By MinicabTransfer editorial team · Updated
Airport meet and greet means the driver of your pre-booked car comes into the terminal, waits for you in the arrivals area, usually with a name board, and walks you to the vehicle. The alternative, often called a kerbside or standard pickup, has you find the car yourself in a car park or pick-up area, guided by a call or message from the driver. Meet and greet is easier after a long flight or with children or heavy bags. It sometimes costs extra, depending on the operator.
This guide explains how the two options differ, where drivers usually meet passengers at London’s main airports, what happens if your flight is delayed, and the details to settle with the private hire operator before you fly.
Meet and greet vs kerbside pickup
Both options get you into the same car. The difference is who does the finding.
| Meet and greet | Kerbside or standard pickup | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you meet | Inside the terminal, in the arrivals area | At the car, in a car park or pick-up zone |
| How you find the driver | They hold a name board where you come out | Phone call or message once you have your bags |
| Your effort after landing | Walk out and look for your name | Find your way through the terminal to the car |
| Help with luggage | Usually from the arrivals hall | Usually at the car |
| Typical cost | Sometimes included, sometimes a supplement | Usually the base airport fare |
| Best for | First-time visitors, families, heavy luggage, late-night arrivals, guests you’re booking for | Frequent flyers who know the airport, light luggage |
The cost difference mainly comes down to parking. For a meet and greet, the driver has to park and walk into the terminal, then wait there until you appear. At most London airports that means paying car park charges for the whole wait. Some operators build this into their airport fares; others list parking or meet and greet as a separate extra.
Where do drivers wait at London airports?
The exact meeting point is set by the operator, so always confirm it. Airport rules shape where that can be, and the main one is simple: you generally can’t be collected from the departures forecourt. The forecourt drop-off zones are for setting down only.
- Heathrow. Heathrow says it is prohibited to pick up passengers from its terminal forecourts. Collections are made from the Terminal Parking or Park & Ride car parks, and Heathrow’s drop-off charge page notes an Authorised Vehicle Area in Terminal Parking for private hire drivers waiting for a passenger. At Terminal 4, Heathrow says the multi-storey car park closes from 23 June 2026 for redevelopment, and it lists a Priority Pick-Up Area outside the terminal and free pick-up from Zone A of the Park & Ride instead. For a step-by-step walk through one terminal, see our Heathrow Terminal 5 pickup guide.
- Gatwick. Gatwick’s pick-up page lists express pick-up bays on Level 4 of Car Park 6 at the North Terminal and in Car Park 3 at the South Terminal, charged at Short Stay rates. The forecourt zones are drop-off zones, charged by the minute, as our Gatwick drop-off charge guide explains.
- Stansted. Stansted’s pick-up and drop-off page says cars can pick up in the Green and Blue Short Stay car parks, with a free pick-up option of up to 60 minutes in the Mid Stay car park.
- Other airports. London City, Luton, Southend and the business aviation airports at Farnborough and Biggin Hill each have their own arrangements. Ask the operator where the driver will wait, and check the airport’s own website for current pick-up rules.
With meet and greet, the driver parks in one of these car parks, then comes into the arrivals area to meet you. With a standard pickup, you go to them.
How meet and greet works on the day
- You land and switch your phone on. Operators usually send the driver’s name and phone number before or on arrival. Read it before you reach passport control.
- Passport control, baggage, customs. This is the slow part. The driver can’t speed it up, and it’s where most waiting time goes.
- Into the arrivals hall. Look for your name on a board among the waiting drivers. If you can’t see it, check your messages before walking further.
- To the car. The driver walks with you to the car park. Some offer to take a trolley or cases.
- On your way. Settle up any extras agreed in advance, such as parking, if they weren’t included in the fare.
Booking for someone else? Give the operator the passenger’s name exactly as it should appear on the board and their mobile number, not just yours. A visiting client or relative won’t know to look for your name.
What if the flight is delayed?
Delays are the main reason to use a pre-booked pickup with flight tracking rather than a fixed time. Many private hire operators use your flight number to follow the arrival and send the driver for the actual landing time, not the scheduled one.
Waiting terms are the part to pin down. Operators commonly allow a period of free waiting after landing, then charge for extra time, but the length and the rate differ from one operator to the next. Ask:
- Do you track my flight, and do you measure free waiting from the actual landing time?
- How long is free waiting for an international arrival?
- What do you charge after that, and how will the driver tell me before it starts?
- What happens if the flight is diverted to another airport or cancelled?
If you’re held up after landing, perhaps by a lost bag or a long passport queue, message the driver or operator as soon as you can.
Typical extras to ask about
Fares for Heathrow to central London start from £74 for a saloon, and Gatwick to central London from £99. The operator confirms the final price and what it covers directly with you. For an airport pickup, the items that most often differ between operators are:
| Item | What to check |
|---|---|
| Meet and greet | Included, or a supplement? |
| Airport parking | Included, or added at cost? |
| Free waiting | How long, and from landing or from the booked time? |
| Extra waiting | Rate per period after free time ends |
| Child seats | Available, and is there a charge? See our guide to child car seats in London minicabs |
| Larger vehicle | Do you need an estate or MPV for your luggage? See the vehicle types on the fleet page |
Arranging an airport pickup through MinicabTransfer
MinicabTransfer is a fare comparison and referral service. We don’t run cars or employ drivers. You enter your journey, compare fares from TfL-licensed private hire operators and request a quote from the one you choose. In the quote request, mention that you want meet and greet and give your flight number. The operator then contacts you directly to confirm the price, the meeting point, waiting terms and anything else on the list above.
You can read about the operators listed on MinicabTransfer, or see our airport transfers overview for every London airport. If you’re unsure whether a car is properly licensed, our guide on how to check a TfL private hire licence explains how to check before you travel.