Landing at Gold Coast Airport: from the aircraft to your car

← All articles · Published 9 October 2026

One terminal, one hall, one name board

Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta is a single terminal, and every arrival empties into the same hall. That makes it about the easiest airport in the country to be met at. Your chauffeur stands inside that hall with your name on a board, and you have their name and mobile number before you fly, so there is no walking the kerb looking for a car.

From touchdown to the car, step by step

1. The plane lands, and the pick-up has already moved

We track your flight by its number. Land forty minutes early or sit an hour on the tarmac somewhere else, and the pick-up moves with you. You do not need to message us from the aircraft, and the fare does not change.

2. Bags, then the hall

You have 30 minutes of free waiting from touchdown to clear the aircraft and collect your bags. At OOL that is comfortable for a domestic arrival. If the carousel is slow, the number you were sent reaches your driver directly.

3. Find the name board

Walk into the arrivals hall and look for your name. That is it. Rideshare passengers, by contrast, are directed by the airport to a designated pick-up zone outside the terminal — fine with one bag, less fine with a pram in the rain.

4. The drive

Most of the coast is closer than people expect. Measured off-peak times and fixed sedan fares from the airport:

Fares are per vehicle, with GST included, and are the same at 3am as at 3pm. Allow longer on a Friday evening or in school holidays. Every suburb is on the Gold Coast Airport page.

Before you fly: three things to sort out

• The right vehicle for your luggage. A sedan takes 2 large bags, an SUV 4, a people mover or minivan 6, and the Sprinters 11 to 15. Prams, surfboards and golf bags travel free where they fit; the luggage trailer is $30 when they do not.
• Child seats, booked with the car. Capsules, convertible seats and boosters are $15 each and fitted before we arrive. A restraint that was not booked cannot legally be improvised at the kerb. More on the child seats page.
• The return trip. Most people book both legs at once. The return is priced the same way and is free to change or cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up.

If something goes wrong on the day

The phone is answered by a dispatcher, 24 hours a day. A diversion to Brisbane, a missed connection, a lost bag that keeps you at the counter for an hour — call +61 481 437 772 and we will rework the pick-up with you rather than leave you to sort it out alone.

Questions people ask about OOL

Where will my driver be at Gold Coast Airport?

Inside the arrivals hall, holding a name board. Gold Coast Airport has a single terminal and one arrivals hall, and you receive your chauffeur's name and mobile number before the day.

How long will the driver wait?

Thirty minutes of free waiting after your flight lands, which is comfortable for a domestic arrival at OOL. We track the flight by number, so an early or late landing moves the pick-up automatically.

What if my flight is diverted to Brisbane?

Call the 24/7 line on +61 481 437 772. A dispatcher answers, and we will work out the pick-up from Brisbane Airport with you.

How long is it from the airport to Surfers Paradise?

About half an hour in normal traffic. Allow closer to an hour on a Friday evening or in school-holiday traffic. The fare is $125 in a sedan either way.

Can I bring a pram, surfboard or golf bag?

Yes, free where they fit. If they will not, the luggage trailer is $30. Child capsules, convertible seats and boosters are $15 each and must be booked with the car.

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