The Airport Limousine Transfer Guide: Booking, Meeting Your Driver & Timing

Airport transfers are the single most common limousine booking, and the one where a professional service most clearly beats a taxi or rideshare: flight tracking, a guaranteed vehicle, a driver waiting for you, and no surge pricing at peak arrival times. Here is how to book one well.

Departures: Getting to the Airport

• Give your flight number. The company works backward from your departure time, factoring in check-in, security, and drive time.
• Confirm the pickup time in writing. For domestic flights, most companies target arrival at the terminal about 2 hours before departure; 3 hours for international.
• Account for traffic patterns, not just distance — a good dispatcher already does this for known choke points like the O'Hare Kennedy Expressway or the LAX horseshoe.

Arrivals: Getting Picked Up

Provide your flight number and airline so the driver can track your inbound flight and adjust for delays automatically — you are not charged extra for a late flight when the company is tracking it. Then confirm the pickup style:

• Meet-and-greet: the driver parks and meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign, after baggage claim (and customs, for international arrivals). Best for first-time visitors, groups, and heavy luggage. Often a small add-on fee.
• Curbside: the driver texts you and pulls up to a designated pickup point once you're outside. Faster and cheaper, but requires coordination.

Note that some airports route pre-arranged rides through a specific lot or level — LAX's "LAX-it" and several others — so confirm the exact meeting location with your company before you land.

What to Confirm When You Book

1. Flight number, airline, and terminal.
2. Pickup style (meet-and-greet or curbside) and any fee.
3. The flat rate, including tolls and airport access fees.
4. The driver's contact number for day-of coordination.
5. The wait-time policy if your flight is significantly delayed.

Browse airport-specific guides and estimated fares on our airports page.