Meet-and-greet is a phrase every airport transfer company uses, and it does not always mean the same thing. On a GX Executive collection it means a driver who has followed your flight, is standing in the arrivals hall with your name when you come through, and walks you and your bags to the car. This guide explains what happens between landing and leaving the airport, why the car cannot simply wait outside the doors, and what to do if your plans change.
- Your driver waits inside arrivals with a name board, so you are not searching for a pick-up bay after a long flight.
- Heathrow bans pick-ups on its terminal forecourts, so every collection involves a short walk to an official car park or pick-up area.
- We track the flight number you give us and time the collection to your actual landing, with free waiting on international arrivals.
What does meet-and-greet include?
Three things: a driver in the arrivals hall holding a board with your name, help with your luggage, and an escorted walk to the vehicle. The alternative, which many cheaper bookings use, is a phone call when you land telling you which car park or bay to find. After a night flight or a long queue at passport control, being met at the barrier is the difference between leaving within minutes and wandering a terminal with a trolley. Meet-and-greet is part of our airport transfers on collections; mention it when you book so the driver has the name to display.
Why can't the car wait outside the terminal?
Because the airports do not allow it. Heathrow's passenger pick-up rules state that picking up from the terminal forecourts is prohibited and that unattended cars will be removed by the police. Collections have to be made from the Terminal Parking car parks, a two-minute walk from the terminal doors at Terminals 2, 3 and 5, or from the Park & Ride car parks.
Terminal 4 is different at the moment. Its multi-storey car park closed from 23 June 2026 for redevelopment, so pick-ups there use either a Priority Pick-Up Area outside the terminal, where vehicles must not be left unattended, or Zone A of the Park & Ride car park. Gatwick works on a similar principle: its pick-up guidance sends drivers meeting passengers in arrivals to the Short Stay car parks at both terminals.
In practice this is exactly why meet-and-greet matters. A driver who parks and comes inside to find you absorbs the airport's rules; you simply follow them out.
Where are the meeting points at Heathrow?
Each Heathrow terminal has a signed meeting point in arrivals, which is a useful fallback if your phone battery has died or the hall is crowded. According to Heathrow:
- Terminal 2: opposite the international arrivals exit.
- Terminal 3: in the seating area on the ground floor of Arrivals.
- Terminal 4: next to WHSmith on the ground floor of Arrivals.
- Terminal 5: two points, the north point opposite Travelex and the south point near Costa Coffee.
If you cannot see your driver as you come through, head for the meeting point and call or message us rather than leaving the building. Our guide to Heathrow terminals from Gerrards Cross explains which airlines use which terminal.
How does flight tracking set your pickup time?
We follow the flight number, not the time printed on your booking. If the aircraft lands early, late or at a different time from the one you gave us, the collection moves with it and you do not need to ring from the runway. The one thing tracking cannot see is a change of flight: if the airline rebooks you onto a different service, or you miss a connection, send us the new flight number as soon as you have it. Our article on what happens when a flight is delayed or cancelled covers that situation in more detail.
How much free waiting time is included?
International arrivals include a reasonable free waiting period to allow for passport control and baggage reclaim, as set out in our terms and conditions. Those stages are outside your control, and a delay you could not have prevented is not charged. Waiting charges only come into play beyond that allowance, for example if you ask the driver to wait while you stop for a meal in the terminal, and we would tell you the rate first.
What should you do after you land?
- Turn your phone on as soon as the crew allow it. A quick message on WhatsApp (+44 7902 004992) once you are in the passport queue helps the driver judge timing.
- Tell us about hold-ups. A long wait at the border or a missing bag is normal; let us know and the driver waits.
- Come through customs and look for your name. The driver will be at the arrivals barrier.
- Stay together for the walk to the car park. At Heathrow that is usually a short walk to Terminal Parking; the driver takes the trolley.
How does it compare with a taxi rank or a ride-hailing app?
Heathrow has black cab ranks outside each terminal, and ride-hailing riders are told to meet their driver on foot in the terminal's Terminal Parking car park. Both can work well. The differences with a pre-booked meet-and-greet are that the price is fixed before you fly, the driver is already there when you come through rather than being requested on landing, and the car is the size you booked for your luggage. For business travellers arriving into meetings, a corporate account puts all of that on one invoice. For older relatives flying in alone, see booking taxis for elderly or less-mobile passengers.