Meeting international flight at gate?
 

My son is arriving in ATL on a Lufthunsa flight. I will be arriving in ATL on a domestic flight. We are going to drive from ATL to SC with his dog that is coming with him. Will I be able to meet his flight at the gate in the International terminal? If not what would be the easiest place to meet. Thanks

Why should you?

There is a process your son has to go through known as immigration and customs. Basically, international arrival will be isolated until this process is done.

You can meet him at the international arrival area, but not before.

No. You are not permitted on the "sterile" side of CBP. The best place to meet him is as he exits the CBP station unless the two of you want to, in advance, choose another convenient place.

You might be able to see him leave the plane but the gate area may have a glass partition. At other airports, people at the gate can't even see the people leave the plane and (usually) walk down a slope to the floor below for passport checks and customs. They do it this way so people won't bring sausage and fruit with them then run into the terminal to bypass customs.

Consider seeing where the Lufthansa flight departs back to Germany, go to the gate and see if there's a glass partition. If so, you may see your son and can wave. (Later, when passengers board on the next Lufthansa flight, they open the door to the glass partition and close the door leading to customs and immigration).

Then meet when your son emerges out of customs. Another way to do it is to meet at a specific place that you agree upon, such as the United Airlines ticket counter. Don't select the Delta Airlines ticket counter because that area is too big. Make sure you bring a newspaper so you can pretend you're reading it. Make sure you have an agreed upon password, like they do in spy movies. For example, you son approaches you and says "The birds fly south in the winter" and you must reply "but now that are starting to head north".

Seriously, for fun, see if you can see him at the gate through glass. Then head out of the gate area and meet near the U level (level that passengers depart customs) Starbucks. A less crowded area is Level 2, Row 5, which is the check in counters of British Airways and Lufthansa, probably towards the side (they won't want you to obstruct passengers and wait right in the middle of a walking path). Perhaps agree to meet here?

Unfortunately not, you can not meet him at international gates. You have wait for him at outside customs. You can't go into customs. They will have an escorted with him. Gate agents will taken care of him. He will wait for you at outside international arrivals. Agents will meet you there. You have show your passport or identification.

No chance. You can meet him in the arrivals hall. Not before.

Thanks Toshbaf, great information

Have you ascertained if the dog is subject to quarantine?

Just don't leave the sterile area (if you are checking a bag this calculus changes).

As long as you stay in the sterile area you can take the plane train down to the international gates and as Toshbaf says above you can physically get to the gate that the LH flight arrives into but you won't be able to meet your son there because he'll be directed immediately to the passport and customs/immigration section.

You can then proceed to the arrivals level and meet him.

If for some reason you are checking a bag, this won't be possible as you'll need to collect your bag in the Domestic baggage claim and then take the shuttle bus around to the International terminal which can take a fair amount of time.