Travel guide · Updated October 1, 2026
NYC Airport Arrival Checklist for Assistants
Prepare one arrival brief that the passenger, coordinator and booking team can use. It should identify the flight, meeting plan, luggage and who can approve a change.
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What the assistant sends before wheels-down
The passenger should not have to invent the meeting point in the terminal.
| Choice | Fits when | Settle before booking |
|---|---|---|
| Flight | You have the operating flight and date. | A marketing code can be the wrong terminal. |
| Meeting plan | You know which airport rules apply. | JFK T5/T7, LGA A/B/C and EWR signs are different. |
| Authority | Someone may approve a wait or a new stop. | Name that person and the passenger’s mobile. |
Before confirming the reservation
Record the operating flight number, date, airport, passenger name and working mobile number. Add the destination entrance, bags, equipment, child-seat requests and boarding needs. Identify a backup contact and confirm who receives the final instructions.
Before the aircraft arrives
Check whether the flight or terminal has changed. Send the passenger the confirmed meeting instructions and the booking contact details. JFK Terminal 5 and 7 arrivals currently use the airport’s Howard Beach car-service pickup arrangement, so do not circulate a universal terminal-curb instruction.
When bags or passengers are delayed
Ask for a short factual update: still at immigration, waiting for a bag, or ready at the meeting point. Agree who may approve additional waiting or a split-party transfer. Do not tell the chauffeur that everyone is ready while one passenger remains inside.
After pickup
Confirm that the intended party is traveling to the correct first stop. If the day includes meetings, tell the booking contact which changes have been approved. Keep the receipt, final itinerary and any revised charge authorization with the booking record.
The message the passenger can use without you
Write the airport, the terminal if known, the meeting instruction you confirmed, the destination door and the backup phone. The passenger will not have your inbox open at baggage claim.
If two executives are on different flights, give each a car or an explicit instruction to wait. Do not leave “the team” as the passenger name. Billing contacts can stay with you. The greeter question, if you want someone inside, has to be requested before travel and may still leave the vehicle at the airport’s legal pickup point.
A few useful details
Questions before booking
What if I only have the traveler’s assistant email?
Still add a phone that works after landing. Email in the terminal is a weak way to move a car.
Should I book the return flight’s car now?
Yes if the return airport, time and address are known. It is not created by the arrival reservation.
Official airport information
- JFK Terminal 5 and 7 pickup advisory. The ongoing advisory directs arriving car-service passengers to the Howard Beach pickup lot by AirTrain. Check again before travel.