Scheduled, Estimated, Landed and Arrived: What Flight Status Means for Your Airport Transfer

Your flight is scheduled to arrive at 18:20, so that's the time you enter when booking your airport transfer.

Later, you check the flight and see:

Estimated: 18:55

After it reaches the destination, the status changes again:

Landed

and perhaps later:

Arrived

Do you need to update your transfer every time one of these details changes?

Usually, no.

These statuses describe different stages of the same flight. For a transfer passenger, the important thing is knowing the difference between a flight that's simply running early or late and a flight that has actually changed.

What Does “Scheduled” Mean?

Scheduled is the planned time shown for the flight.

For example:

Flight: XY123
Scheduled arrival: 18:20

If your transfer booking form asks for the scheduled arrival time, enter 18:20.

You don't need to predict whether the aircraft will actually arrive at exactly 18:20. You're providing the confirmed flight information shown on your itinerary.

What Does “Estimated” Mean?

Estimated is an updated prediction of when the flight is expected to arrive.

For example:

Scheduled: 18:20
Estimated: 18:55

The flight is still scheduled for 18:20, but the latest information suggests it will arrive at 18:55.

That estimate can change again.

You might later see:

Estimated: 19:05

and then:

Estimated: 18:50

That's normal. An estimated arrival time is a moving prediction, not a new scheduled time.

Do You Need to Update Your Transfer When the Estimated Time Changes?

Normally, no — not if you're still travelling on the same flight.

Suppose your transfer booking contains:

XY123 — Scheduled arrival 18:20

The estimate changes to 18:40 and then 18:55.

You're still arriving on XY123.

The time has changed. The flight hasn't.

If your transfer provider uses flight information to monitor arrivals, the flight number gives it a specific flight to identify even when the timing changes.

Exactly how delays are monitored and handled varies between transfer companies, so you should still check the waiting and delay policy attached to your booking.

Why Is the Flight Number Important?

An arrival time by itself isn't very specific.

Compare:

Arrival: 18:20

with:

XY123 — Scheduled arrival 18:20

The second gives the transfer operator a specific flight to identify.

That's particularly useful when the aircraft is running early or late.

A changing estimated time doesn't change the identity of the flight.

This is why entering the correct flight number is an important part of booking an airport pickup.

What Does “Landed” Mean?

When a flight is shown as Landed, the aircraft has reached the ground at its destination.

It doesn't mean the passenger is already standing at the transfer meeting point.

The aircraft may still need to taxi to its gate or parking stand. Passengers then need to get off the aircraft and make their way through the airport.

So the useful distinction is:

Landed = the aircraft is on the ground

not:

Landed = the passenger is outside the terminal

What Does “Arrived” Mean?

This status is less straightforward because airlines, airports and flight-information services don't all use exactly the same status definitions.

Depending on the system, Arrived may indicate a later stage of the aircraft's arrival than Landed, such as reaching its gate or stand.

For an airport transfer passenger, you don't need to get too caught up in the technical distinction.

The important point is that Arrived doesn't mean you've reached your driver.

You may still be getting off the aircraft, going through passport control or waiting for your luggage.

Flight status describes the flight. It doesn't track your progress through the terminal.

Scheduled vs Estimated vs Landed vs Arrived

Here's the practical version:

Scheduled
The planned arrival time.

Estimated
The latest prediction of when the flight will arrive.

Landed
The aircraft has touched down.

Arrived
A later arrival status in some flight-information systems; the exact definition can vary.

None of these means:

Passenger has reached the transfer meeting point.

How Can Flight Information Help With an Airport Transfer?

A transfer operator may use flight information to check details such as the flight number, scheduled arrival, estimated arrival, delay information and current status.

This can help when an incoming flight is running early or late.

But not every transfer company uses the same software, flight-data provider or operating procedure.

That's why it's better not to assume that every airport transfer company automatically tracks every flight in exactly the same way.

As a passenger, the most useful thing you can do is provide accurate flight details when you book.

Can Flight Tracking Tell the Driver When You've Collected Your Bags?

No.

Flight information follows the aircraft, not the individual passenger.

It doesn't tell the driver whether you're at passport control, waiting at baggage reclaim or already walking towards the arrivals hall.

That's why a flight showing Landed or Arrived isn't the same as you being ready to meet your driver.

If you want a more detailed explanation of what happens between the aircraft arriving and the passenger leaving the terminal, see our guide to flight arrival time vs airport exit time.

What If Your Flight Is Delayed?

Suppose you're booked on:

XY123
Scheduled arrival: 18:20

The latest information now shows:

Estimated arrival: 19:05

If you're still travelling on XY123, your arrival flight hasn't changed.

It's simply running late.

You generally don't need to keep editing your transfer reservation every time the estimated arrival moves.

How the delay is handled depends on your transfer provider's flight-monitoring and waiting policy.

What If Your Flight Arrives Early?

The same idea applies when a flight is ahead of schedule.

If XY123 was scheduled for 18:20 but is now expected at 18:05, you're still on XY123.

Again:

the time has changed; the flight hasn't.

If you've provided the correct flight details, there's normally no reason to invent a new scheduled arrival time yourself.

When Should You Update Your Transfer Company?

This is the most useful distinction to remember.

Same flight, different time

You booked:

XY123 — 18:20

It is now expected at:

19:05

You're still on XY123.

The flight is delayed, but the flight itself hasn't changed.

Different flight

You were supposed to arrive on:

XY123 — 18:20

The airline then rebooks you onto:

XY127 — 21:40

Now your arrival flight has changed.

Your transfer provider needs the new flight details.

This can happen after a cancellation or a missed connection.

If you're travelling on a connecting itinerary and aren't sure which flight to provide, see our guide to which flight details to give your transfer company when you have a connection.

What If Your Flight Is Cancelled?

A cancellation is different from a normal delay because the original flight may no longer arrive at all.

If the airline rebooks you, wait until your replacement itinerary is confirmed and then give your transfer provider the new:

• flight number;
• arrival date;
• scheduled arrival time;
• and arrival airport, if it has changed.

The transfer company needs your confirmed replacement flight rather than an estimate of what might happen next.

What If Your Flight Is Diverted?

A diversion can change more than the arrival time.

For example, a flight originally scheduled to land at Antalya Airport may be sent to another airport.

If that happens, the airport on your transfer booking may no longer match where you've actually landed.

Once the airline confirms what will happen next, contact your transfer provider with the updated information.

A diversion isn't simply a late flight. The arrival location itself may have changed.

Does Flight Monitoring Guarantee That a Driver Will Wait?

No.

Flight monitoring and a transfer company's waiting policy are two different things.

A provider may be able to see that a flight is delayed, but that doesn't automatically mean unlimited waiting is included in your booking.

Waiting policies for long delays, cancellations, diversions and other disruptions vary between transfer companies.

Check the conditions supplied with your reservation rather than assuming that “flight monitored” means the same thing with every provider.

What Does This Mean for an Antalya Airport Transfer?

If you're arriving at Antalya Airport (AYT) for a transfer to Alanya, make sure your reservation contains the correct arrival flight.

For example:

Flight: XY123
Airport: AYT
Scheduled arrival: 18:20

If the estimate later changes to 19:05, it's still XY123.

The expected time has changed, but the flight associated with your transfer hasn't.

That's the practical value of providing the correct flight number.

What About Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport?

The same applies if you're arriving at Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport (GZP).

Make sure the flight on your transfer booking is actually arriving at GZP.

For passengers travelling to Alanya:

AYT = Antalya Airport

GZP = Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport

They are separate airports, so your transfer booking needs to match your actual arrival airport.

What Should You Enter When Booking Your Transfer?

Use the confirmed information on your flight itinerary.

Check these four details:

Flight number
Use the flight arriving at your pickup airport.

Scheduled arrival time
Use the scheduled local arrival time if that's what the booking form asks for.

Arrival date
Use the local date on which the flight reaches your pickup airport.

Arrival airport
Make sure you've selected the correct airport.

Don't replace the scheduled time with an estimated arrival you've seen on a flight tracker unless your transfer provider specifically asks you to.

Estimated times can change.

A Quick Flight Status Checklist

You don't need to become a flight-tracking expert to book an airport transfer correctly.

Just remember:

Scheduled = planned arrival time.

Estimated = latest predicted arrival time.

Landed = aircraft has touched down.

Arrived = a later arrival status in some systems, although the exact definition varies.

Same flight, new time = your flight is early or delayed.

New flight number = your arrival flight has changed.

New arrival airport = contact your transfer provider.

That's enough for most airport transfer situations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I enter the scheduled or estimated arrival time when booking an airport transfer?

If the form asks for your scheduled flight arrival time, use the scheduled local arrival shown on your confirmed itinerary. Don't replace it with a changing estimate unless your transfer provider specifically asks you to.

What does estimated arrival mean?

It's the latest prediction of when the flight is expected to arrive. The estimate can change as the journey progresses.

Does “Landed” mean the passenger is outside the airport?

No. It means the aircraft has landed. Passengers still need to get off the aircraft and make their way through the airport.

Does “Arrived” mean the passenger has met the driver?

No. The exact use of the status varies between flight-information systems, but it shouldn't be treated as confirmation that an individual passenger has reached the meeting point.

Do I need to contact my transfer company every time my flight is delayed?

Not necessarily. If you're still travelling on the same flight, follow your provider's delay and waiting policy. If the airline moves you onto a different flight, provide the new flight details.

The Bottom Line

Flight statuses change throughout a journey, but the distinction that matters most for your transfer is simple:

Has the time changed, or has the flight changed?

If XY123 is scheduled for 18:20 but is now estimated at 19:05, you're still arriving on XY123.

If the airline moves you from XY123 to XY127, you now have a different arrival flight and should update your transfer provider.

And remember:

Scheduled is the planned time.
Estimated is the latest prediction.
Landed means the aircraft is on the ground.
Arrived is a later arrival status in some flight-information systems.

For an Alanya airport transfer, also make sure the airport matches your booking:

AYT = Antalya Airport

GZP = Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport

Accurate flight details give your transfer provider a reliable reference even when the timing changes.