Flying with small children takes planning. Between strollers, carry-on bags, checked luggage, bottles, toys and everything else a family needs for a trip, simply getting from the airplane to your destination can become one of the most difficult parts of traveling. Add a car seat to everything you are already carrying, and arriving in a new city can become even more complicated.  For parents flying into Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), arranging ground transportation before leaving home can eliminate one of those problems. Instead of traveling through the airport carrying your own convertible car seat or booster, families can reserve a private vehicle with 1776 Black Car Service and request an appropriate child seat when making their reservation.

We maintain three Graco convertible child seats as well as two booster seats…. one high-back booster and one low-back booster. Because children vary considerably in age, height and weight, parents should provide their child’s information when requesting a seat so we can determine which of our available options is appropriate.  More importantly, parents should arrange the seat before arriving in Charlotte. Child seats are subject to availability and should be included as part of the transportation reservation rather than requested after the airplane has landed.

Arriving at Charlotte Douglas International Airport With Children

Charlotte Douglas is a large, busy airport, and its layout isn’t always obvious to a first-time visitor.  CLT works well, but getting from the concourses to Baggage Claim and then finding your transportation can take a little patience, especially when you are traveling with children who are tired after a flight.  After leaving the aircraft, arriving domestic passengers walk through their concourse toward the main terminal. Baggage Claim is located on the lower Arrivals level of the terminal. Depending upon your arrival gate, that can mean a fairly substantial walk before you even reach your luggage.

Once downstairs, you’ll find the baggage carousels and airline baggage-service areas. CLT also has Smarte Carte luggage carts available for rent in the airport. Travelers should check the posted machine price when they arrive; the carts have recently been around $7. For a parent juggling several suitcases, a stroller, carry-ons and children, renting a baggage cart can be money well spent.  From Baggage Claim, there are two basic ways we can meet a family arriving at CLT: curbside pickup or an inside Meet & Greet.

Option One: Curbside Pickup at CLT

Curbside pickup is the simpler option for experienced travelers who are comfortable navigating Charlotte Douglas on their own.  With a curbside reservation, the chauffeur monitors the arriving flight and coordinates the pickup with the passenger. After landing, the family proceeds through the terminal, goes downstairs to Baggage Claim and collects their luggage.  Once everyone is ready, the passenger and chauffeur communicate so the vehicle can make the pickup outside the terminal.

CLT permits immediate passenger pickup on the terminal curb but does not allow vehicles to sit there waiting for passengers. That means timing and communication are important. The Airport itself instructs people picking up arriving passengers to wait away from the curb until the traveler has collected their luggage and is ready to be picked up.  For a parent who knows CLT, travels relatively lightly or has older children who can handle their own backpacks and smaller bags, curbside service can work very well.  For a mother traveling alone with two small children, a stroller, several suitcases and carry-on bags, however, we often recommend considering our second option.

Option Two: Inside Meet & Greet at Baggage Claim

Our Meet & Greet service changes the arrival experience considerably because the chauffeur doesn’t simply wait for you outside.  We actually come into Charlotte Douglas to meet you.  This is a service I know well because we have personally made the walk many times.  For an inside pickup, I drive into the Hourly Parking Deck in front of the terminal and park the vehicle. The most convenient route into the terminal is from Level 5 of the Hourly Deck, where CLT’s enclosed skybridges connect the parking structure with the terminal.

The chauffeur walks across the skybridge into the terminal and then make my way down by elevator to the first-floor Arrivals/Baggage Claim level.  That’s where we wait for the passenger.  The chauffeur carries a sign displaying the customer’s last name, so when the family reaches Baggage Claim, they aren’t standing there trying to figure out which vehicle is theirs or where they need to go next.  They have a person waiting for them.

Why Meet & Greet Can Be Especially Helpful for Mothers Traveling With Children

This is where an inside airport pickup becomes much more than simply having someone hold a sign.  Imagine arriving in Charlotte after several hours of traveling alone with a toddler and an infant. You may have two checked suitcases, a stroller, diaper bag, backpacks and carry-on luggage.  Now your luggage starts appearing on the carousel.

Someone has to watch the children while simultaneously identifying bags and pulling heavy suitcases from a moving baggage carousel.  With our Meet & Greet service, your chauffeur is already there.  We can assist with removing luggage from the carousel, help organize the bags and assist with getting everything through the airport. If there is enough luggage to justify one, a baggage cart can make the trip considerably easier.  Then we make the return trip together.

From the lower-level Baggage Claim area, we travel back through the terminal, use the elevator and return across the skybridge to Level 5 of the Hourly Parking Deck, where the vehicle is parked.  The chauffeur who met the family at Baggage Claim stays with them and helps them reach the actual vehicle.  For women traveling alone with small children, that additional assistance can make a tremendous difference after a long day of travel.

Knowing What Vehicle Is Picking You Up

Safety is another reason some families prefer prearranged transportation.  For female passengers traveling alone with children, 1776 Black Car Service can provide identifying information about the vehicle assigned to the reservation, including a photograph of the vehicle and its license plate number.  That gives the passenger another way to verify the vehicle before getting inside.  With an inside Meet & Greet, there is an additional layer of certainty because you’ve already met your chauffeur face-to-face inside the airport. The same person who greeted you by name in Baggage Claim and helped with your luggage is walking with you to the vehicle.  Parents shouldn’t have to wonder whether they’re getting into the correct car while standing outside a busy airport with their children and luggage.

Your Child Seat Is Already in the Vehicle

One of the biggest advantages of arranging a child seat in advance is that you don’t have to carry your own through the airport.  The requested seat is already with the vehicle.  1776 currently maintains three Graco convertible child seats, one high-back booster and one low-back booster for families who need them.

When requesting transportation, tell us how many children will be traveling and provide their ages and approximate heights and weights. We can then discuss which available seating option is appropriate for the trip.  This should be done while making the reservation, not when you land at CLT.  For families traveling with multiple children, advance planning becomes even more important because you may require more than one seat.

Why Prearranged Transportation Helps After a Long Flight

There is a fundamental difference between finding transportation after landing and having transportation arranged before your trip begins.  With a prearranged airport transfer, we already know you’re coming.  We have your reservation. We know your flight. We know how many passengers are traveling. We know how much luggage you’re expecting. And, most importantly for parents, we know ahead of time that children are traveling and that specific child-seat arrangements have been requested.

The chauffeur monitors the incoming flight and plans the pickup accordingly.  Instead of landing at CLT and beginning the search for transportation, you’re simply completing the last part of a trip that was planned before you left home.

Curbside or Meet & Greet: Which Is Better for Your Family?

Both services work well. The right choice depends on your family and the way you travel.  Curbside pickup is efficient for parents who are familiar with airports, can comfortably manage their own luggage and children, and prefer to collect their bags before meeting the vehicle outside.  Meet & Greet provides considerably more assistance.  For a parent traveling alone with small children, grandparents traveling with grandchildren, families carrying substantial luggage, or anyone visiting Charlotte Douglas for the first time, having a professional chauffeur waiting in Baggage Claim can remove much of the uncertainty from the arrival.

Charlotte Douglas is a very busy airport. The terminal, lower-level Baggage Claim, elevators, parking deck and skybridges all work together, but the route isn’t necessarily intuitive the first time you use it.  We make that route regularly.  That’s the point of Meet & Greet.  You don’t have to figure everything out by yourself.