Short answer
Put one greeter at each arrivals exit your guests can use, with a large sign showing the group or event name. Give each greeter the list of travelers on their flights, and check each guest in as they arrive, on a phone that works without signal. Anyone not checked in 45 to 60 minutes after their flight has landed gets a call and a search of the other exits.
Key points
- One greeter per arrivals exit, with a shift plan for long days.
- Stand where guests come out after customs, not at the gate.
- Signs show the group or event name, never guests' full names.
- Check guests in on a phone, flight by flight, so the missing list is always right.
- Have a clear routine for anyone who has not appeared 45 minutes after landing.
Plan who stands where
Start from the arrivals list sorted by airport, terminal and time. That tells you how many exits you must cover and when the busy hours are.
- One greeter per arrivals exit or terminal that your guests can use
- A second person at peak hours, when several flights land close together
- Shifts of no more than 6 to 8 hours on long arrival days
- One coordinator off site or at the hotel who can make calls and move transfers
- A shared phone number guests can call if they cannot find anyone
Give each greeter only the flights they cover. A short list is easier to read on a phone in a crowded hall.
Where to stand
Stand in the public arrivals hall, just after the doors where passengers leave customs. That is the one place every guest from an international flight must pass. Some airports have more than one exit door, so walk the hall before the first flight and check where the doors are.
Agree a meeting point a few meters away from the doors, such as a café or a pillar with a number, for guests who must wait for their wave. Tell the transfer company where the vehicles will wait and how long the walk is.
Signs guests can find
- Show the group or event name, such as the couple's names or the conference name, in large letters.
- Avoid guests' full names on signs, for privacy and safety. Use a first name only if a guest travels alone and has asked for it.
- Use dark letters on a white or pale background, readable from 10 meters.
- Add the company or event logo if guests already know it from emails.
- Use a tablet or a printed sign, and keep a paper spare in your bag.
Tell guests what the sign looks like before they travel. One line in the welcome email is enough.
Check guests in on a phone
A paper list works until three flights land at once. A list on a phone, sorted by flight, is faster and keeps everyone on the team looking at the same numbers.
Open the list for your flight
Before a flight lands, open the names on that flight and check its status and belt.
Check each guest in
When a guest reaches you, find their name and mark them checked in. Ask for the rest of their party at the same time.
Note anything special
Lost bags, a guest going to a different hotel, a wheelchair request. Pass it to the coordinator at once.
Hand over to the transfer
Walk the wave to the vehicle and confirm the headcount with the driver.
When there is no signal
Arrivals halls in basements and older terminals often have weak mobile data. Your check-in list must keep working when the signal drops.
- Open the list before you enter the hall, while you still have signal.
- Pack a power bank: a full day of checking in drains a battery.
- Keep a printed backup of the names in your bag, just in case.
- Use a PIN on shared check-in links, so a forwarded link is not enough on its own to open the list.
Find who is still missing
The most important question of the day is who has landed and has not come out yet. Answer it flight by flight, not at the end of the day.
Confirm the flight has landed
Check the live status and the belt number. A late flight is not a missing guest.
Wait a normal clearing time
Give 45 to 60 minutes after landing for international flights, less for domestic ones.
Call the guest
Use the phone number on your list. Many missing guests are at the baggage desk reporting a lost bag.
Check the other exits
Ask a second person to walk to the other doors or terminal.
Decide and tell the team
If the guest missed the flight, take them off this wave and wait for their new flight details.
Departures at the airport
The same list works for departures. A greeter at the check-in desks can confirm who has arrived for the flight and spot anyone who has not, while there is still time to call them.
For departures in GroupArrivals, the same tap marks a guest as boarded, and no-shows can be marked too. An evening email summarizes who checked in or boarded that day.