Meet friends and family in your terminal's arrivals hall, where they can wait for you to come through. If someone is collecting you by car or a ride app, they cannot wait on the forecourt: they use the short-stay car park pickup point for your terminal, or the free Park and Ride to avoid the £7 charge. Checked August 2026.
Meeting a person: the arrivals hall
If a friend or relative is meeting you on foot, the place to meet is the arrivals hall of your terminal. Each of Heathrow's four terminals, T2, T3, T4 and T5, has its own arrivals hall with a meet-and-greet area just beyond the point where passengers come out from baggage reclaim and customs. Your greeter waits there and you walk out to them.
The single most important thing is to agree the terminal in advance, because the terminals are far apart and you cannot casually walk between T4 or T5 and the others. Tell whoever is meeting you which terminal you land at, and remember that some British Airways long-haul routes moved from T5 to T3 in 2026, so check your flight rather than assume. The arrivals halls have coffee shops and seating, so it is a comfortable place to wait if your flight is early or delayed.
Being collected by car or a ride app
If someone is picking you up in a car, the rules are different, and this is where people get caught out. Drivers cannot wait at the terminal kerbside or forecourt to collect you in the way they might imagine. There are two proper options.
The forecourt drop-off and pickup zones outside each terminal now carry a charge of £7 per vehicle, with a maximum stay of just 10 minutes. That is barely enough time to load bags if you are already outside and ready, and it is not a place to wait, so it only works if your timing is exact.
For anything less than perfectly timed, cars should use the short-stay Terminal Parking car park for your terminal, which has designated pickup points a short walk from the arrivals doors. The driver parks, waits for your call that you are through, and meets you there. This is also where ride apps such as Uber, Bolt and FreeNow collect: they never pick up at the kerb, but from these car park points. Typical spots include T2 Level 4 Row H, T3 Level 3 Row A and T5 Level 1 Row R.
There is one change to note at Terminal 4: its multi-storey car park closed permanently on 23 June 2026, so T4 app and private-hire pickups now happen at the T4 Park and Ride, Zone A, Scylla Road, TW6 3XL. For the full mechanics of ride-app and minicab pickups, see the taxis guide.
The free way to be collected
If the person collecting you wants to avoid both the £7 forecourt charge and the short-stay parking cost, the answer is the Park and Ride. The first 29 minutes there are free, with shuttle buses running to the terminals every 15 minutes or so. Your driver parks for free, you take the shuttle or they collect you, and nobody pays the forecourt fee. It is the money-saving choice for anyone with a little flexibility on timing, and it is covered in full on the drop-off and pick-up guide.
A simple plan for a smooth pickup
Coordinate three things before you land. First, the terminal, agreed and double-checked against your flight. Second, how you are meeting: in the arrivals hall on foot, at the short-stay car park pickup point, or via the free Park and Ride. Third, timing: because flights and immigration queues are unpredictable, it is usually best for the driver to wait in the car park or Park and Ride and come to the pickup point only when you call to say you are through passport control and have your bags. That avoids anyone circling the forecourt or paying for time they do not use.
If your flight lands very late, also check how the person collecting you will get home, and see our guides to passport control queues and getting into London late at night.
More
More: Overview, Taxis, Drop-off.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I meet someone at Heathrow arrivals? Meet on foot in your terminal's arrivals hall, in the meet-and-greet area beyond baggage reclaim. Each of the four terminals has its own hall, so agree the terminal in advance, as you cannot easily walk between them.
Can a car wait for me at the Heathrow forecourt? Not really. The forecourt drop-off and pickup zones charge £7 per vehicle with a 10-minute maximum stay, so they are only for quick, well-timed pickups. For waiting, drivers should use the short-stay car park pickup point or the free Park and Ride.
Where do Ubers and minicabs pick up at Heathrow arrivals? From the designated pickup points in each terminal's short-stay Terminal Parking car park, not the kerb. Examples include T2 Level 4 Row H and T5 Level 1 Row R. T4 pickups are now at the T4 Park and Ride on Scylla Road since its car park closed in June 2026.
How can someone collect me from Heathrow for free? Use the Park and Ride, where the first 29 minutes are free and shuttle buses run to the terminals every 15 minutes or so. This avoids the £7 forecourt charge and the short-stay parking cost.
Which terminal will I arrive at for the meeting point? Check your flight, as it depends on your airline: T2 is the Star Alliance hub, T5 is mainly British Airways and Iberia, and T3 and T4 host other carriers. Some BA long-haul routes moved from T5 to T3 in 2026, so do not assume.
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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.