Domestic arrival
30 minutes
Clock starts at
The flight’s arrival at the gate
Northline Black Car
Wait time and flight delays
How long the car waits, what the clock is measured from, and what happens when a flight is delayed, diverted or canceled.
Free wait is 30 minutes on domestic arrivals and 1 hour on international — measured from the flight’s arrival at the gate.
After that, at the hourly rate for your vehicle class, in one-minute increments, with charges typically rounded to the nearest 15 minutes. We track the flight and the pickup moves with it. A diversion or a change of flight number does need telling us — the table below says which is which.
The numbers
International arrival
1 hour
Clock starts at
The flight’s arrival at the gate
Private aviation
30 minutes domestic,
1 hour international
Clock starts at
Arrival, where the aircraft can be tracked; otherwise the booked pickup time
Any non-airport pickup
15 minutes
Clock starts at
The booked pickup time
Overrun rate
at the hourly rate for your vehicle class
Billed in one-minute increments, with charges rounded to the nearest minute.
Free wait is a maximum, not a minimum. If you clear customs in twenty minutes you leave in twenty minutes, and there is no charge for the time you did not use.
Arrival, not landing
The clock starts when the aircraft is at the gate and the doors open — the arrival — not when the wheels touch the runway. Taxiing to the gate is not counted against you.
If the flight cannot be tracked
Tracking needs the airline and flight number on the booking. Where we do not have them, or where the aircraft is blocked from public tracking — common with private jets — the free wait is measured from the pickup time on your booking instead. If the flight is running late and you tell us in good time, the pickup is moved.
What happens to the flight
| Event | What we do | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Delayed departure | Dispatch follows the tracked arrival time; the pickup moves with the flight. | Nothing; free wait runs from arrival. |
| Delayed in the air | Same. The pickup moves with the flight. | Nothing; free wait runs from arrival. |
| Circling, or a ground hold after landing | Tracked. Free wait starts at arrival at the gate. | Nothing. |
| Terminal or gate change | Dispatch works against the flight number, not the terminal you gave us. | Nothing. |
| Diverted to another airport | we rebook against the new flight and quote any difference before the car moves | Call (646) 222-4444 — the new field may be outside our area. |
| Flight canceled | not charged; dispatch will contact you to reschedule, and if not, the booking is cancelled. | Take our call, or call (646) 222-4444. |
| You rebooked onto a different flight | We cannot see this. Tracking follows the flight number we hold. | Tell us the new flight number. |
| Bags lost — you are at the baggage desk | The chauffeur holds. Free wait has been running since arrival. | Text the chauffeur or dispatch so nobody declares a no-show. |
Where the chauffeur waits
| Option | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Meet and greet | At the arrivals-hall exit, with a name sign | $30 plus airport parking, at cost |
| Curbside | The terminal’s passenger pickup area; you call once you have your bags | No additional charge |
| Private aviation | FBO lobby, or ramp-side where permitted: yes, where the customer arranges it with the FBO |
On a curbside pickup, call the chauffeur once you have your bags and are at the curb or a few minutes from it. Airport rules do not allow a car to wait at the curb, so the car comes to you when you are there. Free wait runs the same either way.
Non-airport waiting
| Situation | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Hotel, home or office pickup, you are late | 15 minutes free, then at the hourly rate for your vehicle class |
| A stop en route — pharmacy, office, a second passenger | An added destination or a stop en route is quoted before the trip. An hourly booking includes stops at no additional charge. |
| Hourly / as-directed booking | Waiting is the service. It is inside the hourly rate, not extra. Billing basis from the first pickup to the last drop-off, overrun rounded up to the next full hour. On a very long booking the vehicle may be replaced by another partway through. |
| Train arrival — Penn Station, Grand Central, Jamaica | 15 minutes |
| Cruise terminal | 15 minutes |
If you know you are going to need the car to sit for a while, an hourly booking is usually cheaper than a one-way trip plus waiting time, and it is a better fit for the trip.
Common questions
Does free wait start when I land, or when I was booked?
Neither. It starts at the flight’s arrival at the gate — when the doors open, not when the wheels touch down. If the flight cannot be tracked, it starts at the pickup time on your booking.
Am I charged if I get out quicker than the free allowance?
No. The allowance is a ceiling. There is no minimum waiting charge and nothing accrues for time you did not use.
How is overrun billed — by the minute or in blocks?
at the hourly rate for your vehicle class, in one-minute increments, with charges typically rounded to the nearest 15 minutes.
What if immigration takes two hours?
The car stays. Beyond the free allowance, waiting is billed at the hourly rate for your vehicle class.
What happens if my aircraft is diverted to Newark instead of JFK?
we rebook against the new flight and quote any difference before the car moves. Call (646) 222-4444 as soon as you know. A diversion often lands you at a field where the original chauffeur is an hour away, and it may be a different licensing jurisdiction — see safety & licensing.
Does the same policy apply to a private jet?
Yes. Free wait is 30 minutes domestic, 1 hour international — the same as a commercial flight. Where the aircraft can be tracked, the clock runs from arrival. Many private flights are blocked from public tracking; then it runs from the pickup time on your booking.