Before you book
- Have your flight number, travel date and terminal when known ready.
- Use the full collection and destination addresses, with passenger contact details.
- Include everyone travelling and the number and size of their bags.
- For departures, allow for the road journey and your airline’s check-in requirements.
Start with the airport on your ticket
A London flight can arrive at several different airports. Enter the full airport name, flight number and local arrival date rather than London airport alone. Then choose the terminal from current flight information. A terminal, airport railway station and nearby hotel are separate places: use the one where the passenger will actually be ready for collection. For a guest booking, check these details against the traveller’s itinerary instead of assuming the airport used on an earlier trip.
Heathrow: begin with the current terminal
Inside Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport, photographed in October 2025.
Check the terminal against the actual flight, then keep the local arrival date and passenger contact together. At Heathrow, reaching public arrivals follows aircraft exit, border formalities and baggage collection. Read the meeting instructions for the confirmed journey before making an onward appointment depend on the scheduled landing time.
Find the guide for your arrival
Choose the airport page that matches the booked flight. Each guide explains what to include when arranging collection or departure. If a flight is diverted or moved to a different airport, the original ground journey needs to be reviewed; changing the flight number alone does not establish the new route. Private aviation also needs the handling location given by the operator, which can differ from a public passenger terminal.
Landing time and collection time are different
The scheduled arrival helps identify the flight. Passengers still need time to leave the aircraft, complete any border formalities, collect bags and reach the agreed meeting point. Tell the organiser about assistance needs or an unusual baggage load before the journey is confirmed. If you become delayed inside the terminal, use the agreed booking contact rather than assuming the chauffeur knows the reason. Review the actual meeting and waiting arrangements supplied for your journey.
Choose the onward address before choosing the vehicle
Use the complete destination address, including the hotel branch, station name or office entrance where relevant. A hotel arrival before check-in may require a separate plan for luggage; confirm storage with the hotel directly. If passengers divide between two addresses, include both stops from the start. Our area, hotel and station guides help you identify the right destination and understand what else is nearby.
Gatwick: separate the flight from the station
An aircraft approaches London Gatwick Airport beside its control tower.
A Gatwick flight needs its confirmed North or South Terminal. The airport railway station is at South Terminal, so a rail arrival and a terminal collection are different requests. Add the full onward address and luggage details, then review the return flight separately instead of copying the outward terminal.
Describe everyone and everything travelling
List adults, children and the luggage for the whole group. Include large and small cases, hand luggage, pushchairs and equipment. Measure unusual items including wheels, handles and any protective case. A saloon and an MPV offer different layouts, but a vehicle photograph cannot confirm that your particular load fits. Child seats and assistance requirements should be discussed with the proposed vehicle arrangement before confirmation.
Work backwards for a departing flight
Use the airline’s current check-in, bag-drop and boarding guidance for your flight. Decide when you need to be at the correct terminal, then allow for the road journey and an appropriate margin. The outbound flight date may differ from a hotel checkout date if you leave after midnight. Treat a return transfer as a separate plan: the terminal, collection address, passenger group and bags may have changed since arrival.
Give airport, rail and cruise connections a complete brief
For a connection, provide both arriving and departing services, their dates and the passenger requirements at the next terminal. Driving time is only one part of the gap. Include the process of getting out of the first location and being ready at the second. If you are arranging independently booked tickets, check the travel providers’ conditions before assuming the connection is protected.
Review the journey as one set of arrangements
Before confirming, check the pickup, destination, local date and time, chosen vehicle class, passenger contact, flight details and luggage together. Read what the agreed fare includes and the actual waiting, amendment and cancellation terms for that journey. If you are organising for a guest, make sure they receive the meeting instructions and know which contact to use. Keep any later changes attached to the same booking reference.
A LITTLE MORE CLARITY
Your questions, answered.
Can I arrange travel for someone else?
Yes. Provide the travelling passenger’s details and keep the booker’s contact information separate. An optional pickup sign can use your preferred wording.
Which airport page should I use?
Choose Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, London City or Southend to prepare a request for that airport. For an airport connection or private aviation, use the dedicated guide. These pages explain planning requirements; they do not automatically confirm availability.
Should I book around landing time or flight departure?
For an arrival, provide the arriving flight and agree when and where to meet after airport formalities. For a departure, work from the airline’s required airport arrival time and allow for the road journey. The two directions need different timing plans.
Can I combine an airport arrival with a cruise or train journey?
Include the complete onward itinerary before confirming. Port or station processes, luggage and departure requirements all matter in addition to the drive; a ground transfer does not guarantee the connection.
Which date should I enter for an overnight flight?
Use the local date of arrival at the UK airport. For example, if the flight leaves its origin on Monday and lands in London on Tuesday, the airport pickup belongs to Tuesday. Check the flight itinerary’s local arrival date and discuss a delay that takes the arrival across midnight.