Airport Meet and Greet in Toronto: A Name Board Waiting Inside Arrivals

What is an airport meet and greet in Toronto?

Arriving at a big international airport after a long flight is tiring even for people who do it often. Your phone may not have signal; your eyes are looking for signs in a language you may not read easily; your bags are heavy; and somebody in your party needs the washroom. A meet and greet takes one decision out of that moment: where do I go? The answer is a human being with your name on a board, standing where arriving passengers come through.

This page explains how airport meet and greet Toronto works with TorontoBlackLimousine.net, who it is for, how it fits with customs and baggage, and how it compares with simply having a chauffeur wait at the vehicle. There is no price on the page: the online booker shows the exact all-in fare for your pickup, vehicle and add-on before you confirm.

Get an instant fare

How the meet-and-greet service works at Pearson

You book an airport pickup in the booker and tick the meet-and-greet option. Give the flight number, the name that should appear on the board, and a mobile number that will work on arrival. Dispatch tracks the flight from the moment it takes off, so a delay or an early arrival is reflected in the pickup rather than leaving someone waiting at the wrong time.

Toronto Pearson has two passenger terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Which one your flight uses depends on the airline, and your booking confirmation carries the meeting point for the terminal that applies. On arrival, you collect your bags, clear customs, and walk into the arrivals hall, where your name is waiting. The person meeting you then takes you to the vehicle, where your chauffeur is ready.

A meet and greet is an add-on rather than a separate service, which means every feature of a standard pickup still applies: flight tracking on every airport pickup, a fixed fare quoted before you pay, licensed and commercially insured chauffeurs, and 24/7 dispatch. For the full process at the airport, read our Pearson airport limo page.

Meet and greet or a standard airport pickup?

Both options are good. The question is how much help you want in the arrivals hall.

If you travel through Pearson every month, you probably do not need a person to find you. If this is your first time in Canada, or you are travelling with young children, parents in their eighties or a large group, the extra step is worth adding. You can also add it for one leg only: a meet and greet on arrival and a standard curbside pickup on departure, for example.

Landing, customs and the walk to arrivals

The sequence after landing is the same for everyone. You leave the aircraft and follow signs to the border area. On an international flight you reach primary inspection, where the Canada Border Services Agency describes kiosks and eGates at Canada's major international airports that verify your identity and let you make an on-screen declaration. Then comes baggage reclaim, then customs for any goods you must declare, then the doors to the arrivals hall.

The CBSA suggests you have proof of identity and citizenship ready for yourself and your family. You can also submit your customs and immigration declaration before your flight arrives through the Advance Declaration option in ArriveCAN. See the CBSA arriving by air page for current instructions; they change, and they are the authority.

Foreign visitors flying to Canada may also need an electronic travel authorization (eTA) or a visa, depending on nationality. Check eligibility on the Government of Canada eTA page well before you fly. Border time is the least predictable part of any international arrival, which is why we include the free waiting window.

How long we wait after landing

The waiting time is free for 60 minutes on international arrivals and 30 minutes on domestic arrivals, counted from the time the aircraft lands. The difference reflects what actually happens. A domestic passenger lands, collects bags and leaves; an international passenger may queue at primary inspection, wait for checked luggage and be sent for a secondary check.

Because we track the flight, you do not have to message anyone when you land. The chauffeur and the person at arrivals know the real arrival time. If the border line is unusually long, tell the person with the board when you emerge, and they will bring you straight to the vehicle. If your plans change, contact dispatch, which runs 24/7.

Who meet and greet is for

The service is most often added for six kinds of traveller.

• First-time visitors. A short walk from the doors to the car is easier with someone who knows the route.
• Families. Parents with a stroller, a car seat and two tired children benefit from a single human point of contact.
• Older relatives. A name board is much easier to see than a driver standing by the kerb, and the person can match the pace of the walk.
• Business and VIP arrivals. A named, discreet greeting suits executives and delegations. See our corporate car service page.
• Groups. A tour party or a wedding party of ten or more is easier to gather with one visible marker.
• Passengers with limited English or French. A written name on a board reduces the need to explain anything.

None of this means a standard pickup is inferior. It means some arrivals benefit from a little more structure.

Families, children and car seats

If children are on the flight, book the seats before they land. Child, toddler and booster seats are provided when requested at booking, so list each child's age and weight. A car seat that was not requested cannot be guaranteed at the kerb. Our car seat limo page explains the options.

Parents often ask about older children travelling alone. Policies for minors travelling without an adult are specific and are not something to guess at. Contact dispatch before you book so that the plan, the identification and the handover are clear to everyone, rather than relying on the online booker for a case it was not designed for.

Get an instant fare

Luggage, vehicle size and group size

The vehicle should fit the people and the bags, and arrivals is where an undersized vehicle becomes obvious. These are the classes we operate and what they carry.

Stretch limousines (8 to 10 passengers, hourly) and party buses or mini-coaches (20 to 30, hourly) can be booked for celebratory arrivals, with availability and the exact vehicle confirmed at booking. See the fleet page. If your party is bigger than the vehicle, book a second vehicle and note both bookings together.

Pearson to Toronto and beyond: distances and drive times

Planning the leg after the meeting point helps you choose the right time to land and the right vehicle. All distances are planning figures from Pearson.

Rush hour on the 401 and the 427 is the main variable. A 30-minute drive in the evening can be much longer from 4 to 6 p.m., so when you book a midweek arrival, say so and the plan will be built around it. For the other routes see Toronto to Niagara Falls, Pearson to Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto to Blue Mountain. Live road information is on Ontario 511, which shows traffic speeds, incidents, closures, roadwork and cameras.

Honest comparison: how else can you leave Pearson?

The cheaper option can be the better choice, and this table says so plainly. For a solo traveller with light luggage heading to downtown, UP Express is hard to beat.

UP Express runs between Pearson and Union Station, with stops at Bloor Station, Mount Dennis Station and Weston Station. The UP Express site lists the route and links to fares. It does not take you to your hotel door, and it does not carry a family's six bags well. Where it fits your plan, use it. Where it does not, the chauffeur does.

Other airports and the train

Meet and greet is not limited to Pearson. The same add-on can be requested for pickups at other airports we serve, depending on the airport's own arrangements, which are confirmed at booking. See the pages for Billy Bishop (YTZ), Ottawa (YOW) and Montréal-Trudeau (YUL), and the airports hub for the full list.

Trains are different. If you arrive by VIA Rail at Toronto Union Station, the pickup arrangements are described on that page. In Québec, service is offered in English and French, which can matter at a busy arrivals hall.

Late flights, early flights and missed connections

Flights do not run to schedule. A late arrival is common; a missed connection means a different flight number and sometimes a different terminal. Because flight tracking is included, the pickup follows the real arrival time. If you are rebooked onto a different flight, send the new number as soon as you have it.

Then the free waiting time starts from the actual landing time, not the original one. If you are going to miss a flight altogether, contact dispatch rather than letting the booking lapse. The cancellation terms are measured from the scheduled pickup time: more than 72 hours' notice, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10 per cent; 48 hours or less, 50 per cent; 24 hours or less or a no-show, 100 per cent.

How to add meet and greet at booking

Open the booker, choose the airport pickup, and enter the flight number, date and passenger count. Select the meet-and-greet option, type the name for the board exactly as you want it displayed, and add a phone number. Note the number and ages of children, any car seats, and anything that affects walking pace.

The booker shows the exact all-in fare, with the add-on, before you pay. Then you get a confirmation with the meeting point. If you have never used the airport before, read it on the plane. For the general Toronto picture, see the airport limo Toronto page and the limo service Toronto page.

Get an instant fare