Will my parents and I find each other in Rome airport?

You should have no probelms finding each other. You'll both go through passport control, pick up luggage (if necessary) and head through some frosted doors to the T3 Arrivals area. For some pictures and more info, see this link: Where to meet at FCO Airport

Great, thanks so much. Your link is super-useful! So you are quite sure we'll both be coming in at T3? I had called Delta, and they said we'd be coming in at T5, but from the link you gave me, that seems to be incorrect and instead, all US arrivals will come in at T3. Thank you!

One more question -- does FCO have departure/arrival boards that indicate whether other flights are on time or late? My parents will land 20 minutes before me, and I'm wondering if (1) they will be able to look at that board and see if I will arrive on time, and (2) if I will be able to look at the board and see if they arrived on time. If our flights are on time, we will land only 20 minutes apart, and I'm wondering if we'll be able to find each other at baggage?

T5 is a departure-only terminal (see this post: Terminal 5 at FCO) so you will both ARRIVE at probably the G gates and then head into Terminal 3 - might read this post: Arriving at FCO. Yes, there are arrival boards posted in the T3 waiting area (exit through the frosted doors and turn left to see them). Since you often have to wait on luggage for 45+ minutes at FCO you could actually meet them in the baggage area!

I'm addressing this to Ron, but instead of a PM I'll post it here for now and hope he sees it since it's definitely on-topic... I assumed from your (again, FANTASTIC!) post on 'where to meet at FCO' that I'd have to wait 'outside' for my in-laws to collect their baggage and meet us at the Meeting Point; your last post sounds like I can actually enter the baggage claim area - is that correct? (anything I can do to make that day go more smoothly......LOL!)

Eileen, the baggage area is a secured area only for deplaning and arriving passengers. If, like the example above, you are arriving on a flight you would pass through the baggage collection area on route to the frosted doors and the T3 Public Arrivals Area. So, if you are picking up your luggage you could wait for other folks arriving on another flight to get their luggage - although it's not the most comfortable area. If you are already outside security, waiting for someone in the public terminal, you cannot enter the secured baggage area. Unless your flights are arriving within a limited time-frame, I'd probably wait outside in the non-secured T3 Public Area. There are more facilities (cafe, shops) and flight arrival boards so you'll know more about what's going on. The only boards you'd see in the baggage claim area are boards telling you where to pick up "which" arriving flight's luggage. If they were delayed, you'd be hard pressed to know that standing in the baggage claim area. So unless their flight was right behind your's - or within say 30-45 minutes - I'd just wait outside in the public area.

There is also one other option you should consider; both of you should carry cell phones, and be able to use them for emergencies, without "breaking the bank". On our trip to Spain a month ago, we were meeting my cousin at the Amsterdam airport. Both flights would arrive at different times. She had never been to Europe . She had a different cell phone service than we did, so we told her how to get her phone set up for EU use. (She actually had to pay $20 to rent her phone for the vacation.) We had our AT&T phone set-up for a reduced rate, and got 50 "free" texts. Neither one of us usually "texts"; but we found it so handly, that we texted daily. If she got lost, we had instant communications. Planning for anything was easier when we knew that we could always contact each other. You may plan to meet in a certain spot, but if a plane was delayed, or re-routed, having the ability to contact each other would sure make things easier.

I have a similar situation. Flying into FCO on US Air from Charlotte, meeting my daughter who is flying into FCO form Paris on Vueling. Would she also be arriving at T3, and using the same baggage area? Thanks.

Thanks, Ron! Duh - the OP said they'd both be flying in on the same airline within 1/2 hour of each other; by the time I read your response, I'd already forgotten that (smacking forehead)! I didn't think I could sneak through The Frosted Doors...;-) We'll just hang out at The Meeting Point and watch for them...and hope all's going well 'back there'...

Ricki, Vueling also comes into T3 - though from a different (Schengen gates) direction. She will follow the "TO BAGGAGE" signs, being prepared to turn RIGHT and head DOWN some stairs to the Baggage Collection area. Here's the signage she will look for DOWN to the Baggage area. See the blue line on the floor curving to the right. If you miss this turn, and many folks do, you have to walk back and search! Sorry for lack of focus but I was running through the airport at the time: Schengen Gates Luggage Signage From the USA, you'll come into the baggage are at one end, luggage carousels starting at #1 - she'll enter from the other direction, around carousel #10. As she enters the baggage area, the frosted doors and customs area will be almost directly in front of her. It's the same hall, although it's really two large rooms. Most of the USA flights dump baggage at carousels 1-7. Luggage from Vueling will more than likely be dumped in the other "room", at carousels 9 or 10. To exit, you'll pick up your luggage at probably 1-7 and walk past carousel 9 on your way to the frosted doors, which would be on your right as you approach. Here's a photo taken in the baggage area of folks exiting the frosted doors into the public area. The customs guys are on the left side of the photo: Frosted Doors