How to Pick Someone Up from the Airport

Reviewed by Seth Hall

Last Updated: December 8, 2024 References

Picking someone up from the airport can seem like a tedious and difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be! If you plan to pick them up yourself, make sure you know which terminal they’ll be arriving at, check the status of their flight before you leave for the airport, find out if they have any checked bags, and have your traveler call you when they're ready to go. If you plan to meet them inside the airport, park in short-term parking and wait outside of their terminal. Alternatively, meet them curbside if you don't want to go inside the airport. If you aren’t able to pick your traveler up, you can schedule a ride to be ready for your arriving party when they land.

Easy Guide to Picking Someone Up at the Airport

Park in the airport’s short-term parking lot if you’re meeting someone in the airport. Or, tell your traveler to call you when they’re leaving the airport and drive to their terminal to pick them up outside. If you can’t pick them up, schedule a taxi, Uber, or Lyft to get them.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Finding out Flight Details and Timing Your Arrival

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1
Know which airline your party will arrive on. Most airports have multiple terminals, with different airlines flying out of each. If you know which airline your traveler is flying with, then you know the general area of the airport that you need to be in to meet them.^{[1]
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- Look for the signs for their airline. For example, if your traveler is flying with Delta Airlines, look for the Delta Airline signs at the terminal.
- Check the airport’s website to find what terminal the airline your traveler is flying with uses.
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Check the status of their flight before you leave for the airport. Make sure you have your traveler's flight number so you can check the status of their flight before you actually head out. If their flight was delayed, canceled, or redirected, it will affect when you need to leave.^{[2]
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- Go to the airline’s website or the airport’s website to check the status of the flight. Look for the airline and flight number.
- Call the airport to ask for the flight status.
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Find out if they have any checked bags. It can take a fair amount of time for checked bags to make their way from the airplane to the baggage carousel. Parking your vehicle at the curb outside of the terminal is prohibited, so make sure your traveler has picked up their bags and is ready for you to pick them up before you pull up to the curb.^{[3]
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- If your party is coming back from an international trip, they will likely have a checked bag. They may also have brought things back with them that require them to go through customs, which can take longer for them to make their way through the airport.
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Arrive 30 minutes after their flight is scheduled to land. If you try to time your arrival for when your traveler’s plane lands then you could be waiting a long time before they actually make it out of the terminal. It takes a while to get off of the plane, pick up any baggage they may have, and make their way through the airport. Time your arrival to be about half an hour after they’re set to land so you don’t have to wait around for them.^{[4]
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Tip: International flights may require your party to go through customs and can take longer for them to get their luggage. Plan on arriving 45 minutes to an hour after their flight is scheduled to land.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Meeting the Traveler at the Airport

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Have your traveler call you when they land. An easy way to know when you should pull up to the curb or make your way to the concourse to meet them is to have your traveler call you when they’re getting off of the plane. Planes can sometimes be stuck on the tarmac, so having your traveler call you can keep you up to date on their whereabouts.^{[5]
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- They can also tell you exactly where they want you to meet them so you can get in and out quickly.
Tip: For an even quicker curbside pick-up, have your traveler call you after they pick up their bags.
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Park your car in the short-term parking lot if you plan to meet them. If you have to travel a great distance to pick up your party from the airport, plan on parking at the airport and waiting inside for them to arrive. Flights can be unpredictable and you don’t want to end up arriving too late or too early without being able to wait comfortably in the terminal.^{[6]
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- Park in the airport’s short-term parking lots to save on costs.
- If you’re traveling from a distance, parking in the short-term lot can allow you to relax and wait in the airport for your party to arrive.
3
Meet your traveler outside of their terminal if you’re not picking them up curbside. If you do decide to park and wait for your party inside the airport, wait in the area outside of their terminal for their airline. Going through airport security to meet them at their arrival gate can be time-consuming and may be prohibited.^{[7]
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- Many airports have restaurants and cafes outside of the security check that you can use to kill some time before your party arrives, but you can’t wait for several hours or they may ask you to leave to make room for customers and travelers.
- Even if your party doesn’t have any checked bags, the baggage claim areas are often near the exits, so they’re still a convenient place to meet.
- Don't panic if you miss the pick-up terminal! Airports are typically structured as a loop, so just look for the sign that takes you back to arrivals and follow the corresponding arrows.
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Avoid parking if you’re picking up curbside. If you’re simply picking up your party from the curb outside of the terminal, parking is time-consuming and an unnecessary cost. Instead, arrange for your traveler to meet you at the curb.^{[8]
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- If you arrive too early, drive off-site or wait somewhere nearby for your traveler to land and make their way through the terminal. Parking at the curb is prohibited at most airports.
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Wait until your party is outside to meet them at the curb. It’s prohibited at most airports to wait more than 5-10 minutes at the curb outside of the terminals. In order to follow the airport’s rules and to be courteous to other people picking up their parties, wait until your traveler is actually standing at the curb with their bags before you drive around to pick them up.^{[9]
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- Have your traveler call you when they’re heading to the curb with their bags.
- If you can’t contact your traveler, keep circling around their terminal until you see them standing outside.
- International arrivals may take longer to make their way through the airport because they have to go through customs.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Scheduling a Ride

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Call a taxi cab to pick up your traveler if you aren’t able to. Most airports have a fleet of taxi cabs nearby that are waiting to ferry people away from the airport. Contact a local cab company and schedule a pick-up for your traveler about 30 minutes after their plane is scheduled to land. Be sure to provide your party’s name and the address where they need to go.^{[10]
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- You may be able to pre-pay their fare or put a card on file that they can charge once your traveler is dropped off.
- You can also schedule cabs online.
- Many cab companies have an app that you can download to your smartphone to schedule a cab ride.
Warning: Make sure your traveler doesn’t accept an offer of transportation from a solicitor in the terminal. It’s illegal and could be unsafe.
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Pre-order a rental car for your traveler to use if you can’t meet them. If your traveler has a valid driver’s license and is at least 25 years old, you can arrange for a rental car to be waiting for them to use. All airports have rental car companies that you can use to schedule a rental pick-up. Call the company or go online to pre-order a rental car for your party.^{[11]
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- Your traveler will need to present their driver’s license to get the car.
- You can also pre-pay for the car so your traveler doesn’t have to do anything except pick up the car.
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Schedule an Uber or a Lyft to pick up your traveler if you can’t make it. You can use a ride-sharing app like Uber or Lyft to arrange for a driver to be waiting for your traveler when they land. Make sure you input what airline and terminal the driver needs to be waiting nearby to meet them.^{[12]
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- Schedule the ride to be ready about 30 minutes after your party is scheduled to land.
- Your account will already have a credit card linked to it so you don’t need to worry about prepaying.
- You should also get an estimate of the fare the ride will cost.
- Some airports do not allow ride-sharing. Call or go online to see if your airport allows it.

Community Q&A

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Question

is it okay to use your cellphone to call the passenger when you're early?

Community Answer

Yes, you're allowed to use a cellphone in the airport waiting area; it is just not allowed on many planes. However, they won't get the message until the plane has landed and they're allowed to turn on their cellphones.

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If picking up a loved one at the airport, do you call them to let the know you’re there to pick them up?

Amanda Cousins

Community Answer

Yes, you do call them to let them know you are there. Also call them if their flight is late, you are running late or if you need to remind them you are coming.

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Can you escort the passenger to their car at an airpot?

Amanda Cousins

Community Answer

Yes, you can escort them to their car if they need to be escorted to their vehicle. Most airports allow for cars to be parked so you can collect passengers.

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