it more convenient to arrive in a limo opposed to driving your car when using ramp access, as the limo driver can drive away after dropping you?
It is not inconvenient to drive yourself. If you bring your own car when using ramp access, you can usually hand the keys to the FBO’s line crew. They will take your car, park it, and hold onto your keys until you return. You can even ask to have the car washed while you’re away.
