At Huntington Tri-State Airport (HTS) you meet your ride on the main level, by the baggage claim. HTS is a single-terminal airport with two floors: arrivals and baggage claim downstairs, departures and check-in upstairs. Curbside waiting is not allowed, so a booked driver meets you inside at the bottom of the escalator near the carousel, while taxis and rideshare pick up just outside the doors. If you are the one collecting a passenger, use the free cell-phone waiting area instead of circling the terminal.
Here is exactly where to go on arrival, where to wait if you are picking someone up, and a few tips that keep an HTS pickup quick.
Where do you meet your driver at HTS?
HTS has one terminal with two levels. You land, come down to the main level, and the baggage claim is right there near the exit; the rental-car counters sit in the same baggage-claim area. A booked private-transfer or car-service driver meets you inside, at the bottom of the escalator by the carousel, usually holding a name sign, so there is no hunting the curb for a licence plate.
The airport is small enough that the walk from the gate to baggage claim takes a couple of minutes, which is part of why a meet-and-greet works well here: your driver is already waiting by the time your bag reaches the belt. Because curbside parking and waiting are not permitted, a driver who was not booked ahead cannot simply idle at the door, so an arranged pickup inside the terminal is the cleanest way out. The airport's own traveler guide lists the current arrivals and ground-transportation details.
Picking someone up at HTS? Where to wait
Do not wait at the curb. Curbside parking and waiting are prohibited at HTS, so you cannot leave a car at the terminal doors while you wait for a text. Use the free cell-phone waiting area instead, which allows a 30-minute wait at no charge: pull in, wait for the call that your traveller has their bag, then loop to the front for a quick pickup.
If you would rather be inside when they land, the short-term lot sits closest to the terminal and is built for pickups and drop-offs. Parking rates and lot locations are listed on the airport website. For a late-evening or delayed flight, waiting in the short-term lot beats circling in the dark, and it is only a few steps from the baggage-claim doors.
What about rental cars, taxis and rideshare at HTS?
Rental cars are the easiest self-serve option: Avis, Budget, Enterprise and Hertz keep counters in the baggage-claim area, so you collect keys steps from your bag. Book ahead in peak weeks, because a small airport holds a small fleet and it can sell out. If you want your own car for the whole trip rather than just the airport run, you can compare rentals through GetRentacar.com.
Taxis wait outside the terminal at the marked area, and rideshare pickups sit just outside the doors. The catch at a regional airport is supply: driver numbers are thin late at night and very early in the morning, so an evening flight delayed by an hour can leave you at the curb after local drivers have logged off. The Tri-State Transit Authority bus reaches the area on weekdays and Saturdays, but it is a city route with transfers rather than a direct airport line, which is awkward with luggage.
Why a booked transfer is simpler for arrivals
A pre-booked transfer takes out the two things that go wrong on arrival: waiting and uncertainty. The driver tracks your flight, so a delay or an early landing just shifts the pickup rather than costing you the ride, and they meet you at baggage claim instead of leaving you to find a car. The fare is fixed before you fly, so there is no surge and no meter to watch.
For a family with luggage, a group heading to Marshall University or a hotel, or anyone landing at an odd hour when rideshare is scarce, that certainty is worth more than shaving a few dollars. You can book our flat-rate service on the services page, or compare arranged transfers on GetTransfer.com. For a full cost breakdown against every option, see our guide on how to get from HTS to town.
How do I make my HTS pickup go smoothly?
A few small things save time at the curb:
- Share your flight number when you book a transfer, so the driver can track delays and be there when you actually land.
- Turn your phone on before you reach baggage claim. Terminal signal is fine, and your driver or app may message you the meeting spot.
- If someone is collecting you, point them to the cell-phone lot. Tell them to wait for your "bags in hand" message rather than parking early or idling at the curb.
- Landing after about 11 p.m. or before 6 a.m.? Arrange the ride ahead. The TTA bus is not running at those hours and rideshare is thin, so a booked transfer is the dependable option.
- Heading somewhere specific like downtown Huntington? Have the exact address ready so the driver routes straight there.