Meet and greet is an optional service some pre-booked operators offer where the driver waits for you inside the arrivals hall with a name board, rather than you walking out to a car park to find them. It typically costs more than the standard pickup and suits families, heavy luggage or a first visit. Checked August 2026.
Meet and greet vs the standard pickup
| Standard pickup | Meet and greet | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the driver waits | Short-stay car park near the terminal | Inside the arrivals hall, with a name board |
| How you find each other | You walk to the car park and call or message | The driver spots you and helps with bags |
| Typical cost | Included in the fixed fare | Usually an add-on, confirm the amount when you book |
| Best for | Confident travellers with light bags | Families, heavy luggage, late-night landings, first-time visitors |
What actually happens
With a standard pre-booked pickup, the driver waits in the short-stay car park for your terminal and you walk out to meet them once you've cleared passport control and collected your bags, coordinating by phone or message. With meet and greet, the driver is inside the arrivals hall itself, holding a board with your name, and walks you out to the car, carrying bags if needed. This is a different arrangement from simply being met by a friend or family member on foot in the arrivals hall, which is free and covered on our guide to where to meet at Heathrow arrivals. Meet and greet is specifically a paid driver service offered by some pre-booked operators as an alternative to the standard car park pickup.
When it's worth paying for
Meet and greet tends to earn its cost when you're travelling with young children and don't want to marshal everyone across a car park, when you have a full trolley of luggage and would rather have help, on a late-night landing when it's reassuring to simply spot your name and follow, or on a first visit to Heathrow when working out the short-stay car park layout while tired is unappealing.
When you can skip it
If you're a confident couple or solo traveller with cabin bags who knows the terminal, the standard pickup is usually fine. The short-stay car park is a short walk from the arrivals doors, and you'll have the driver's contact details to find each other without difficulty.
Availability and cost
Not every pre-booked operator offers meet and greet, and where it's available, the cost varies, so it's worth asking directly when you book rather than assuming a fixed figure. It's a genuinely different service from the ride-hailing pickup points described on the taxis page, which always involve walking to the car park regardless of what you pay.
Heathrow Airport Guide's disclosed transport partner is 247 UK Airport Taxi, part of the Tick Taxi group. Need a door-to-door taxi? For fixed-price, flight-tracked transfers to and from Heathrow Airport, we recommend 247 UK Airport Taxi. Your fare is fixed and quoted before you travel, so drop-off charges, night surcharges and traffic never change what you pay.
More
More: Overview, Taxis, Drop-off, FAQs.
Frequently asked questions
What is meet and greet at Heathrow? An optional service some pre-booked operators offer where the driver waits inside the arrivals hall with a name board, rather than you walking to a car park to find them.
How much does meet and greet cost at Heathrow? It varies by operator and isn't included in the standard fixed fare, so it's worth confirming the exact cost when you book.
Is meet and greet worth it at Heathrow? It's often worth it for families, travellers with heavy luggage, late-night landings, or a first visit. Confident travellers with light bags are usually fine with the standard car park pickup.
Is meet and greet the same as being met by family in arrivals? No. Being met by family or friends on foot in the arrivals hall is free and covered on our guide to meeting people at arrivals. Meet and greet is a paid driver service offered by some pre-booked operators.
We recommend a transport partner and may earn a referral fee. It never changes what you pay, and we only list options we would use ourselves.
Last verified August 2026 by the Heathrow Airport Guide editorial team. Prices and timetables change, so confirm the specifics on the official Heathrow Airport website before you travel.