Meeting your driver at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark
, updated , 5 min read
At JFK, LaGuardia and Newark, no car can wait at the arrivals door. Meeting your chauffeur takes a few quick messages. Here's where your chauffeur waits, what to send and when, and how to spot a ride offer you didn't book.
In short
- At LaGuardia and Newark a driver may not wait at the curb unless the passenger and bags are already there
- Each airport has a cell phone lot within 10 minutes of the terminals where drivers wait for your call
- The message that brings the car is the one sent with bags in hand, naming the door
- Meet and greet inside the terminal costs extra, plus any airport parking
Why the car can't wait at the door
At each airport, the arrivals curb is for active pickups only. At JFK, the curb is for pickups and drop-offs in progress, and an empty car is towed. LaGuardia and Newark go further. A driver can't wait at the curb unless the passenger and bags are already there. If the passenger isn't ready, the driver waits in the cell phone lot until called.
So the car comes to the door when you have your bags. Your chauffeur knows when you land and waits for your message that you're walking out. A call works too, but a WhatsApp chat keeps the flight details, the terminal, the door and a live map in one place. It works over any data or Wi-Fi connection. That helps if you're arriving with a foreign phone plan.
Where your chauffeur waits for your message
JFK has two waiting lots. The Cell Phone Lot near the JFK Expressway is closest to Terminals 5, 7 and 8, and less than 5 minutes from each terminal. The free lot at the Lefferts Boulevard AirTrain station, off the Van Wyck Expressway or the Belt Parkway near the airport entrance, is closest to Terminals 1 and 4. Drivers there must stay in their cars.
LaGuardia's cell phone lot is just outside the airport on 94th Street between 23rd Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard, less than 10 minutes from all terminals. As of September 2026, it's open every day from 7:00 AM to 11:59 PM. Newark's lot is near the airport entrance next to the P4 parking garage, with more than 100 spaces, less than 5 minutes from each terminal. Our Newark Airport page shows how we meet you there.
That's why you may not see your car when you land. Your chauffeur is parked a few minutes away, waiting for your message.
Where we meet you
We meet you at the curb or the car service pickup area for your terminal. Once you have your bags, your chauffeur calls or messages you with the exact spot. At JFK, construction has moved some pickups away from the terminals. For now, car service pickups at Terminals 5 and 7 use a lot at the Howard Beach AirTrain station, a free AirTrain ride from the terminal. At LaGuardia, your chauffeur meets you on the arrivals level of Terminal B or C and tells you which door. For each terminal, see JFK terminal pickups and LaGuardia arrivals.
Don't follow the Ride App Pick Up signs. They lead to the Uber and Lyft areas, like level 2 of the Terminal B garage at LaGuardia and floor 3 of the Terminal C garage at Newark. Go to the spot your chauffeur names in the message.
If you'd rather skip the messages, add meet and greet. Your chauffeur waits inside the terminal with a name sign and takes your bags from there. It costs extra, plus any airport parking, as listed with our other airport transfer terms. It's the better choice with a lot of luggage, with children, or on your first visit. With children, you can also ask for a free car seat.
The four messages to send
A quick pickup takes only a few messages, sent at the right time.
- Before you fly, send the airline and flight number, the number of passengers and bags, and whether you want the curb or meet and greet. If you're booking for someone else, put the traveler's name on the booking.
- When you land, say that you're on the ground and which terminal, for example "Landed, Terminal 4, heading to baggage claim." Tell us if the bags are slow or the passport line is long.
- Once you have your bags, send the door number or the pickup sign where you're standing. Your chauffeur comes when this message arrives. Send it when you're ready to walk out.
- If you can't see each other, share your live location. In WhatsApp, open the chat, tap the plus button, then Location, then Share live location, and choose how long to share it.
Live location is end-to-end encrypted. Only the people in the chat can see it. It stops when your time runs out, or when you tap Stop sharing. On an iPhone, first set WhatsApp's location permission to Always, under Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services.
Send these to our WhatsApp line. If you don't have WhatsApp, call, email or send us a message.
When the flight changes
If your flight is late, you don't need to message us. We track your flight and move the pickup if it lands early or late. There's no extra cost for that. You get 45 minutes of free waiting after a domestic landing, 60 minutes after an international landing, and 15 minutes at any other pickup. For flights, we count from touchdown. If you're out early, call or message us and the car will come to you. If your plans after landing grow into a hotel stop and a meeting, hourly chauffeur service keeps the same car and chauffeur for the day.
International arrivals
Flights from abroad take longer from touchdown to the door because of passport control, baggage and customs. The free Mobile Passport Control app from U.S. Customs and Border Protection works at JFK and Newark. It's for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, Canadian citizen visitors and returning Visa Waiver Program travelers with an approved ESTA.
Send the landed message as soon as your phone connects, and a second one when you clear customs. Your chauffeur can see when you land, but not how long immigration takes. The car comes after the second message.
If someone offers you a ride
Licensed drivers in New York City are not allowed to offer rides to people. The Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) says TLC drivers may not ask people if they need a ride. It lists airports first among the places where illegal rides can be common. Those rides are uninsured and often overcharged.
Your chauffeur already knows your name and flight, and you already have their messages. Anyone else offering a car in the arrivals hall is not your ride. Taxis come from the official taxi line. Every TLC vehicle has T&LC stamped at the bottom of its license plate, and you can report violations to 311.