The Airport Transfer Standard
Five steps for every car booked to or from the airport. Flights often land early, and a guest left waiting in arrivals remembers it longer than the drive.
- Who
- Concierges, with the hotel driver or car partner
- When
- Every arrival and departure transfer booked through the desk
- You need
- Flight number, the guest’s mobile, bag count, the transfer log
- Measured by
- Flight number on every transfer booking
- Driver in arrivals at the landing time
- Departure time agreed the evening before
5 steps
01
Book by flight
Take the flight number, not just the landing time, plus the guest’s mobile, the number of people and bags, and any child seats. Send it to the driver in writing 24 hours ahead and ask for the plate.
Say this
“Mr Okafor, flight AZ 211 from London, two adults, four bags, one child seat for a three-year-old. Is that right?”
Common mistake Booking by landing time only. The flight lands 40 minutes early, and the guest waits in arrivals with a tired child.
02
Track it
Check the flight 3 hours before landing and again at take-off. If the time moves by more than 15 minutes, tell the driver and update the log. The driver is in the arrivals hall from the landing time.
Say this
“AZ 211 now landing 15:40, not 15:10. Driver told 13:05, in arrivals from 15:40. S. Bianchi.”
Common mistake Leaving the tracking to the driver. When the flight is diverted, nobody tells the hotel, and the car waits for no one.
03
Meet by name
The driver waits inside the arrivals hall with a sign showing the guest’s surname, or initials if the guest asked for discretion. The driver takes the bags, offers water, then calls the desk.
Say this
“Mr Okafor is in the car, leaving now. About 40 minutes to the hotel. Two adults, one child, four bags.”
Common mistake Waiting outside with the car instead of in the hall. The guest walks straight past and joins the taxi queue.
04
Warn the door
When the driver calls, tell front office and the door team the arrival time, number of guests and bags within 2 minutes. If the room isn’t ready, front office sets the plan before the car arrives.
Say this
“Okafor arriving 16:25. Two adults, one child, four bags. Room 412 ready. Door team has the name.”
Common mistake Keeping the driver’s call to yourself. The car pulls up and the door team has to ask the guest who they are.
05
Time the departure
The evening before, agree the pickup time with the guest. Work back from the flight: 2 hours at the airport for short-haul, 3 for long-haul, then the drive at that hour, then 15 minutes more.
Say this
“Your flight is at 11:30, Mrs Laurent. The drive takes 50 minutes in the morning, so I’d suggest the car at 08:20.”
Common mistake Letting the guest pick a time with no calculation. They choose 09:00 because it sounds relaxed, and reach check-in late.
Working Back From the Flight
The sum the desk does the evening before every departure. Check your own airport’s advice, adjust the times, and the desk stops guessing pickup times.
Brief the table on Monday. Each day after, one concierge works out a real departure from tomorrow’s list aloud in under a minute. Check drive times at rush hour and update the card each season.
The Standards Library.
No. 33 · Concierge
The Itinerary Standard
Five steps for planning a guest’s day or week out. A good plan leaves room: a guest who runs from one booking to the next remembers the rush, not the places.
No. 34 · Concierge
The Parcel Standard
Five steps for parcels arriving for guests and shipments going home. Once the desk signs for a parcel, it is the hotel’s responsibility, not the courier’s.