We provide minibuses & coaches for hundreds of groups arriving into London airports and are often asked for information regarding the meeting procedure. The easiest way to ensure a smooth meet-up if you are unfamiliar with Heathrow (LHR) or Gatwick (LGW) Airports & their procedures is to book a meet-and-greet service with us and be met by one of our friendly, experienced members of staff as you come through to the arrivals area inside the airport. However, if you would prefer not to do this for budgetary or other reasons, here is a detailed guide for your group leader to follow on how to ensure your group meets up with the coach & driver successfully at Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport:
STEP 1: Finding the coach pickup area
Upon your arrival at Heathrow Airport or Gatwick Airport, once your group have all their luggage, proceed together through to the arrivals hall & onwards to the coach & bus pick-up area outside the terminal. Follow the signs to find the designated onward travel coach pick-up points or ask the information desk inside the terminal if you are unsure of where this is. There are also helpful maps & other useful information on the Heathrow Airport website: https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/buses-and-coaches/group-travel-by-coach
STEP 2: Locating the coach marshal
Once you are in the coach & bus pick-up area outside the terminal, try to locate a coach marshal. This is an airport employee who will be wearing a high-visibility jacket. Provide him/her with your arrival flight number & our company name (Anderson Travel). The coach marshal will then call through to the coach park, which is located a short distance from the main airport buildings – at the West Ramp in the case of Heathrow Airport. If you cannot find a coach marshal & can’t see any Anderson Travel coach waiting in the coach bays, please call +44 (0)7814 246 995 if Heathrow Airport or +44 (0)1293 502392 if Gatwick Airport to get the coach released from the coach park. You can also head back inside the terminal to an airport information desk and they will help call through to the coach controller at the coach park to release the coach.
STEP 3: Waiting for your coach
Once you have reached the coach controller at the coach park through one of these methods, he/she will release the coach from the coach park to drive up to the coach charter bays to collect your group. Kindly note that only the coach controller at the coach park can decide when a coach can be released to drive up and collect a group. During quiet times, the coach might be released when the luggage from your group’s flight is on the carousel and already be waiting when you get to the coach & bus pick-up bays before you report to a coach marshal, but at other times you may need to wait a while even after speaking to a coach marshal for the coach to arrive. When to release the coach is the sole decision of the coach controller and we have no control over this process.
