What's the difference between meet-and-greet and curbside limo pickup at Pearson?

The core difference: inside the terminal vs at the curb

Meet-and-greet brings the chauffeur to you inside the building; curbside brings the car to you at the door. That single distinction drives everything else — cost, wait, and how much help you get with bags.

With meet-and-greet, the chauffeur parks in the airport lot and walks into the arrivals hall to the pre-arranged pickup point, holding a sign with your name. They greet you as you clear customs and baggage claim, take your luggage, and walk you out to the vehicle. It's the white-glove option.

With curbside, the chauffeur stays with the vehicle and monitors your flight in real time. Once you've collected your bags and stepped outside to the arrivals-level limo zone, a quick text or call brings the car around within a few minutes. You skip the terminal walk-out but handle your own bags to the curb.

• Meet-and-greet: chauffeur waits INSIDE arrivals with a name board, helps with luggage, escorts you out
• Curbside: chauffeur waits with the car and pulls up to the arrivals-level limo zone when you're outside
• Both include live flight tracking, so your driver adjusts for early or delayed landings automatically
• Both are pre-arranged flat-rate services — no meter, no surge, quoted upfront

Side-by-side: cost, wait, luggage help, and best fit

Curbside is faster and costs slightly less; meet-and-greet costs a little more but removes every ounce of friction. Here's how the two compare across the factors travellers actually weigh.

• Cost: Curbside is the base fare. Meet-and-greet adds a small in-terminal parking/greeting fee on top of the flat quote
• Where you meet: Curbside = arrivals-level curb (limo zone). Meet-and-greet = inside arrivals at the pre-arranged desk, name board in hand
• Wait/speed: Curbside is quickest door-to-car (a few minutes). Meet-and-greet takes a little longer but you're never left searching
• Luggage help: Curbside = you bring bags to the curb. Meet-and-greet = chauffeur carries your bags from arrivals
• Best for curbside: seasoned travellers, domestic arrivals, light luggage, solo/business trips, cost-conscious bookings
• Best for meet-and-greet: first-time visitors, families with kids, seniors, VIPs, heavy or multiple bags, international arrivals after a long flight

Where you actually meet your chauffeur at YYZ

At Toronto Pearson, both pickup types use the pre-arranged (limousine) points on the Arrivals level — not the taxi rank or ride-share zone. Pre-arranged limos have their own designated posts at each terminal, which keeps pickup calm and predictable.

Terminal 1: head to the Arrivals Level and go to Door A, where the pre-arranged pickup desk is located. For meet-and-greet, your chauffeur is waiting there with your name board. For curbside, the vehicle is dispatched to the Door A limo zone once you're ready.

Terminal 3: go to the Arrivals Level and make your way to Door A / Post 7, the designated station for pre-arranged limousine pickups. The commissioner pages your driver from the airport compound and the vehicle arrives at the door within a few minutes.

Because Pearson charges pre-arranged operators an airport access fee and (for meet-and-greet) short-term parking, arrivals pickups carry a small airport surcharge that departures drop-offs do not.

• Terminal 1 (mostly Air Canada, Star Alliance, most international): Arrivals Level, Door A, pre-arranged pickup desk
• Terminal 3 (WestJet, Air Transat, American, Delta and others): Arrivals Level, Door A / Post 7
• Not sure of your terminal? Check your airline before you land — it's printed on your boarding pass and Pearson's arrivals board
• Both pickup types are pre-arranged, so you bypass the taxi line entirely

Which one should you choose?

Choose meet-and-greet when arrival is stressful or unfamiliar; choose curbside when you know the drill and want speed. Neither is 'better' — they fit different trips.

Pick meet-and-greet if you're arriving on a long-haul international flight, travelling with children or elderly parents, carrying several bags, unfamiliar with Pearson's layout, or collecting a client or guest you want treated to the full white-glove experience. Being met inside — bags handled, escorted straight to the car — is worth the small premium.

Pick curbside if you travel often, land domestically with a carry-on or two, are watching cost, or simply prefer to move quickly. You still get a professional chauffeur, a clean premium vehicle, and flight tracking — you just meet at the curb instead of the concourse.

Either way, book ahead. Online quotes need roughly three hours of lead time; inside that window, call us and we'll arrange it directly.

• Lean meet-and-greet: international arrivals, families, seniors, VIPs, heavy luggage, first visit to YYZ
• Lean curbside: frequent flyers, domestic hops, light bags, tighter budget, want the fastest exit
• Group of 4–6 or more? A Full-Size SUV, Luxury SUV, or Mercedes Sprinter van pairs well with meet-and-greet for luggage help
• Get an exact upfront flat quote for either option — no meter, no surge