Meet and Greet Airport Pickup Explained: How It Works at Heathrow and Gatwick

After a long flight, the last thing anyone wants is to drag cases round a terminal looking for a car. A meet and greet airport pickup solves that: someone is expecting you and knows where to find you. This guide explains how it works from landing to the car, where pickups happen at Heathrow and Gatwick, how flight delays are handled and when meet and greet is worth choosing. To book from Camberley and Surrey Heath, see our airport transfers.

What is a meet and greet airport pickup?

It is a pickup where the driver meets you in person at an agreed point, usually inside the terminal or close to it, and goes with you to the car. The alternative, sometimes called kerbside or car park pickup, is that you make your own way to where the driver has parked.

How it works, from landing to the car

1. You book with your flight number. Add your airline, flight number, terminal and the number of passengers and cases.
2. Your flight is tracked. If you land early or late, your pickup time moves with your actual landing time.
3. Time to clear the airport. We allow time for passport control and baggage, typically 45 minutes from landing for short-haul flights and 60 minutes for long-haul.
4. Your driver gets in touch. Your driver calls or messages before pickup to confirm where to meet.
5. You meet and go. You meet at the terminal, in the car park or at another pickup point you choose when you book. Your driver helps with your bags.

Tip: switch your phone on as soon as you land, and message your driver when you have your bags. Passport queues and baggage reclaim can both add time after landing.

Heathrow pickup: how it works

Heathrow does not allow pickups on the terminal forecourts, and cars left unattended there are removed. Instead:

• Private hire drivers wait in Heathrow’s Authorised Vehicle Area on the Northern Perimeter Road until their passenger has landed, then drive to the terminal.
• Pickups happen in the Terminal Parking car parks, formerly called Short Stay, a short walk from arrivals, or at the Park & Ride car parks.
• Meet and greet means your driver parks there and meets you at an agreed point in the terminal, then walks with you to the car.

Heathrow’s passenger pick-up page has the current arrangements. From Camberley, Heathrow is usually 30 to 35 minutes away. See our Heathrow taxi page for that run, or our guide to Heathrow Terminal 5 if you are flying with British Airways.

Gatwick pickup: how it works

At Gatwick, passengers are collected from the car parks rather than the drop-off zones:

• Short Stay car parks at both terminals, where the driver parks and walks to arrivals to meet you.
• Express pick-up bays: North Terminal Car Park 6, Level 4, and South Terminal Car Park 3, ground floor. The driver must stay with the car.
• Long Stay car parks, free for up to 2 hours, with a free shuttle bus to the terminals.

Gatwick’s pick-up page has the current details. Check whether you land at the North or South Terminal, as each has its own car parks. Our Frimley to Gatwick taxi guide covers the route and timing.

What happens if your flight is delayed?

With flight tracking, your driver follows the actual landing time rather than the time on your booking. If you land early, the pickup moves earlier; if you land late, it moves later. That is why the flight number matters more than the scheduled time: give us the right one, and for the journey home, make sure it is your inbound flight, not your outbound one.

Who benefits most from meet and greet?

• Families with young children, who have enough to manage without hunting for a car park.
• Older travellers and anyone who finds long walks with luggage difficult.
• First-time visitors to the UK and business guests who do not know the airport.
• Anyone with a lot of luggage, such as golf bags, ski bags or a cruise wardrobe.
• People collecting a guest they cannot meet themselves, such as a relative flying in from abroad.

Booking a pickup for someone else

You can book a pickup for a family member, friend or business guest. Give us their name, flight number and a mobile number that will work when they land, and tell them where they will meet the driver. Our guide to pre-booking an airport taxi lists the details to have ready.

Meet and greet airport pickup: FAQs

What is a meet and greet airport pickup?

A pre-booked pickup where the driver meets you in person at an agreed point after you land and goes with you to the car, rather than you finding the car yourself.

Where do I meet my taxi at Heathrow?

Pickups at Heathrow happen in the Terminal Parking car parks or the Park & Ride car parks, not on the forecourt. Your driver calls or messages before pickup to confirm the meeting point.

Where do I meet my taxi at Gatwick?

At the Short Stay car parks, the express pick-up bays or the Long Stay car parks, not the drop-off zones. Your driver will confirm where to meet.

What happens if my flight is delayed?

We track your flight, so your pickup time moves with your actual landing time. Give us your flight number when you book.

How long will the driver wait after I land?

We allow time for passport control and baggage, typically 45 minutes from landing for short-haul flights and 60 minutes for long-haul.

Do you offer airport pickup with a name board?

Your driver calls or messages before pickup and meets you at the terminal, in the car park or at another pickup point you choose. If you would like a name board, ask when you book.

Can I book an airport pickup for someone else?

Yes. Give us their name, flight number and a mobile number that will work when they land, and let them know where to meet the driver.

How much is a meet and greet airport pickup?

It depends on the airport, your destination, the vehicle and the time of travel. With Camberley Cars the fare is fixed and agreed when you book.