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I have a picture showing someone having some luggage shaking hands with someone else who is greeting him and giving him a welcome back. I want to describe the picture and I wonder what I can call each of them: a person who just came back from a trip and the other who's greeting him at the airport and probably is going to give him a ride back home.

I'm thinking of passenger but that person is not on a trip anymore and I think I can't call him so. Also arrival but I feel it's too general.

For the other person greeting him, the first word was a pick up that occured to me but I'm not sure it's even right but even if it is it doesn't imply greeting or welcoming and it strongly suggest the person is there to give him the lift.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

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    You need to indicate the context where you'd use such words. For example, are you describing this scenario for security personnel, so that you'd be looking for terminology, or in a casual conversation?
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    May 17, 2016 at 11:21

1 Answer 1

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In a standard situation like this here
(source: rackcdn.com)
One person is the traveller, and the other is the driver, the situation is a pick up.
As in, the traveller will tell his secretary "Have the driver pick me up outside Arrivals."

It might also be the case that the one who is travelling is a visitor.

In the world of espionage, a spy would look for his contact or handler.

When the traveller is a visitor then greeters or meeters are often on hand

here
(source: halong-tours.net)
here

they are there to make the visitor feel welcomed and help them along in general, not just with transportation.

Or maybe it's just your Mom...

here


In general, they are called greeters

here

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    Can you clarify whether you would refer to "your mom" (or some other generic social or familial acquaintance who is shaking hands with the traveller) as a "greeter?" I wouldn't, but that may be a regional difference.
    – Adam
    May 18, 2016 at 5:51
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    I wasn't classifying "Mom" as a meeter/greeter, I just meant she was "Mom", though the airport authorities would consider anyone meeting someone as a meeter/greeter, so they would consider "your Mom" as a meeter/greeter for you (if you were the traveller), even at PDX they have a "meeter and greeter" area.
    – Peter
    May 18, 2016 at 6:32
  • A "meeter and greeter" area? That sounds rather odd to me; I'd prefer a "greeting" area, or just "Arrivals".
    – nnnnnn
    May 18, 2016 at 6:58
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    According to the Transportation Research Board's Airport Passenger Terminal Planning and Design: Guidebook "there is a need for domestic meeter/greeter areas"
    – Peter
    May 18, 2016 at 7:24

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