Inside PS’s New Private Terminals at Miami and Dallas Airports
A new type of private terminal is positioning itself between the first-class airline lounge and private FBOs for business jets. Formerly known as the Private Suite, and since renamed PS, the Los Angeles-based company’s recent expansions at Miami International and Dallas-Fort Worth airports could signal a new type of pre-flight luxury. PS offers commercial airline travelers the same sort of upscale comforts as those traveling by business jet, but with even more privacy and exclusivity than most FBOs.
“We sit in a space that, until now, didn’t really exist,” Amina Belouizdad Porter, CEO of PS, tells Robb Report. “[It’s] the white space between commercial and private air travel.”
PS opened its first location nearly nine years ago at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Instead of the congested LAX entryway for pickup and dropoffs, guests arrive at a separate facility two miles away, across the airfield. The LAX location features 12 individual suites. The facility is staffed by a dedicated team of no fewer than eight people. Belouizdad Porter says it has been a game-changer for the Hollywood jet set and other well-to-do travelers.
The new PS facility at Miami International Airport will be in Pan American’s historic building.
PS
In late 2023, PS opened a second location at the busiest airport in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL). A-listers and others in the entertainment industry have been increasingly traveling between LAX and ATL for filming. The 8,575-square-foot facility, including three private suites and a shared salon, is drenched in natural light with floor-to-ceiling windows and a front-row seat to planes taking off.
After a year-long delay, PS began construction in May on 12,200 square feet of private suites and shared lounges at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). Meanwhile, the groundbreaking for a Miami International Airport (MIA) facility is set for this month. Both locations are scheduled to be in operation by spring 2026.
While lounges in commercial terminals have upped their game in recent years, those spaces typically still aren’t as exclusive as a private terminal at an airport. PS operates as a fixed-base operator (FBO) for commercial flights, meaning it has purpose-built facilities set apart from the main airport buildings, with its own TSA security, immigration, and access to aircraft airside.
The lounge will be designed to reflect Miami’s culture.
A Delta One Lounge with à la carte dining or the newest Chase Sapphire Club with a spa, while luxurious in their own right, still won’t be as tailored or intimate as PS. Part of the PS service is to drive guests directly to and from the aircraft door in a BMW; there is zero interaction with anyone in the main terminal itself. The PS model is unique among FBOs, since these facilities restrict themselves to private jets.
In the last few years, traditional FBOs have also see impressive facility upgrades, thanks to large investments by private equity. Many are updating the buildings from tired, utilitarian installation to lavish private terminals. Million Air FBO in White Plains looks more like a winter lodge in upstate New York, rather than a private terminal miles from downtown Manhattan. Atlantic Aviation in Aspen, Colorado, also carries an upscale lodge look, though its location and design lets private fliers to appreciate the surrounding natural beauty. Clay Lacy Aviation’s new FBO on its 14-acre property at the John Wayne International Airport in Orange County, Calif., with a new terminal and hangars, promises to set new standards for size, beauty and sustainability.
The PS facilities, meanwhile, share the benefits of a traditional FBO, while catering to passengers flying on commercial air services, often coast-to-coast or internationally. PS is a niche attracting those who want the private-jet experience without the much higher costs of private flight.
The first PS started at LAX nine years ago.
PS
In the last nine years, Belouizdad Porter has “learned a ton” from PS’s slow and steady development. For instance, at DFW and MIA, private suites will include dedicated showers and separate dining spaces—small touches that elevate the overall experience. Across all locations, travelers have two options for relaxing: private suites, which offer complete privacy in spacious accommodations, or the salons, shared lounges ideal for solo travelers or small groups.
Located in the historic former Pan American Airways (Pan Am) headquarters, PS MIA will have five private suites, two salons, a central outdoor courtyard, and a day spa with beauty treatments and massages. A team of architects will restore the gold paneling and original reflecting pools of the former Pan Am building. There will also be new design elements and materials, like terrazzo, marble, smoked glass, and patterns reminiscent of Lilly Pulitzer and Marimekko.
At PS DFW, designed by Jean Liu, a bar will be at the center of the space and offer plush lounge seating with a front-row view of the airport’s runways. However, the facility is not just about stunning, residential-inspired interiors. A fully private TSA checkpoint—or customs facility for international travelers—ensures the whole airport process is as seamless as flying privately. Travelers are chauffeured, typically in a high-end BMW, directly to (or from) the aircraft door.
How the new facility at DFW airport will look when it opens next year.
PS
Belouizdad Porter says all PS facilities have an extensive menu of cocktails and chef-prepared meals that are complimentary, as well as spa and beauty offerings such as manicures, pedicures, haircuts, and massages for an additional fee.
The most popular PS amenity might come as a surprise: the signature PS burger. “Of course, we offer white-glove everything,” says Belouizdad Porter. “But the burger gets the most rave reviews. It’s become a thing.”
U.S. Customs at PS is a very different experience than most commercial airports.
PS
Pricing is on a per-usage basis; a private suite costs $4,850 for up to four travelers, while the salon costs $1,095 per person. Discounts are available for those who sign up for an annual membership, which the company recommends for travelers who use PS more than twice a year. Membership includes priority reservations and complimentary services such as valet parking for one vehicle for up to 30 nights, a car wash, and spa services. Suites are both pet and child friendly.
“Business is strong and still growing,” says Belouizdad Porter, often thanks to word of mouth. “We do hit capacity at peak times, especially around the holidays.”
