I'm picking someone up

What time to actually leave home

The most common mistake is arriving when the plane lands. That is between forty and a hundred minutes too early, and it costs you parking.

1. Check the flight has actually departed Not the scheduled time — the real one. A flight that leaves Dallas late arrives late, and nothing at this end changes that.
2. Check the live immigration queue We publish it by terminal on the home page. Eighteen minutes and thirty-four minutes are very different arrivals.
3. Add baggage and customs Fifteen to twenty-five minutes after immigration, depending on how quickly the belt starts.
4. Then leave As a rule: from landing to someone walking out is 35–50 minutes on a quiet day and 70–100 in peak season.

Where to wait

Each terminal has its own arrivals exit and they are separate buildings. Confirm the terminal, not just the airline — carriers move between terminals and the walk from one to another is a shuttle ride, not a stroll.

• Arrivals hall: you cannot go past customs. Everyone comes out through the same doors, so position yourself where you can see them.
• Short-term parking is right at the main entrance. Charged by the hour, with a daily rate kicking in after several hours.
• The kerb is for active loading only. You will be moved on if you park and wait.

Making sure you actually find each other

Mobile data does not always work the moment someone lands, and the arrivals hall is loud and crowded. Agree a plan before they fly:

• Pick a specific landmark in the arrivals hall, not "outside".
• Tell them the terminal number, because they may not know it.
• Agree a fallback: if there is no signal in twenty minutes, meet at the landmark anyway.
• Remind them the arrivals hall has people offering transport insistently. If they know it is coming, it does not rattle them.

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