A cell phone lot is a free parking area near the airport where you wait in your car for an arriving passenger. When they call to say they have their bags and are outside, you drive to the arrivals curb and pick them up — no garage fee and no circling the terminal.
How it works
- Follow the signs for the cell phone lot (sometimes called a waiting lot) as you approach the airport.
- Park and wait. At ABQ, SMF and PVD you must stay with your car — it is a waiting area, not a parking lot.
- Track the flight. Your passenger calls or texts when they are at the curb with their luggage.
- Drive a few minutes to arrivals and pick them up at the curb.
The rules differ by airport. All 5 airports on this site let you wait for free; SMF has a 3-hour limit; ABQ has flight information boards; restrooms at ABQ, SMF and PVD. Here is what each airport says.
Albuquerque Sunport (ABQ): The Holding Pattern
- Where: 2325 Sunport Loop SE, directly north of the main terminal and next to the Sheraton hotel
- Rules: Free. Drivers must stay with their vehicle at all times. No commercial vehicles or trailers. No height restriction.
- On site: Two 15 ft × 25 ft flight information boards; 72 spaces plus 4 ADA spaces; two indoor accessible restrooms; benches and tables; 24-hour video surveillance; two Level 3 DC fast EV chargers at 30 cents per kWh
Source: Waiting/Viewing Areas; Sunport Unveils New Cell Phone Waiting Lot, The Holding Pattern, as Part of Ongoing Modernization | ABQ Sunport; ABQ Installs EV Fast Chargers During Infrastructure Week | ABQ Sunport; Parking Lots / Rates. ABQ cell phone lot in detail · All ABQ parking →
Sacramento Airport (SMF): Free Waiting Area
- Where: Near the Interstate 5 entrance/exit, with access to both terminals; the airport also calls it the Cell Phone Lot
- Rules: Free; 3-hour limit; vehicles must be attended at all times
- On site: Portable restrooms, free Wi-Fi, paid EV charging (DC fast and Level 2)
Source: Free Waiting Area; Frequently Asked Questions. SMF cell phone lot in detail · All SMF parking →
Indianapolis Airport (IND): Cell Phone Lot
- Where: Follow the Cell Phone Lot signs after arriving at IND; the airport's arrivals map directs drivers to one of two waiting lots, A or B
- Rules: Free. Wait in the lot until your passengers call to say they have their luggage and are at the curb. No parking at the curb unless you are actively loading; vehicles left unattended at the curb are towed immediately.
Source: Parking -- Indianapolis… | Indianapolis Airport Authority; Passenger Pick-up | Indianapolis Airport Authority; Arrivals pick-up / Cell Phone Lots map (PDF, 2023-09-01). IND cell phone lot in detail · All IND parking →
T. F. Green Airport (PVD): Cell Phone Waiting Lot
- Where: 2200 Post Road, Warwick, on airport property, about a 1-minute drive to the arrivals curb; reached from the highway via the Airport Connector
- Rules: Free. Stay with your vehicle: unattended vehicles are fined or towed. The pick-up page and parking FAQ say commercial vehicles and vehicles for hire may not use it, while the airport FAQ says Uber and Lyft drivers must wait there.
- On site: 52 spaces, well lit, patrolled by RIAC police, portable restrooms; no refreshments
Source: Pick-Up and Drop-Off - Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport | PVD; FAQs - Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport | PVD; Frequently Asked Questions - Rhode Island - T.F. Green Airport Parking. PVD cell phone lot in detail · All PVD parking →
Cincinnati Airport (CVG): Cell Phone Lot
- Where: 3401 Loomis Rd., Hebron, KY 41048, on the right as you approach the terminal: follow signs for Arrivals and Hotel or Cell Phone Lot, turn right onto Hotel Drive and the lot is straight ahead. To go to the terminal, leave the way you came in, turn right onto Terminal Drive and follow signs for Baggage Claim
- Rules: Free. The airport asks drivers to take care entering and leaving the lot because construction of the CVG Airport Global Logistics Park is underway
Source: CVG Cell Phone Lot | CVG Airport; Picking Up Passengers at CVG: Arrival Areas & Parking | CVG Airport. All CVG parking →
Cell phone lot or short-term parking?
If you want to meet your passenger inside — to help with bags or children, or because the flight is international and they have to clear customs — park in the short-term garage instead. Otherwise the cell phone lot is the cheapest way to pick someone up: at every airport above it's free. The ABQ, SMF, IND and PVD pages show what an hour of terminal parking costs; CVG posts only daily rates.