<p>Hi Marian,
Since he is flying cross country, you will have plenty of time to get a good sense of whether the plane will arrive on time just by checking on the airline’s web site as to what time the plane actually departed. You can keep updating that for a while to make sure it is still scheduled in on time so that you aren’t sitting at the airport endlessly. There are even sites where you can follow the progress of the particular flight on a little screen. 
Can you tell that I do this fairly frequently? Anyway, this system has allowed me to avail myself of several different major metro area’s cell phone lots, which are always on the grounds of the airport. I have my son call me when the plane has taxied up to the gate. It generally takes them a bit of time to deplane and walk through the airport, maybe 10 minutes. In your case, I understand the issue with the warm coat, so perhaps you will want to meet him inside at the baggage claim area for his flight, even if he isn’t claiming any bags.</p>
<p>You first need to find out what terminal he is coming into. If you know his airline and flight etc you should be able to find this easily enough online at the airline website.
[BWI</a> Terminal Map](<a href=“http://www.airportterminalmaps.com/BWI-terminal-map.html]BWI”>http://www.airportterminalmaps.com/BWI-terminal-map.html)</p>
<p>I don’t know the airport but usually there are for fee parking areas close to terminals </p>
<p>On the airport website they suggest meeting passengers at the baggage collection area. We usually meet people at the baggage or at the exit from security for their terminal (ours is a smaller airport).</p>
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<p>You can check flights here
[Baltimore</a> Marshall Airport | BWI Airport Baltimore, MD - Flights, Airport Parking, & More!](<a href=“http://www.ifly.com/baltimore-washington-international-airport]Baltimore”>Baltimore Airport BWI: Help & Info Guide - iFLY)</p>
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See my post #20 for the answer to this question ;)</p>
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<p>Yes…we still meet the kid at the baggage claim. The only other option is that you wait at the entrance to the concourse where the gate is for arrival…but then you’re looking at LOTS of folks getting off of lots of planes. If you go the the baggage claim area where your student’s flight is…you’ll find them more easily.</p>
<p>At our airport there is no place to wait in your car (besides in the parking garage or lot). The “pick up” area is just that…a pick up area. If you wait more than two minutes there, someone will come along and tell you to move along.</p>
<p>If there is a coffee shop or something similar near your airport, you could have your kid call you as soon as the plane hits the ground. By the time they unload, you could be at the pick up area.</p>
<p>We just find the baggage claim is easiest.</p>
<p>Yep, this is what I do too…Wait in the cell phone lot of your airport, free parking and wait for a cell phone call from your passenger and meet them at the curb.</p>
<p>Cars are no longer allowed to “loiter” at the curb, so it’s literally pull up, let them drop their stuff in the trunk, get in, and “keep moving” (as the officer said to me). “Keep moving”</p>
<p>If you want to wait indoors…then make sure you know which terminal and go the baggage claim area. Really…that will be the easiest place to meet.</p>
<p>We’ve picked up D twice this fall at the airport. First time, H & I circled the terminals in the car until she was at the pick-up area. I think we circled 4 times. It’s kind of stressful and not worth it especially if you’re alone – you have to manage cell phone, reading all the signs (each time felt like the first, what with all the turns), lots of other people doing the same thing. Short term parking is not that expensive.
The second time I went alone in the city bus. By the time the bus got to the bus stop at her terminal, she’d picked up her bag at baggage claim and was at that bus stop, so I never even got off the bus!</p>
<p>Please be aware that the arrival information online is not always accurate. Once when my flight was cancelled, the information online said it had departed on time. I would suggest you have your son call as he’s boarding the plane just before it takes off. Call again if there is a connection to tell you that one has taken off and call when he lands. I don’t know what we did before cell phones.</p>