Free $0 wait zone near Terminal 1 pickups
The Cell Phone Waiting Lot at Hector International Airport is the free on-site option for pickup staging, with a posted daily rate of $0. It sits a short drive from Terminal 1, so drivers can wait off the terminal curb until their passenger is actually at baggage claim or the arrivals door.
There’s no ticket, no time-stamped entry, and no payment machine here, unlike the main short-term and long-term lots that FAR advertises. You just pull into the Cell Phone Waiting Lot, park, and stay with your car until you get the call or text that the flight has landed and bags are coming out.
The airport only lists two paid options—short-term and long-term—so this on-site Cell Phone Waiting Lot fills the gap for quick pickup runs. Use it if you’re meeting a flight that lands at 14:10 and you’re not sure how long bags or deplaning will take, instead of circling the terminal road or clogging the curb.
Since the daily cost is $0, this lot suits drivers who expect to wait 5 to 30 minutes and don’t want to roll the dice on curb security shooing them away. If your passenger is delayed or the arrival board shows a new ETA 40 minutes out, you can stay put here without racking up short-term fees in the main garage.
Tip: Have your passenger text from the Terminal 1 exit door number before you leave the Cell Phone Waiting Lot, then follow airport signs to arrivals so you’re at the curb for under 5 minutes.