How to plan airport transfers for an event

What data do you need before you can plan transfers?

Delegates rarely arrive together, so transfers start with data. Ask each delegate who wants to use your transfers for their flight number, arrival airport and terminal, scheduled arrival time and, for departures, the same details for the return. Set a deadline and send a reminder. Confirmed bookings are far more reliable than intentions, so do not build a transfer plan from what delegates say they expect to book.

Collect only what you need. A transfer company needs names, flight details and a contact number. It does not need passport or dietary information, and under UK GDPR you should limit the data you share to what each supplier needs. Our conference delegate travel guide covers this in more detail.

How do you group arrivals into waves?

A transfer wave is a group of delegates collected within a set time window and taken together. The aim is to balance waiting time against the number of vehicles. The table shows how an arrival manifest turns into waves. All times are illustrative placeholders, not recommendations.

1. Sort the manifest by airport, then by landing time.
2. Draw wave boundaries where there are natural gaps in the data. Long gaps between waves leave delegates waiting, and short gaps need more vehicles.
3. Allow for the time delegates need to land, clear border control and collect bags before the wave leaves. Give each wave a latest departure time and say so in the delegate briefing.
4. Size each vehicle for passengers and luggage, and ask the operator to confirm both.
5. Send each delegate a message with their wave, meeting point, a phone number to call and what to do if they are delayed.

What should you ask your transport operator?

Ask the operator to confirm in writing the vehicles, driver numbers, the pick-up and drop-off points at each airport and what happens if a flight is late. Then check two areas that affect your plan.

Driver hours. GOV.UK says any international journey from the UK is subject to AETR rules for drivers of passenger vehicles that carry more than nine people. Those rules limit daily driving to 9 hours, which can be extended to 10 hours no more than twice in a fixed week. A driver must take a break of at least 45 minutes after 4.5 hours of driving, or a break of at least 15 minutes followed by one of at least 30 minutes within that period. A driver running transfers across a long arrival day can hit those limits, so ask how many drivers and vehicles the operator has allocated, and how it plans breaks. Our guide to coach hire in Europe and drivers' hours goes further.

Airport rules. Airports set their own rules and charges. Heathrow's website says a £7 charge applies each time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off area, that buses and coaches registered with the DVLA in that category get a 100% discount applied automatically, that groups arriving by coach should use the coach drop-off bays because of forecourt height restrictions, and that pick-ups and waiting are not allowed in the drop-off areas. It does not mention minibuses. Check the current rules for your airport and vehicle type, because they change.

How do meet and greet and flight tracking work on the day?

• Station a named person at the meeting point with a sign for each wave and a printed copy of the manifest.
• Track every flight in your manifest. If a flight is delayed, tell the operator and move the delegate to the next wave.
• Keep a spare vehicle on call at busy times if your budget allows, or agree with the operator how quickly it can add one.
• Give delegates a number that is answered during the whole arrival window, and say who answers it.
• Keep a log of who has been collected so you can find missing delegates quickly.

A flight delay can also give delegates rights, which they may ask about. The CAA says compensation can apply when a flight arrives more than 3 hours late, and that airlines must provide care during long delays. See our guide to flight delay compensation for groups.

How do you plan transfers for delegates who need assistance?

The CAA says airlines, travel agents and tour operators must offer a free way to request assistance for disabled passengers and those with reduced mobility, and advises asking when booking or at least 48 hours before departure. It also says passengers should be able to use their own mobility aid up to the departure gate. Ask delegates at registration whether they need adjustments, and treat the answers as special category data.

• Book wheelchair-accessible vehicles in advance and confirm ramp or lift access and space for mobility equipment.
• Check the route between the arrival point and the vehicle is step-free, and allow extra time.
• Share only the minimum with the transport company, for example 'accessible vehicle required' and not a medical detail.

Our guide to accessible group travel planning covers the wider process.

How do you plan departures?

Work backwards from each flight time. Allow for airport check-in and security, travel time to the airport, the end of the final session and a margin for traffic. Departures often bunch after the closing session, so consider scheduled shuttles at fixed intervals instead of individual bookings. Tell delegates early which departure wave suits their flight and ask them to book flights that fit if they want to use your transfers. Our free trip timeline builder helps you lay out windows for arrivals and departures.

How Roamly can help

Roamly's event management and logistics services cover arrival and departure manifests, transfer waves and operator liaison for events. Our group flights service can align flights with your transfer plan. Contact us with your venue, dates and expected delegate numbers.