Bali airport VIP arrival: meet and greet and limousines

A VIP arrival at Bali's airport comes down to three things: the formalities done online before you fly, a driver waiting in the arrivals hall with your name and your flight number, and a car that suits the occasion — a Toyota Alphard, a Mercedes-Benz S400, a BMW 730Li or a Rolls-Royce Ghost, all chauffeured, from FirstBali's fleet. Fast-track through the terminal is something the concierge asks about for your flight, not something we promise. Send the flight number to the concierge and the rest is arranged before you take off.

What arriving at Ngurah Rai looks like

Bali's airport is I Gusti Ngurah Rai International. The order on arrival is always the same: immigration, baggage, customs, then the arrivals hall. Landing in Bali walks through each step; what follows is about making it smooth.

Do the paperwork before you board. Three things can be done online in advance, and each one is a queue you skip:

• The visa. The British government notes that a visa can be applied for online before you travel rather than at the airport counter.
• The arrival card. Indonesia's All Indonesia arrival card is an online customs and health declaration, completed shortly before arrival and free of charge.
• Bali's tourist levy. The provincial levy on foreign tourists can be paid online or on arrival.

The autogates. Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism says Ngurah Rai has immigration autogates for foreign nationals who hold an electronic passport and a visa, such as an electronic visa on arrival or an e-Visa. The gate scans the passport, then your fingerprints and face. Holding the right documents is what lets you use them.

The meet and greet

The moment that makes or spoils an arrival is the arrivals hall: it opens onto a crowd of drivers offering rides. A meet and greet replaces that with one person who is there for you.

• Your name on a sign, so you find the driver rather than the other way round.
• Your flight number, not a time. The driver follows the flight, so a delay or an early landing changes nothing for you.
• A car chosen for your luggage, because you told us how many bags are coming.

The same applies to departures: book the car to the airport at the same time as the arrival, and leave far more margin than the distance suggests.

The cars

FirstBali's chauffeured VIP cars, on request through the concierge:

• Toyota Alphard — the executive van, and the practical way for a family and its luggage to arrive in comfort.
• Mercedes-Benz S400 — the classic business saloon.
• BMW 730Li — the other executive saloon.
• Rolls-Royce Ghost — for an arrival that should feel like an occasion.
• Land Cruiser VXR — the large four-by-four, with a driver.

For a group arriving together, a Toyota Hiace Premio minibus keeps everyone in one vehicle; if the luggage needs more room, the concierge suggests a second car. The transport page carries the live fleet.

Which car for which arrival

• A honeymoon or an anniversary: the Rolls-Royce Ghost — see the Bali honeymoon guide.
• A business trip: the Mercedes-Benz S400 or the BMW 730Li.
• A family with luggage: the Toyota Alphard — more in the Alphard with driver guide.
• A wedding party, a birthday group, a bachelor weekend: the Hiace Premio, with a limousine for the guests of honour.

Fast-track and the rest

Some travellers want more than a car: someone to accompany them through the terminal, help with the formalities or the luggage, a lounge before departure. FirstBali does not promise any of these. Tell the concierge what you would like and your flight details; the concierge checks what can be arranged for that flight and tells you plainly what is and is not possible before anything is agreed.

The same goes for the small touches people ask for — flowers in the car, a particular drink, a stop on the way. Mention them; the team passes them on and comes back to you.

What to send the concierge

• The flight number and date — for arrival and departure.
• How many people, and how many bags, including surfboards, golf bags or a pram.
• Where you are going: the villa or hotel address.
• The car you want, or the occasion, and the concierge suggests one.
• Children, so that child seats can be asked for.
• Anything else — fast-track, a stop, a welcome detail — so it can be checked.

The concierge comes back with the car and the amount for your date; you decide. The car is yours once it has been secured.

After the airport

A VIP arrival is easier to enjoy when the evening is already settled: a table near where you are staying, nothing demanding on the first night. If you are heading to a villa, give the concierge your arrival time with the villa request — the villa rental guide covers the rest. For the days that follow, a car with a driver can be booked for day trips and evenings out: see private driver in Bali.

Read next: landing in Bali, private driver in Bali, the Alphard with driver and supercar rental in Bali.