Guide to Pickups & Dropoffs at Boston Airports

Boston Airports Charter Bus Guide

Requests for airport transportation in Boston are common for groups traveling to and from the city—especially if you’re from out of town and are unfamiliar with the local traffic and transportation regulations. Chartering a bus can eliminate a lot of the hassle of air travel, and you can help keep your group travels at Logan International Airport flowing smoothly by applying this guide to your particular trip. Whether you want sports team transportation for a youth football team and all of their gear, or need to arrange a bus rental for military troops traveling on official duty with dozens of rucksacks and tough boxes, our guide should get you in or out of BOS and on your way in no time.

Arrivals & Charter Bus Pick Up Service

When your group arrives at Logan International Airport, you’ll contact your driver to let them know you and your group are at the designated pick-up zone outside of your terminal. You’ll need to coordinate precisely since buses can’t idle or wait for your group for longer than five minutes. Before contacting your driver, we recommend gathering your group and all of their luggage, and then guiding them to your designated pickup zone to be ready to board as soon as your charter bus rental arrives.

The designated charter bus pick-up zones vary by terminal, but all of them are primarily located on the arrivals level outside of baggage claim areas. Charter bus zones (for full-size motorcoaches) are marked by a brown-colored sign that reads “Charter Bus.”

These are the charter bus pickup locations at each terminal:

• Terminal A: The charter bus pickup location for Terminal A is outside and in line with the doors of Baggage Claims 1 & 2. You and your group will need to cross two other pickup lanes (going beyond the Passenger Pickup area marked by green signs) to find the brown "Charter Bus" signage marking the pickup zone.

• Terminal B: The charter bus pickup zone at Terminal B is curbside on the terminal loop curve, between Passenger Pickup Zones 2 and 3. To get there, exit the baggage claim area, make a left and walk until you reach the top of the loop.

• Terminal C: To get to the charter bus pickup location at Terminal C, your group will need to exit the baggage claim area, turn right, and follow the signs directing you to the charter bus pickup area. Alternatively, you can exit Door C110 and find the charter bus pick up zone right outside between the scheduled bus pickup zone (marked by orange signs) and the courtesy bus pick up zone (marked by red signs).

• Terminal E (International Terminal): After exiting customs, you and your group will exit the terminal, make a right, and walk past the Logan Express and scheduled bus zones (marked by orange signs) to find the designated charter bus pickup area.

Drivers need to stay with your charter bus rental at all times and are not permitted to leave or enter the terminal to search for passengers. If you would like to request a greeter to meet your group at the security exit or baggage claim area, please let your reservation representative know when you’re calling to book.

Charter Bus Dropoffs at Departure Terminals

When it comes to a dropoff service at Logan, there are no zone restrictions you need to follow and your charter bus rental can unload your group curbside at any terminal. However, spots along the dropoff zone can’t be reserved and are first come, first serve, so your driver may need to wait for traffic to thin before finding a good spot where they can fit to unload your group.

Keep in mind that there’s not too much space for unloading luggage, and Massport prohibits leaving luggage unattended, so coordinate carefully with your group members when you begin unloading.

Frequently Asked Questions About Group Transportation at Logan International Airport

What’s traffic like getting to BOS?

Traffic can be heavy during rush hours (6-9 am and 3-7 pm) and on weekends, and if you’re traveling through the Ted Williams Tunnel (I-90) or the Callahan Tunnel (where buses must travel in the right lanes only), be wary of significant congestion. We highly recommend adding some buffer time if you’ll be traveling to the airport during peak traffic hours or on days with major events near South Boston.

How early should a group arrive at the airport?

For a domestic flight, 2.5-3 hours before departure, and for an international flight, 3-4 hours, especially if you’re departing from Terminal E. You may also need to factor in extra time for unloading baggage, or if you need to check special items like sporting equipment or military gear.

Where should our group meet after landing?

If you have group members arriving on different flights, you can meet at your terminal’s baggage claim level or at the designated charter bus loading zone. Have group members arriving at different terminals? Then you may need to make use of the free on-airport shuttle at Logan to get everyone in the same place. We highly recommend gathering your entire group at one terminal to board your charter bus rental together at a single designated zone, since it may not be possible or convenient to load multiple groups at different terminals.

Are curbside pickups allowed?

Yes, but only in the designated charter bus pick up zones on each terminal’s arrivals level. If the zone at your terminal is not curbside, then you and your group may need to cross a pickup lane or two to get there.

Where can we wait if our bus is delayed?

Groups can wait together inside the terminal near baggage claim on the arrivals level. It’s not recommended to wait very long outdoors at the charter bus pickup area due to high foot traffic and other groups who may need to use the area.

Can the bus wait nearby until we’re ready?

Your charter bus rental can’t wait curbside or in the designated charter bus pickup area and wait for your group to be ready to leave. They must use an authorized staging zone, like a long-term waiting area, until released for pickup by dispatch. The cell phone lot is for passenger vehicles only and off-limits to buses.

Where can buses be staged nearby?

Before picking up a group arriving at Logan, a charter bus can wait at a long-term waiting area or commercial vehicle stand designated for chartered motorcoaches. From there, it’s important to coordinate pickup timing with your driver so they can go to your arrival terminal’s designated pickup zone only when you’re ready to board.

How will our driver know when to pick up my group?

After your group is all together, luggage collected, you’ll contact your driver to let them know you’re ready. Then, your driver contacts Massport dispatch to get clearance to enter the terminal loop to collect your group.

Do I need to coordinate with Logan International Airport?

If you’re planning to arrive with a group, you mainly just need to coordinate with us for pickup and dropoff. However, if you want to cover all of your bases, you can contact Massport Ground Transportation at Logan International Airport ahead of time to confirm extra information regarding your bus rental’s operations. Customer service agents are available from 6 am to 10 pm daily, and you can ask them about the current staging area location for your charter bus rental and, if necessary, the procedure for calling in and having the bus released to the terminal for pick up. These operations are usually handled by your charter bus driver, so contacting Massport would just be for thorough planning and understanding of how ground transportation operations may work for your trip.

Book an Airport Charter Bus Service with Boston Charter Bus Rentals

Ready to arrange your group transportation at Logan International Airport? Give our team a call at 857-675-3373 to discuss your trip and get a free quote. We’ll need to know your passenger count, travel dates, the airline you’re traveling with, and your flight itinerary so that we can coordinate a timely and accurate pickup or dropoff service.