Airport meet and greet is the difference between landing and being collected. Instead of walking out into a curbside pickup zone, scanning for a car that matches an app, or calling a driver who is circling the terminal, you come through the arrivals doors and see your name, or your company's, on a board held by the person who is driving you. The chauffeur takes the bags and walks you to the car.
Elly8.net includes meet and greet in every airport transfer in 141 cities, at no extra charge. The published airport fares, from US$90 in a business sedan at Lisbon and Warsaw to US$195 from Heathrow to Mayfair and US$210 from JFK to Midtown, already include the chauffeur's time in the terminal, flight tracking and complimentary waiting after a tracked landing.
What is an airport meet and greet service?
An airport meet and greet is a pickup where the chauffeur parks, walks into the terminal and waits in the public arrivals area holding a name board. The chauffeur tracks the flight, greets you as you exit, helps with luggage and walks you to the vehicle. With Elly8.net it is included in every airport fare.
It is not the same as an airside "fast-track" or VIP terminal service, where airport staff meet a passenger at the aircraft door and escort them through immigration. Those services are sold by airports and specialist agencies. Elly8.net's chauffeur meets you in the public arrivals area, after passport control and customs, which is where any chauffeur is allowed to wait.
How the meet and greet works, step by step
- Booking. You give the flight number and the name for the board. The desk ties the pickup to the flight.
- Before you fly. The confirmation email tells you where the chauffeur will meet you at your terminal. The chauffeur's name and mobile number follow before pickup.
- In the air. The desk tracks the flight. If it leaves late, diverts or arrives early, the chauffeur's timing moves to the actual landing.
- Landing. The chauffeur parks in the airport's permitted area and walks into the terminal, timing arrival in the hall to your likely exit, not to the touchdown. A message tells you the chauffeur is in place.
- Arrivals hall. You come through the doors and see the board. Complimentary waiting after the tracked landing covers baggage reclaim and immigration.
- To the car. The chauffeur takes the bags and walks you to the vehicle, in the pickup area the airport designates for pre-booked cars.
If you cannot see the board, call or message the chauffeur's number, or the 24/7 desk. Large arrivals halls with several exits, such as those at JFK, Heathrow and Pearson, are where that number earns its keep.
What goes on the name board
The board shows whatever you choose. Most travellers use their own name. Executives, public figures and anyone who prefers privacy often choose:
- A company name, which works well for teams arriving together.
- Initials or a surname only.
- A code word agreed with the desk, for confidential travel.
- A family name for a family group, or the bride's or couple's names for wedding guests.
Put the board text in the booking. For a passenger who does not speak the local language, add a note; the chauffeur greets them by name and the desk can tell you which languages the chauffeur speaks.
International arrivals vs domestic arrivals
Timing depends on where the flight comes from. International arrivals pass immigration and customs before the arrivals hall, and that can take a long time at peak at JFK, Heathrow, Pearson or Charles de Gaulle. The chauffeur expects it, and complimentary waiting starts after the tracked landing rather than at the scheduled time.
Travellers who use trusted traveller programmes clear faster. Global Entry, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection trusted traveller programme, shortens arrival processing into the United States; because the chauffeur works to the real landing, they will already be in the hall when you come through.
Domestic arrivals are quicker, and at many North American airports the meeting point is at or near baggage claim for your flight. The confirmation and the chauffeur's message give the exact place for each terminal. Airports also change: JFK, for example, is being rebuilt with new terminals and changed roadways, and the chauffeur works to the current arrangement.
Meet and greet fares at major airports
Every fare below already includes meet and greet, flight tracking and complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. Published, one way, per vehicle, all-in.
| Airport and destination | Business Sedan | Business SUV | Executive Sprinter |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaGuardia (LGA) to Midtown Manhattan | US$145 | US$190 | US$380 |
| Boston Logan (BOS) to Back Bay | US$130 | US$170 | US$340 |
| Reagan National (DCA) to downtown DC | US$125 | US$165 | US$325 |
| Miami (MIA) to Miami Beach | US$180 | US$235 | US$470 |
| Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to downtown | US$155 | US$205 | US$405 |
| Vancouver (YVR) to downtown | US$110 | US$145 | US$290 |
| Heathrow (LHR) to Mayfair | US$195 | US$255 | US$510 |
| Charles de Gaulle (CDG) to the 8th | US$170 | US$225 | US$445 |
| Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to the historic centre | US$180 | US$235 | US$470 |
| Dublin (DUB) to St Stephen's Green | US$120 | US$160 | US$315 |
| Zurich (ZRH) to Bahnhofstrasse | US$135 | US$180 | US$355 |
Tolls and parking are billed at cost. If you are held up beyond the included waiting time, extra waiting is billed at cost and the desk tells you first. Every city page lists all of its airports; see airport transfers for the full guide to prices and vehicles.
Who meet and greet helps most
First-time visitors. Landing in Rome, Paris or New York for the first time, after a night flight, is easier when someone is waiting with your name.
Families. The chauffeur takes the bags while you manage the children, and the car has the child seats you requested already fitted. A Business SUV carries six passengers and six bags.
Older travellers and passengers who need assistance. Airline wheelchair and assistance services bring passengers to the arrivals area; the chauffeur takes over from there, with help to the car and into the seat. Tell the desk in advance so the right vehicle is sent, and arrange airside assistance with your airline.
Executives and VIP guests. A host company that books a car for a visiting client shows care with the board and the chauffeur at the door. See executive car service.
Groups. Wedding guests, conference teams and tour groups are met by one chauffeur per vehicle, with the company or group name on the board. See group transportation.
Meet and greet vs curbside pickup, taxis and rideshare
| Option | Where you meet the car | If the flight is late | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elly8.net meet and greet | Inside arrivals, chauffeur with a name board | Tracked; complimentary waiting after a tracked landing | First visits, families, bags, executives, late arrivals |
| Curbside pickup with a booked car | At the curb or a pickup level, after a phone call | Depends on the provider | Frequent travellers with carry-on only |
| Taxi rank | In the taxi queue | Not applicable | One traveller, quiet hours |
| Rideshare | At the airport's designated rideshare zone | Driver assigned after you land | Light luggage, short trips |
For a frequent traveller with one carry-on who knows the airport, a curbside pickup, a taxi or the train can be perfectly good, and at Heathrow the Heathrow Express or at JFK the AirTrain is the cheaper way in. Meet and greet is worth having when you have bags, children or a schedule, when you do not know the airport, or when you land late at night. The chauffeur vs taxi and chauffeur vs shared airport shuttle pages compare the options in detail.
When the flight changes completely
Delays are handled automatically. Bigger changes need a message. If you are rebooked onto a different flight, miss a connection, or are diverted to another airport, tell the desk the new flight number as soon as you have it. The desk moves the chauffeur to the new arrival; if the new flight lands at a different airport in the same city, such as Newark instead of JFK, Gatwick instead of Heathrow, or Midway instead of O'Hare, the booking is re-priced to the published fare for that airport.
For overnight cancellations, the cancellation terms apply only if you cancel the car. Moving it to the next day's flight is a change, not a cancellation, and the desk treats it that way where the chauffeur's schedule allows.
Multi-leg trips work best booked as a single itinerary: an arrival in New York, a train to Boston, a flight to Toronto. Each pickup is its own booking with its own meeting point, but the desk sees the whole trip and the confirmations arrive together. For train arrivals, the chauffeur meets you at the station in the same way; see train station transfers. For a trip that ends at a cruise terminal, see cruise port transfers.
Private flights and FBOs
At business-aviation terminals, meet and greet works differently: the chauffeur waits at the FBO, and where the FBO and the airport allow vehicle access, meets the aircraft on the ramp. Teterboro for Manhattan, Van Nuys for Los Angeles, Le Bourget for Paris and Farnborough for London are the busiest. See private jet and FBO car service.
Booking a meet and greet in three steps
- Enter the airport as the pickup, with the airline and flight number, and the drop-off address. Add the name for the board.
- Choose the vehicle by passengers and bags, and add child seats or assistance needs in the notes.
- Press Reserve now on the city's price list, or use the web booker. Confirmation arrives by email with the meeting point, and the chauffeur's details follow before landing.
Cancellation terms are the same for every booking: free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% within 72 hours; 50% within 48 hours; 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Refunds go back to the original card.
Who meets you
In Toronto and the GTA, airport pickups run on the Elly8 fleet with Elly8 chauffeurs. In every other city, rides are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk.
Meet and greet by city
- JFK and LaGuardia meet and greet in New York, plus Newark and Teterboro.
- LAX meet and greet in Los Angeles and Miami airport.
- Boston Logan, Washington, DC and Chicago O'Hare.
- Toronto Pearson meet and greet on the Elly8 fleet, and Vancouver.
- Heathrow meet and greet in London, with a guide to the airport on Heathrow's site.
- Paris, Rome, Dublin and Zurich.
Frequently asked questions
Does meet and greet cost extra?
No. Meet and greet is included in every Elly8.net airport fare, together with flight tracking and complimentary waiting after a tracked landing. A business sedan from Heathrow to Mayfair, for example, is US$195 all-in. Tolls, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
Where exactly does the chauffeur wait?
In the public arrivals area, after passport control and customs for international flights, or at the meeting point the airport designates, which for many domestic arrivals is near baggage claim. The confirmation email and the chauffeur's message before landing give the exact place for your terminal.
What if the flight lands early or late?
The desk tracks the flight number and moves the chauffeur's timing to the actual landing. Complimentary waiting starts after the tracked landing, so delays in the air, at immigration or at baggage reclaim do not cost extra within the included time.
Is this the same as a VIP fast-track service?
No. Fast-track and VIP terminal services, where staff meet passengers at the aircraft and escort them through immigration, are sold by airports and specialist agencies. The Elly8.net chauffeur meets you in the public arrivals area, which is where chauffeurs are permitted to wait, and takes you from there to the car.
Can the board show a company name instead of a personal name?
Yes. The board can show a personal name, a company name, initials or an agreed code word. Put the text in the booking. Executives and public figures often prefer not to have their full name shown in a public hall.
What if the passenger cannot find the chauffeur?
Call or message the chauffeur's mobile number, sent before landing, or the 24/7 desk. Large terminals have several arrivals exits, and a quick call usually solves it in a minute. If a passenger is unsure which exit they used, the chauffeur comes to them.
What is the cancellation policy?
Free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10% within 72 hours; 50% within 48 hours; 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Refunds go back to the original card.
