With a very last-minute trip to Kuala Lumpur booked, I spied what felt like an almost once-in-a-lifetime Black Friday deal through the Dublin Airport app only two days beforehand. A chance to indulge us both in a real bucket list item (for me, at least); sampling Dublin Airport’s Platinum VIP private terminal experience.

Promising private suites, a chauffeur to (or from) your plane, fine dining, and absolute privacy – it has held almost mythic status in my mind for years, as someone who travels through Dublin Airport so frequently.

Needless to say, I didn’t hesitate, Christmas savings bedamned – and booked us in ahead of our departure on Qatar Airways’ afternoon flight to Doha.

As with all celebrities and VIP’s using the service I’m sure, my Mother very kindly dropped us out to the airport, while I cautiously tried to navigate her to the private terminal while assuring her it was a once-in-a-lifetime visit, very good value, and that we would do our best to keep our egos in check.

Platinum VIP is accessed the far side of Dublin Airport Terminal 1’s Arrivals roadway; those familiar with the airport will know it better as being to the far left of the roadway you cross over to get to the short-term car park from arrivals, but even if you’re not sure, informative instructions came along with our booking confirmation.

Pulling in, a friendly member of the team (I’m so sorry to her, because she was so friendly, helpful and chatty, but names and me just don’t go well together – I apologise if you’re reading this) got our suitcases out of the boot, while we said our goodbye’s.

Entering the terminal, the labelling of it being a ‘terminal’ even felt like such a severe injustice – unless you were to imagine trying to fit the rituals of an airport terminal inside a luxury hotel suite.

Several new suites have recently been opened upstairs, and that’s exactly where we headed, after parting company with our passports at reception.

After a brief walk, we were shown to our suite. The whole experience, to be honest, felt a little mental; here we were, doing nothing (actually catching up on work while half-watching the TV), in a room the size of a generous hotel suite that had all the amenities and spaces you could need.

To the front of the room was a Christmas tree alongside a dining table, where we’d later have lunch together.

Then further into the space were two sofas arranged around a large coffee table, all facing a large flatscreen TV.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, we had a selection of snacks, soft drinks and reading materials tucked away in the sideboard underneath the TV, along with ‘Go Fuel Yourself' electrolyte mix sachets – which we joyfully relieved them of, and used, later during what would turn out to be a very lengthy journey – and bottled water.

A menu was quickly presented to us, along with an offer of drinks to get started with. While I really appreciated the offer, as if we’d be picking anything other than the obvious, we knew exactly what we’d be asking for – and two glasses of champagne were thankfully poured in lightning speed.

The menu alternates by time of day, and we had the lunch menu by the time we arrived. I’ve pasted it below (current as of our visit), though again, you’d be hard pressed not to find something to go for.

Again, orders quickly taken and the whole experience felt so bizarre that we each, one by one, made use of the absolutely immaculate and completely private shower suites further down the corridor. No wait, nobody to ask, just everything set up and ready to go.

After a pretty hearty lunch, and just as we almost began to will a flight delay, we were given a heads-up time that we’d have to depart in about 10 minutes’ time, and that all check-in formalities had been completed. Terrible!

When it was time to make a move, we were brought back downstairs to a room adjacent to reception where a – more or less, regular – security screening took place with a total passenger count of just the two of us. I’m pretty sure there were more security officers and staff from Platinum VIP at a nearly 2:1 ratio.

In what was probably the highlight in terms of awkwardness, we then exited through a door across into what I quickly realised was ordinarily the arrivals corridor for the airport’s 100/200 gates, all while arriving passengers were held back as we crossed. It probably lasted no more than 20 seconds but felt so bizarre to see a corridor we’d ordinarily know from a completely different perspective.

We were offered – and took – a bottle of water each for the journey, before being brought to our waiting, incredibly high-end, BMW.

The drive across the tarmac only took a minute or two, as we headed to the 300 gates (formerly Pier B, where I used to work in a different lifetime), before being shepherded into a lift that brought us right out just in front of the jetway to the plane.

Once again, we were deemed far too important to mingle at the gate area, and our driver went upstairs to have our boarding passes scanned and have us boarded, before returning, walking us down the jetway to the plane and wishing us well.

What an absolute experience! There’s something so surreal about sitting in your own room, watching whatever TV you want, kicking back with a few drinks and a nice meal, before taking literally only a few minutes to reach and board a flight.

We enjoyed the experience so much – it was wonderfully relaxing, all the staff we interacted with were so pleasant, chatty, helpful and engaging, and our only regret was that we didn’t get to the airport even earlier to pack another few minutes in!

Have you tried the Platinum VIP service at Dublin Airport? Or anything similar elsewhere?