Airport Guides · August 20, 2026
LAX Pickup Guide: Curbside Columns, Letters and Numbers Explained
The letters, numbers and colored columns at LAX arrivals decide where your chauffeur can legally meet you. Here is the plain-English version.
LAX arrivals looks chaotic, but the curb is actually organized by a simple system of letters, numbers and colored columns. Knowing which one applies to a pre-arranged black car ride removes almost all of the confusion on landing day.
This guide explains where an Exodus Limo Service chauffeur can meet you, which columns are reserved for other services, and how to make the handoff take two minutes instead of twenty.
How the curbside columns are labeled
Each terminal at LAX has support columns along the arrivals level marked with a letter and a number — 1A, 3B, 7C and so on. The letter and number combination is the only reliable way to describe a meeting point, because the terminal curb itself can be several hundred feet long.
When you land, read the closest column and send that exact code to your chauffeur. Do not describe your position by airline door or by what you can see across the road; the columns are the shared language everyone at the airport uses.
The colored columns and what they mean for black car service
The colors on the columns identify which category of ground transportation is authorized to load there. Rideshare and certain shared-ride operators have their own designated colored zones, and enforcement at LAX is strict.
- Purple and orange columns: not available to black car / pre-arranged livery pickups — your chauffeur cannot legally stop there.
- Pre-arranged livery loading is handled at the zones assigned to licensed operators, which your chauffeur will confirm by text before you land.
- Rideshare pickup at LAX is routed to its own separate lot, which is a different experience entirely from a pre-arranged pickup.
Curbside meet vs. meet & greet inside the terminal
A curbside meet is the fastest option for domestic arrivals with carry-on only: you clear the terminal, walk to your column and the vehicle pulls up.
A meet & greet is better for international arrivals, first-time visitors, VIPs and anyone traveling with children or checked bags. Your chauffeur parks, waits inside baggage claim with a name sign and walks you out to the vehicle.
Practical tips that save time on arrival
Flight tracking means your chauffeur is already adjusting to delays before you land, so the only thing left is coordinating the last hundred feet.
- Turn your phone off airplane mode at the gate and send your column number as soon as you reach the curb.
- Stay on the curb — if you cross to the center island, the vehicle has to circle the loop again.
- For groups, pick one contact person for the chauffeur rather than three people texting different columns.
- If you have checked bags, choose meet & greet; loading at the curb while bags are still on the belt is what causes the loop.
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