Guide · 6 min read · Updated 30 August 2026
Airport meet and greet, explained
Meet and greet is one of the least clearly defined products in travel. Different companies sell very different things under the same two words, and the price ranges accordingly. This is what it means when you book it with us, and how to judge whether it is worth paying for on your particular arrival.
What meet and greet actually is
At its core, meet and greet is a person inside the airport who is waiting for you, knows which flight you are on, and takes over the parts of arrival that cost time: finding the right exit, handling luggage, and getting you to the vehicle without a phone call in a car park.
The service is booked against your flight number rather than a clock time. That single detail is what separates a real meet and greet from a driver holding a sign: the greeter is briefed from the tracked landing time, so an early arrival or a two-hour delay changes the timing rather than losing you the service.
What is included as standard
- A greeter inside the terminal at the arrivals exit your flight uses, with a name board
- Flight monitoring, with the meeting time set from actual landing
- Luggage assistance from the hall to the vehicle
- A confirmed meeting point sent before you land
- Handover to your chauffeur at the pickup point
What is not included as standard
Fast track lanes, porters, buggies, lounges and private terminals are products the airport sells. Where an airport offers them and makes them bookable, we will arrange them and quote them separately. Where it does not, no supplier can provide them — and any company that says otherwise is selling you a queue you will still stand in.
Meet and greet, fast track and VIP: the difference
| Meet and greet | Fast track | VIP / private terminal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you get | A greeter and assistance through arrivals | A shorter queue at a specific checkpoint | A separate terminal or aircraft-side handling |
| Who provides it | Us, at any airport we cover | The airport, where it operates one | The airport or a handling agent |
| Availability | Broad | Airport and terminal specific | A minority of airports |
| Skips border checks | No | No | No |
| Typical use | Most arrivals | Busy hubs and tight connections | Time-critical or private aviation travel |
No service skips immigration. Fast track means a shorter queue where one exists; the checks themselves are identical. We would rather set that expectation now than have it discovered at a border desk.
When it is genuinely worth booking
- Large multi-terminal hubs where the walk from stand to kerb is long — Heathrow and Dubai International are the clearest cases
- Tight connections, where someone who knows the route is the difference between making it and not
- Travelling with children, older relatives, or anyone who needs help with bags
- First arrival in an unfamiliar airport, particularly with a language difference
- Departures where check-in and security are the pressure point rather than arrival
When to skip it
Small single-terminal airports rarely justify it. At London City, for example, the walk from stand to kerb is short enough that most of our clients book the chauffeur alone, and we tell them so when they ask. Paying for assistance through a terminal you can cross in four minutes is not a premium experience, it is a wasted line on an invoice.
How to book it well
- Give the flight number, not just the arrival time — everything else is derived from it
- For connections, give both flight numbers so the assistance is attached to the right leg
- Say how many passengers and how much luggage, so the vehicle class is correct
- For private aviation, include the handler name and tail number
- Tell us if a passenger needs mobility assistance, so it can be arranged with the airport in advance
Book with LuxGreet
Enter your journey for an instant price, or send it to a coordinator if it is bespoke.
Questions
Does airport meet and greet let me skip immigration?
No. No service skips immigration or border control. Fast track, where an airport operates it, means a shorter queue — the checks themselves are unchanged.
Is meet and greet the same as a chauffeur?
No. Meet and greet happens inside the terminal; the chauffeur handles the journey afterwards. They are often booked together under one reference, but they are separate parts of the service.
How much does meet and greet cost?
It is quoted per booking and depends on the airport, terminal, time and party size. Airport-sold extras such as fast track are priced separately because the airport sets those prices.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
The flight is monitored and the meeting time moves with it. The waiting allowance runs from actual landing rather than the booked time, so normal delays are not charged as waiting.