If your flight lands late, the clock that matters is the one that starts when your wheels touch the tarmac — not the arrival time printed on your ticket.
That single detail decides whether a delayed flight costs you anything at all.
The short answer
AUSZ counts your complimentary waiting time from your flight's actual landing time, plus whatever pick-up delay you nominated when you booked. Your delay does not eat your waiting window, because your window has not started yet.
For airport pick-ups the complimentary period is 45 minutes (Terms & Conditions, clause 27). Waiting beyond it is charged at $1.00 per minute, or the applicable hourly rate for premium vehicles.
Why the starting point matters more than the number
Compare two ways of measuring the same trip.
Your flight is scheduled to land at 6:00 pm and actually lands at 7:10 pm.
Measured from the scheduled time, a 45-minute allowance expired at 6:45 pm — 25 minutes before you landed. You are paying for waiting that happened while you were still in the air.
Measured from actual landing, your 45 minutes begins at 7:10 pm and runs to 7:55 pm. The 70-minute delay cost you nothing.
Same allowance. Completely different outcome. This is the part worth checking with any chauffeur service, and it is rarely the number they advertise.
Nominating a pick-up delay is the other half
When you book an airport transfer you can nominate how long after landing you want to be collected — time for immigration, baggage, or a bag that takes a while to appear.
That nomination is added to the start of the window, not taken out of it. Nominate landing plus 30 minutes and your chauffeur is scheduled for 7:40 pm, with the complimentary period running from there.
This is why the honest answer to "how long will you wait for me?" depends on what you told us at booking. Nominate realistically and a delayed flight is a non-event.
What AUSZ actually watches
Your flight is tracked. Your chauffeur is given the revised landing time rather than the schedule, so the car arrives against the aircraft, not against the timetable.
If a flight is diverted or cancelled, the booking is held rather than dispatched, and we contact you before anyone drives to the wrong terminal.
What it costs if the wait runs long
Beyond the complimentary period, waiting is $1.00 per minute, or the hourly rate for premium vehicles.
A booking may be treated as a no-show 60 minutes after landing (or 30 minutes after a scheduled pick-up), with a fee of up to $120.00.
Tolls and airport parking are passed through at cost as separate line items — they are not built into the quoted fare. After-hours pick-ups between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am carry a $15.00 surcharge, and special events attract 50%–100% of the base fare, notified when you book.
We would rather write those numbers down than have you discover them on an invoice.
Frequently asked questions
Does the complimentary waiting time start when my flight was due, or when it landed?
When it actually landed — plus any pick-up delay you nominated at booking.
What happens after the complimentary period?
Waiting is charged at $1.00 per minute, or the applicable hourly rate for premium vehicles.
Does a long delay mean I have to rebook?
No. The booking is retimed against the tracked landing time. If the flight is cancelled or diverted we hold the booking and contact you rather than dispatching a car.
*Figures above are from the AUSZ Terms & Conditions (clauses 8, 11, 12 and 27) at auszglobal.com.au/terms-conditions, current at the time of writing.*
Book your Melbourne airport transfer and nominate the pick-up delay that suits your arrival.
