Sydney Airport Pickup Guide
You are met inside the building with your name on a sign, not sent to a distant pickup bay to find a number plate. Each terminal has its own meeting point and its own waiting allowance, both worked out around how long that terminal actually takes to clear — a wide-body at T1 is a different problem from a domestic bag drop at T3.
Meeting points
Where Exactly Does the Driver Wait?
In the arrivals hall past customs, on the public side of the sliding doors. This is the point everyone emerges from, so you do not need to find anything — walk out and look for your name. Sixty minutes of waiting is included from the moment the aircraft is on the ground.
At the bottom of the escalators by the baggage carousels. Used by Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Rex and most non-Qantas domestic services. Forty minutes of free waiting from touchdown, which is generous for a domestic bag drop.
Also at the bottom of the escalators by the carousels. T3 is the Qantas domestic terminal and is a five-minute walk from T2 along a signposted pedestrian path, if you end up at the wrong one.
Dropped at the terminal kerb outside your airline's check-in doors. There is no car-park walk and no shuttle in the middle. Tell us the airline as well as the flight number and you are put down at the right end of a long building.
Tracking
How Does Flight Tracking Actually Work?
When you book an arrival we ask for the flight number rather than the arrival time, and that distinction is the whole point. The number lets us watch the aircraft; the time only tells us what was hoped for when the schedule was written.
The driver's departure from our end is then set against the actual landing. If your flight is three hours late, the driver leaves three hours later and you are not charged for any of it. If it lands forty minutes early, we are generally already there — the driver usually arrives well before the aircraft.
The free waiting allowance runs from wheels-down rather than from the scheduled arrival, which matters more than it sounds. Sixty minutes at T1 begins when you touch down, not when you were supposed to, so a late flight does not silently eat your allowance while you are still taxiing.
Keep your phone switched on when you land — the driver messages you to confirm exactly where to meet. You do not need to call us first. Call only if something unusual has happened — you have been diverted, you have cleared much faster than expected, or you cannot see the driver at the meeting point.
Moving between terminals
How Do You Get from T1 to T2 or T3?
Occasionally useful if you have a domestic connection, or if you have simply come out at the wrong building. You cannot walk between the domestic and international terminals.
| Option | Time | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal Transfer Bus | 10 minutes | Free | Every 15 minutes between 05:30 and 22:30 |
| Airport Link train | 2 minutes | $8.50 peak / $7.30 off-peak | Per person, using an Opal card |
| Walking T2 ↔ T3 | about 5 minutes | Free | Signposted pedestrian path between the two domestic terminals |
| Walking T1 ↔ T2/T3 | Not possible | — | There is no pedestrian route between domestic and international |
| Taxi, rideshare or bus 420 | varies | varies | From the arrivals level of each terminal |
Terminal transfer details and fares as published by Sydney Airport, August 2026. If your booking is with us we will simply meet you at whichever terminal you actually arrive at — tell us and the driver moves.
On the day
What Happens from Landing to Leaving?
Your aircraft lands
The free waiting allowance starts here, not at the scheduled arrival time. The driver is normally already at the terminal.
You clear the terminal
Immigration and baggage at T1; just the carousel at T2 and T3. Take the time you need — the allowance is built for a slow belt.
You walk out and see your name
The driver is at the meeting point for your terminal with a sign. If you cannot see them, call the number on your confirmation before leaving the building.
The driver takes the cases
From the meeting point to the car, which is parked close and on the level. There is no car-park lift and no shuttle bus in between.
You pay at the end
At your door, by card, cash or PayID. Nothing was charged when you booked.
Departures
What Time Should You Be Dropped Off?
Sydney Airport asks domestic passengers to be at the counter 60 minutes before departure and international passengers three hours before. Those are the numbers we work backwards from, adding the measured drive from your suburb and a margin for the M5 corridor if your flight falls inside the morning peak.
That arithmetic is why we ask for a flight number rather than a preferred pickup time. From Bowral, an 8am international departure means a car at the door around 3am; from Campbelltown, the same flight means something closer to 4am. Both are routine bookings and neither costs extra for the hour.
If you would rather leave earlier than the arithmetic suggests, say so and we will book it — plenty of people prefer an hour of coffee airside to an hour of doubt on the motorway.
Everything else
Airport Pickup: Common Questions
Where will the driver be waiting at T1?
In the arrivals hall past customs, on the public side of the sliding doors, holding a sign with your name. That is the single point every international arrival walks through, so there is nothing to navigate.
How much free waiting time do I get?
Sixty minutes at T1 and forty minutes at T2 and T3, measured from the moment your aircraft is on the ground rather than from the scheduled arrival time.
What if I am delayed inside the terminal beyond that?
Call the number on your confirmation. We would far rather work out the delay with you than have a driver leave. It is handled case by case rather than by an automatic charge.
Do I need to call when I land?
No. The flight is tracked. Call only if you have been diverted, if you clear much faster than expected, or if you cannot find the driver at the meeting point.
Which terminal does my airline use?
T1 is international. T2 is Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Rex and most other domestic carriers. T3 is Qantas domestic. Check your booking if you are unsure — and tell us the airline as well as the flight number so the drop-off is at the right end of the building.
Can I be met at the kerb instead of inside?
Yes, if you prefer. Say so when you book and the driver will meet you at the kerbside pickup point. Most people with luggage or children choose the meet inside.
What if I come out at the wrong terminal?
Tell us and the driver moves. The free Terminal Transfer Bus runs every fifteen minutes between 05:30 and 22:30 if you would rather come to us, and it takes about ten minutes.
Do you charge for parking or airport access fees?
No. Airport access fees are inside the published fare, as are tolls and GST. There is nothing added at the terminal.
How early should the car collect me for an international flight?
Enough to have you at the counter three hours before departure. From the Southern Highlands that usually means a pickup four to five hours before the flight; from Macarthur, rather less. Send the flight number and we will do the arithmetic.
Keep reading
Related pages
The pages people usually open next.
Western Sydney Airport guide
The other airport, and why it is closer from almost everywhere here.
Open →Have someone waiting when you land
Send the flight number and your address. The fare is fixed now, the aircraft is tracked on the day, and nothing is charged until you are home.
Available every day of the year, at any hour; set fees apply for pickups before 6am or after 8pm. See the full fare list, the fleet or our frequently asked questions.