Short answer
Sort every arrival by airport and landing time, then group flights that land within about 60 to 90 minutes of each other into one transfer wave sized to your vehicles. Add a buffer for immigration, bags and small delays before each wave leaves. When a flight moves, check the new time, decide whether that traveler waits, moves to another wave or gets their own car, and tell the transfer company, the greeter and the hotel.
Key points
- Plan by airport first, then by landing time.
- A wave is the flights that land within 60 to 90 minutes of each other and fit your vehicles.
- Plan departure times from the time the bags are cleared, not the landing time.
- Decide your rules for late flights before the travel day, so changes take minutes.
- Every change goes to three people: the transfer company, the greeter and the hotel.
Start from a clean arrivals list
Transfer planning is only as good as the list behind it. Before you draw a single wave, make sure every traveler has a confirmed flight, date and airport, and that the times are in local time at the arrival airport.
- Traveler name and the party they travel with
- Flight number, date and arrival airport
- Scheduled landing time, in the airport's local time
- Terminal, when the airport has more than one
- Number of bags, oversized items such as golf bags or wheelchairs
- Notes that change the vehicle: accessibility needs, child seats, VIPs
Group arrivals into transfer waves
A transfer wave is one departure from the airport that carries the travelers from several flights. Good waves keep waiting times short for guests and keep the number of vehicle runs low for you.
Split by airport and terminal
Each airport gets its own plan. In a large airport, a terminal change can take 20 minutes, so treat terminals almost like separate airports.
Sort by landing time
List the flights from earliest to latest for each day.
Draw the windows
Group flights that land within about 60 to 90 minutes of each other. A longer window means fewer runs but longer waits for the first guests.
Match the wave to a vehicle
Count travelers and bags per wave and pick the vehicle. If a wave is too big for one coach, split it by flight rather than by name.
Name and time each wave
Give each wave a name, such as Day 1 Wave 3, and a planned departure time from the airport. Everyone on the team then talks about the same thing.
| Wave | Flights in it | Lands | Travelers | Leaves airport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 Wave 1 | 3 flights | 09:10 to 10:05 | 34 | 11:00 |
| Day 1 Wave 2 | 2 flights | 11:40 to 12:30 | 21 | 13:20 |
| Day 1 Wave 3 | 1 late flight | 18:45 | 6 | 19:45 |
Build buffers for immigration, bags and delays
The landing time is not the time a guest walks out. Plan each wave's departure from the moment the last flight in it should have its travelers in the arrivals hall, then add a small margin for a late landing.
| Situation | Buffer to plan from landing |
|---|---|
| Domestic flight, hand luggage only | 20 to 30 minutes |
| Domestic flight with checked bags | 30 to 45 minutes |
| International flight with immigration and bags | 45 to 75 minutes |
| Busy hub at peak hours, or a long walk to arrivals | Add 15 to 30 minutes |
These are starting points. Ask your local greeters how long a normal arrival takes at that airport at that hour, and adjust after the first day.
Watch connections and odd airports
Travelers on connecting flights are the most likely to slip into a later wave. Travelers who land at a different airport from the rest of the group need their own plan, and you want to find them weeks ahead, not on the day.
- Track the last leg of each connection, since that is the one that lands at your airport.
- Keep a spare seat or a small car on standby for the first day, when most arrivals happen.
- Ask guests who book their own flights to tell you their airport, and check it against the group's airports.
What to do when a wave changes
On a busy arrival day, something always moves. A calm routine turns a delay into a five minute job.
Check the new time
Look at the flight's live status and estimated landing time, not only what a guest or the airline app says.
Apply your rule
Within your waiting limit, the wave waits. Beyond it, the traveler moves to the next wave or gets a separate car. If the whole wave is late, move the vehicle time.
Tell the transfer company
Give the wave name, the new departure time and the new headcount. Numbers matter more than names to a driver.
Tell the greeter
They need to know who is now in which wave, so nobody is put on the wrong vehicle.
Tell the hotel
If guests will reach the hotel much later than planned, warn the front desk so rooms and late meals are ready.
Plan departures backwards
Departure transfers work in reverse. Start from the flight's departure time and subtract the time needed at the airport, the drive and a buffer for traffic. Group guests whose pickup times fall close together, just as you did for arrivals.
For international flights, many groups plan to reach the airport about three hours before departure, and about two hours for domestic flights. Check the airline's own advice for that route, and add time for large groups checking in together.
In GroupArrivals, the departures tab lists every outbound flight by day and airport, and the manifest export gives the transfer company a CSV or Excel file by day, airport or flight.