Pole 13 is our meeting point at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, on the arrivals level beside the limo parking area just outside baggage claim. The airport organises its entire arrivals curb by numbered poles and crosswalks, which is why a pole number, rather than a door or a landmark, is the precise way to say where to stand.
Step by step
- Collect your baggage first
Do not come outside before your bags are with you. The arrivals curb is an active pickup lane, not a waiting area, and your driver is planning around your real exit time.
- Head for ground transportation
Follow the ground transportation signage from baggage claim toward the arrivals level exit.
- Find Pole 13, beside the limo parking area
The arrivals curb is numbered. Pole 13 sits next to the limo parking area, which is where private and pre-booked operators wait rather than the taxi rank.
- Match up with your driver
Your driver contacts you on the day with their name and vehicle details, and already has your name, flight and passenger count from the booking.
- Have documents ready if you are crossing
For a Canadian trip, keep passports accessible rather than packed, and expect payment to be settled before the border rather than at the booth.
The short version
- Pole 13 is a pickup point on the arrivals curb, not a building or a desk.
- Different services use different crosswalks: the airport separates transit, coaches, on-demand shuttles and taxis.
- Your driver reaches out to you; you do not need to find a counter.
- If anything feels wrong, call dispatch before getting into any vehicle.
Why the curb is numbered at all
Buffalo Airport keeps each category of ground transport in its own place on the arrivals level so the curb does not gridlock: public transit at one crosswalk, coach services past the hotel shuttles at another, on-demand shuttles at a third, and taxis and rental cars at the far end. Knowing that the system exists is useful even if you are not travelling with us, because "outside baggage claim" is not a single place at BUF.
It also explains a common mix-up. Travellers who booked a private transfer sometimes join the taxi rank, which is a different crosswalk entirely and staffed by different operators. If you have a pre-booked ride, you want the private and limo area, not the rank.
Verified details
- Buffalo Airport organises arrivals-level ground transportation by numbered crosswalks: Metro Bus at Crosswalk 1b, coach buses past the hotel shuttles at Crosswalk 1a, on-demand shuttle services at Crosswalk 3, and taxis and car rental with access at Crosswalks 3 and 4.
- Our pickup point is Pole 13, beside the limo parking area outside baggage claim, and is the same for every Buffalo Shuttle trip regardless of destination.
- Payment is collected before crossing the international border, and card payments carry a disclosed 4 percent processing fee.
Questions about this
Is Pole 13 inside the terminal?
No. It is outside on the arrivals curb, beside the limo parking area just past baggage claim. Collect your bags first, then follow ground transportation signage out to the numbered poles.
What if I cannot find my driver at Pole 13?
Call our dispatch line before getting into any vehicle. Your driver will already have contacted you with their name and vehicle details, so if someone approaches you who does not match that, do not travel with them. Dispatch runs 24/7 and can put you directly in touch.
Does the pickup point change for a Canadian trip?
No. Pole 13 is the pickup point for every Buffalo Shuttle trip from BUF, whether you are going to downtown Buffalo, Niagara Falls Canada, or Toronto. What changes for a Canadian trip is that documents need to be accessible and payment is settled before the crossing.
Official sources
Primary sources for the facts on this page. We are an independent transportation company and are not affiliated with any of them.
- Buffalo Airport ground transportation Official crosswalk locations for every service type
- Buffalo Airport terminal maps Terminal and arrivals level layout