From touchdown to sipping margaritas in just 2 minutes: Navigating Cancun Airport with VIP service

Even during a global pandemic, and particularly in a region on the verge of reverting to the strictest COVID-19 measures, tens of thousands still arrive daily at Cancun International Airport (CUN). Mexico has emerged as a favored international getaway for many in the U.S. during these times, likely due to its warm climate, proximity, and relatively relaxed entry protocols.

After becoming fully vaccinated, my friends and I recently chose to head south for some beach time in the Riviera Maya, just about 20 minutes from Cancun airport.

Having traveled to Cancun multiple times and witnessing daunting visuals online this year, I was apprehensive about facing lengthy customs lines upon arrival. It’s never ideal to kick off a vacation with delays, and especially during a pandemic, the prospect of waiting in a crowded indoor space raised new concerns.

Arriving midday on a Friday at the weekend’s start, we weren’t keen on risking a chaotic scene, making it the ideal moment to try out a paid VIP service that promises a quick passage through customs and immigration, even during peak times. Here’s how that experience unfolded.

Scheduling VIP airport services

While there are many options available, I chose to arrange our international arrival service through Universal Sky VIP. This was my first experience with this provider, but their website indicates they serve numerous domestic and international airports, including Cancun. There isn’t a public price list, but you can request a quote using an online form.

In under a day, I received an email confirming that the VIP arrival assistance service at Cancun airport costs $345 for two travelers.

The fast-track service includes a greeter who will meet you upon arrival and guide you through the airport experience. This may involve meeting you at the gate with a name sign, a golf cart transfer if available, expedited processing through passport control, luggage assistance, and escorting you to the airport exit.

We needed to submit a copy of our ID (not our passport) in advance and made the payment online. We also provided our flight details and ground transportation information to ensure a smooth handoff.

Assessing the VIP airport arrival service

We landed in Cancun right on time, just before noon on a Friday. I noticed several other flights from the U.S. arriving around the same time, making me grateful for our VIP service booking.

As two of the first passengers off the plane, I spotted a man at the end of the jet bridge, but he didn’t have a name sign, so we walked past him. I suspected he might be waiting for us, but I didn’t want to get stuck behind a crowd from another flight if the VIP service didn’t show up.

This was a mistake on our part, as he was indeed our contact for customs. He certainly should have had some form of identification, but if you find yourself in a similar situation, it’s a good idea to ask if someone waiting at the end of the jet bridge is there for you, even if they don’t display a sign.

Just a couple of minutes later, as we arrived at the immigration hall, I received a call from the man we had previously walked past, who was searching for us. After a brief wait of about a minute, he met us in the immigration hall, quickly took our bags, and led us through an empty express lane.

From the signs we passed, it appeared that this lane is also used by crew members and individuals in wheelchairs or needing special assistance. Fortunately, there was no one else in line as we swiftly moved through.

We approached an immigration officer directly, had our documents reviewed as usual, and in less than two minutes, we had successfully cleared immigration at Cancun airport.

The service didn’t stop there; our guide continued to lead us through the airport, steering us past the noisy and somewhat pushy car rental and taxi vendors, and even assisted us in finding our driver. There was a slight hiccup in locating him, but our guide communicated with other drivers in the outdoor arrivals area, managing to find him within minutes.

It likely would have taken us much longer to find our ride without his help.

Final thoughts

Ultimately, our arrival time in Cancun that day probably wouldn't have led to a significant wait at immigration. By those standards, spending $345 felt somewhat unnecessary.

That said, there are definitely occasions when getting through Cancun immigration can take much longer. In that context, alleviating that stress was worthwhile, even though we arrived during a relatively smooth period. For reference, our guide mentioned that it tends to get quite busy an hour or two after our afternoon arrival, though line lengths can vary.

While TPG covered the cost for me to experience this service, at $345, I wouldn’t choose a similar VIP option for every international trip. However, aside from the sign issue at the jet bridge, the service performed exactly as promised.

We cleared the Cancun immigration hall in under two minutes, avoiding the uncertainty of whether our arrival time would be favorable. Although we didn’t use this service for our departure since we opted for a pre-dawn arrival to miss crowds, it’s also available for that.

Whether the price is justified for you depends on your personal budget and priorities, but it is indeed possible to pay to essentially bypass the immigration line in Cancun and be sipping margaritas on the beach in just a few minutes.