Booking the return at the same time as the arrival means dispatch plans both legs together. Add your return date, time and pickup address when you book, and give a cross-border return extra buffer for the crossing.
Step by step
- Book both legs at once
Enter the return details on the same request. Dispatch plans the two legs together rather than as unrelated trips.
- Set the return pickup address
It often defaults to your arrival drop-off, but change it if you are staying somewhere different or attending an event before the airport.
- Work backwards from the flight
Start from the departure time, subtract check-in, then the drive, then the crossing if the return is cross-border.
- Confirm before travel day
If plans shift during your stay, contact dispatch as early as you can so the return can be adjusted.
The short version
- Add the return date, time and pickup address in the same booking.
- The return pickup address does not have to match your arrival drop-off.
- Cross-border returns need buffer for the crossing on top of check-in time.
- Early departures deserve more buffer than you think.
Why booking both legs together helps
The practical benefit is that it is one less thing to think about during the visit. The scheduling benefit is that dispatch can see both ends of the trip when assigning vehicles, rather than treating your return as a new request competing with everyone else.
It also means the return is already priced when you book, rather than quoted later.
Cross-border returns need more buffer
A return leg into the US carries the same variable border wait as the outbound trip, except this time a delay costs you a flight rather than a bit of your evening.
For an international departure, build the crossing into the plan rather than treating it as a rounding error, and check the published wait times on the morning you travel.
When your plans change mid-trip
Return details change more often than arrival details, because plans shift during a visit. Contacting dispatch as early as possible is the difference between an adjustment and a scramble.
Verified details
- Return details can be added to the same booking, so dispatch plans both legs together.
- The return pickup address does not have to match the arrival drop-off address.
- Each leg is priced at its own flat rate, confirmed before booking.
- The flat rate includes the first 35 minutes of border wait. Longer waits are billed at $35 per hour, with no blanket border fee.
Questions about this
Can I book my return trip at the same time?
Yes. Add the return date, time and pickup address to the same booking and dispatch plans both legs together.
Does the return pickup have to be where I was dropped off?
No. It often defaults to that address, but you can change it if you are staying somewhere different or attending an event before heading to the airport.
How much buffer should I leave for a cross-border return?
Enough for check-in plus the drive plus the crossing. A return into the US carries the same variable border wait as the outbound trip, and here a delay costs you a flight.
Can I change my return after booking?
Yes. Contact dispatch as early as possible with any change to date, time, passenger count or pickup address so the plan can be adjusted.
Official sources
Primary sources for the facts on this page. We are an independent transportation company and are not affiliated with any of them.
- CBP border wait times Check before a cross-border return
- Buffalo Airport flight information Confirm your departure status