Since it seems like every thread gets hijacked and turns into a complaint-fest about the crown jewel of the US Airways network, I figured I would start a thread to list all of the complaints we have about PHL (the airport and operations, not the city).


Baggage handling is slow (if the bags are delivered at all)
Rude, surly, and unprofessional staff
Lack of preferred security checkpoints
Terminal area dirty
Gate area furniture needs replacement/overhaul
Old podiums need to be properly dismantled and the carpets/walls patched.
Rampers/ground crew are non-existant
"Typical" weather causes cascading delays
The shuttle to/from the F terminal is slow


What else bugs you about Philly? Post your complaints here! :)

Shoe carnival is in force at PHL. :td:

Lack of good Philly cheesesteaks. ;)

dh

Traffic, traffic, traffic

Without elaborating more, I think you've captured pretty much every beef that's come across this board in the last few years.

I would, however, add that the last 2 items are largely out of US control. Weather delays are handled by ATC (aside from the fact that airlines are overscheduling slots of time again). The shuttle from F to C to A(does it run there yet) I think is airport run, so is that something we can blame on USAirways? Maybe, maybe not.

Shuttle available directly from more terminals and going to more terminals (get rid of walking to another terminal from where you are just to get the shuttle).

This could turn into the longest thread on FlyerTalk. :rolleyes:

This could turn into the longest threat on FlyerTalk. :rolleyes:

Freudian slip? :D

This could turn into the longest threat on FlyerTalk. :rolleyes:

Let's see...

PHL is a threat to one's checked luggage...

PHL is a threat to one's mental health...

PHL is a threat to the whole US system...

There is one benefit to US/PHL .... those of us who are based there have been conditioned so any problems encountered on the road seem trivial <G>.

Sigh...Sad but true.

I would, however, add that the last 2 items are largely out of US control. Weather delays are handled by ATC (aside from the fact that airlines are overscheduling slots of time again). The shuttle from F to C to A(does it run there yet) I think is airport run, so is that something we can blame on USAirways? Maybe, maybe not.

PHL - I wont argue whether they are within their control or not, but its part of the traveling experience. If its negative, it affects US.

Even though not on the list, hypothetically lets say that there were rats roaming the terminal and the airport authority wasnt exterminating them. Sure US isnt responsible, but you can sure bet it would affect people's desire to fly US (or through PHL more generally) again.

I assure you US gets tons of letters complaining about things outside their control, e.g. weather delays screwing up connections. But thats irrelevant.

Youre right to say they may not be to blame, but they inevitably are accountable in the eye of the traveler. Unfortunately, they do not seem to have learned this yet.

It should become part of New Jersey. (ducking)

It should become part of New Jersey. (ducking)

Why? Doesn't New Jersey have enough problems already?


Add to list of complaints- No signage from rental car exits to enter I-95 Southbound. Very confusing.

I have certainly complained enough about PHL, so I should be fair and mention that they did NOT lose my luggage yesterday. I had to break my personal rule about not checking baggage because I had a long business trip, so I checked a suitcase in ALB and it made it through the transfer at PHL and showed up in RDU.

Of course, just as we were boarding (on time) in PHL, I heard the pitter patter of rain drops (at about 3:30 PM) and sure enough, 10 min later the captain said that we were ready to push back but the ramp was closed due to thunderstorms so nobody could push us. Finally pushed back and of course had to queue up with everyone else waiting to take off. At least I was sitting in F and the AC was working.

There is one benefit to US/PHL .... those of us who are based there have been conditioned so any problems encountered on the road seem trivial <G>.


I finally understand why I love to travel so much! Because I get to experience seemingly fantastic airports everywhere else in the U.S.! :D

Heaven forbid I disagree with Spiff, but I have NEVER had a shoe carnival experience at PHL. I've never even been asked to show them; I simply walk through.

In addition to the baggage disgrace, I think the next major problem is ground crew attention. I HATE arriving into PHL and waiting for ground crew to wave the plane in. The important point is both baggage and ground crew attention are directly within US's control. Aesthetics, runway, and weather problems are not.

Heaven forbid I disagree with Spiff, but I have NEVER had a shoe carnival experience at PHL. I've never even been asked to show them; I simply walk through.

In addition to the baggage disgrace, I think the next major problem is ground crew attention. I HATE arriving into PHL and waiting for ground crew to wave the plane in. The important point is both baggage and ground crew attention are directly within US's control. Aesthetics, runway, and weather problems are not.

Apparently, it's a recent development.

See the List of Shoe Carnival Airports and those who do it right (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383841) thread in the Travel Safety & Security forum for more info.

Apparently, it's a recent development.

See the List of Shoe Carnival Airports and those who do it right (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=383841) thread in the Travel Safety & Security forum for more info.

Last time through at PHL I got the stern "you might want to put your shoes on the belt" admonition from the TSA minder so it seems to be a bit random :rolleyes:

...and let us not forget the dancing mice in the B/C US Club. Of course, they do provide a certain entertainment value, are usually not rude, and never, ever lose your luggage. :p

Did anyone mention the real-life reincarnation of "Soul Plane" in Terminal F?

Freudian slip? :D

Yes!

Slow @ss shuttle buses from the cheapo parking lot - it's quicker to just walk to Terminal F.

Anyone forget about the too close runways that only allow one takeoff/landing at a time which stacks up the line of planes causing delays. :(

P.S. Haven't gone through the shoe carnival here yet. FLL requests that I even take off my sandals! :mad:

Great thread, markbach ^

To add to the above ... not enough attention is given to passengers who connect through PHL as a gateway city from Europe. Signage is poor, connection times are ambitious on usairways.com given the snaking security reclearance lines, and it's pretty bewildering for first-timers attempting to reach domestic connections having just arrived off a long-haul. Given the strength of US at PHL, there is no excuse for this kind of experience.

Credit where it's due: I quick like the US Club next to the international gates (B/C?) ^

[QUOTE=markbach]Since it seems like every thread gets hijacked and turns into a complaint-fest about the crown jewel of the US Airways network, QUOTE]

I've only flown to Philly once and it was 4+ years ago but why is it considered the "crown jewel" of US Air? It seems that CLT gets most of the attention and press but not being from the city of brotherly love and taunts and bad air service I don't know...Where does this come from?

Along the lines of things that US can't control, but still colors the flying experience: the proximity of New York to the north and DC to the south make for really restricted airspace that seems to breed delays.

As Mrs. LuxCal always tells me, there's a very thin line between love and hate. Does this mean that we all secretly love PHL?

I'll leave it to y'all to determine why Mrs. LuxCal would be telling me this. ;)

John

I've only flown to Philly once and it was 4+ years ago but why is it considered the "crown jewel" of US Air? It seems that CLT gets most of the attention and press but not being from the city of brotherly love and taunts and bad air service I don't know...Where does this come from?

CLT is now the crown jewel because it's the last of US's cities that require jewels as a form of payment due to high O/D fares.

Not for long, though... ;) It will be a sweet day when CLT fares are normalized and most CLT BloFares are eliminated.

I definately agree that CLT has outrageous fares to certain cities but by using "creative" ticketing methods I can stay off the ATA's and I Airs that also fly out of there. I have taken towncars from Charlotte to Greensboro and Greenville and then flown back to CLT to avoid ridiculous prices (but I do gain miles and segs so it's not ALL bad) but it IS possible. Many fares are just silly there...call it cheering for he hometeam, but as far as I am concerned CLT is about as fine an airport as I have had the opportunity to travel in...

call it cheering for he hometeam, but as far as I am concerned CLT is about as fine an airport as I have had the opportunity to travel in...
I have to agree with this; I fly through CLT whenever I get the chance. It's small enough that I can actually walk from the far end of concourse B (my flight from LAX) to the far end of concourse E (my flight to PHF) within the 25 minutes between my connecting flights. Doing this through PHL means getting on the shuttle, and then hoping that the transcon is in terminal C (or vice versa, depending on which way I'm going).

On the somewhat rare occasions when I find myself in CLT for more than an hour or so, there are even enough bars in the terminal to keep me occupied (and well-lubricated...) while I wait.

If that's not enough, the ground staff there can't be beat. I had a flight LAX-CLT-PHF last month, for which the CLT-PHF leg was cancelled due to weather. Upon hearing the announcement, I found the US customer service desk (I can't picture it right this second, but it's in the E concourse), and they had already rebooked me, as well as the other 25 people who were suddenly stranded.

Long story somewhat shorter...to quote GoodTimePete, "CLT is about as fine an airport as I have had the opportunity to travel in".

OK, so he said it better.

John

CLT is unfortunately also a Shoe Carnival, so I try to skip the O/D and refuse to spend any money when transiting CLT.

CLT is about as fine an airport as I have had the opportunity to travel in...

Ditto. One Express connection in the D concourse sold me. I now refuse to fly UX out of IAD unless absolutely necessary. :D

I'll connect in CLT any day over just about any airport in the country.

All I can add is that I will pay extra to connect via CLT...I try to avoid PHL at all costs...especially with the bag handling problems. It's a 3 ring circus sometimes with everyone taking all their luggage onboard to avoid checking it. I have not had any issues connecting with CLT..weather aside, maybe PHL can take some lessons from there....
:cool:

CLT is unfortunately also a Shoe Carnival, so I try to skip the O/D and refuse to spend any money when transiting CLT.

So let me get this straight... you penalize local merchants because of the actions of a government agency?

That makes a whole lotta sense....

So let me get this straight... you penalize local merchants because of the actions of a government agency?

That makes a whole lotta sense....

Yeah, I'm sorry about the collateral damage, but the merchants in the airports with Shoe Carnivals should be telling their FSD to cut the crap.

If some mall security hack tried to frisk me or otherwise harass me, I wouldn't spend a dime there either.

Yeah, I'm sorry about the collateral damage, but the merchants in the airports with Shoe Carnivals should be telling their FSD to cut the crap.

If some mall security hack tried to frisk me or otherwise harass me, I wouldn't spend a dime there either.

Mall security is private contract. With TSA... you (as well as the airport) don't really have a choice.

Merchants have zero say over the TSA.... having worked within an airport authority who was frustrated with TSA... the airport management themselves are often powerless to do much of anything.

But, if you want to take it out on innocents who are themselves victimized by TSA (you wouldn't believe what they put merchants past security through... and their employees have to deal with the same crap every day going through the checkpoint) then go for it.

You haven't by chance been to Watertown, NY lately? Apparently some top tier FF blew a gasket when he was asked to remove his shoes and submit to a secondary screening... to the point they threatened him with denied boarding.

Yeah, I'm sorry about the collateral damage, but the merchants in the airports with Shoe Carnivals should be telling their FSD to cut the crap.

If some mall security hack tried to frisk me or otherwise harass me, I wouldn't spend a dime there either.

Ah, but Spiff, you're denying yourself the pleasure of Krispy Kreme located in the atrium. Perhaps you have stronger willpower than I. ;)

If it were up to Jerry Orr (Airport Director at CLT) there would be no shoe carnival, and the Feds would let him do what he wants.

I have Krispy Kreme in Louisville, thanks. :)

Nope, haven't been to ART but I don't blame anyone for 'blowing a gasket' about shoe removal. It's pointless harassment.

As for CLT and other Shoe Carnivals, local merchants and airport managers DO have a say. They can go to the FSD and tell him or her to stop harassing the passengers with these pissant shoe perversions. It does not happen at ORD. It does not happen at LAX. The only reason it happens at airports like CLT and PHL is that the FSD there is a candy-assed little shoe pervert. The more people who put pressure on these FSDs, the more likely it is that these slime will stop playing their stupid shoe games.

Nope, haven't been to ART but I don't blame anyone for 'blowing a gasket' about shoe removal. It's pointless harassment.


I'll let you fight this battle..... I personally think you're off the deep end, but maybe I have other things to worry about and spending a lot of time working at an airport and having to take ones shoes off a few times a day, I'm just used to it or more likely I don't see what the big deal is and just don't care.

I'll let you fight this battle..... I personally think you're off the deep end, but maybe I have other things to worry about and spending a lot of time working at an airport and having to take ones shoes off a few times a day, I'm just used to it or more likely I don't see what the big deal is and just don't care.

Never will I, nor should anyone else, "get used" to strip searches just to get on a commercial airplane. :td:

The TSA is welcome to go to hell, hell, hell for forcing passengers to submit to such harassment in order to fly. I cannot wait for this disgrace of an agency to be permanently disbanded and its leaders hopefully punished.

Along with the issues already mentioned, let's add the almost total lack of coordination between express and mainline.

Never will I, nor should anyone else, "get used" to strip searches just to get on a commercial airplane. :td:

The TSA is welcome to go to hell, hell, hell for forcing passengers to submit to such harassment in order to fly. I cannot wait for this disgrace of an agency to be permanently disbanded and its leaders hopefully punished.

A strip search? By slipping off my shoes for about 15 seconds? I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've gotten secondary screened with a full pat down in the last two years or so. And 3 of those were at small airports with just a few passengers departing and most everybody got a full search.


Regarding Philadelphia: I avoid it for connections. Though I frequently use the airport as it's often my final destination. I know better than to check bags though and when I leave, it's normally in mid-morning when the weather tends to be okay.

A strip search? By slipping off my shoes for about 15 seconds? I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I've gotten secondary screened with a full pat down in the last two years or so. And 3 of those were at small airports with just a few passengers departing and most everybody got a full search.

Yes. A strip search. As in, being forced to remove one or more articles of clothing. Worse yet, the filth that is the TSA has integrated groping, aka pat-downs as part of this disgusting, un-American process.

Yes. A strip search. As in, being forced to remove one or more articles of clothing. Worse yet, the filth that is the TSA has integrated groping, aka pat-downs as part of this disgusting, un-American process.

I don't know where you're flying or what you're doing but I don't get these pat downs and rarely see people getting one without beeping in the machine or being generally uncooperative.

I don't see taking my shoes off as any different than removing my belt. Then again, my shoes would beep anyway.

I don't see taking my shoes off as any different than removing my belt. Then again, my shoes would beep anyway.

Mine do not. There is nothing that can be hidden in shoes that cannot be hidden in a person, molded to their body, or put in their underwear.

Shoe checks accomplish nothing except harassment. Those responsible for this harassment should be fired, or better yet deported.

To add to the off-topic nature of this ongoing discussion. What's really sad is when they make you take off your sandals to run through the machine! :confused: Since when did my 1/2 inch thick sandals ever pose a threat to commercial aviation?? :confused:

To add to the off-topic nature of this ongoing discussion. What's really sad is when they make you take off your sandals to run through the machine! :confused: Since when did my 1/2 inch thick sandals ever pose a threat to commercial aviation?? :confused:

Even your 3" platform sandals are no more a threat to commercial aviation than the volume of space available beneath your undergarments and in your body cavities.

And the the volume of material that these imbeciles are supposedly looking for doesn't have to be very large to blow up or bring down a plane. A volume of plastic explosives the size of a deck of playing cards will do nicely and it will easily fit in just about anyone's undergarments or rectum. Plastic explosives are extremely malleable. You can mold them into a convenient shape to get them past "security" and then reshape them to do maximum damage to your target.

The Shoe Carnival is a disgrace.

I don't see taking my shoes off as any different than removing my belt. Then again, my shoes would beep anyway.

I have never had to take my belt off (which is visible to TSA) yet I have to take off my 1" flip flops almost everytime!

I have never had to take my belt off (which is visible to TSA) yet I have to take off my 1" flip flops almost everytime!

Somewhere on my last trip to the left coast, I got caught in a shoe carnival and I had to remove the belt because the walk thru caught it. I think it was, of all places, GSO.

A volume of plastic explosives the size of a deck of playing cards will do nicely and it will easily fit in just about anyone's undergarments or rectum.
I already stink at cards. I don't need the cards to stink as well; they'll stay out of my rectum, thank you very much. :D

Ah, the joys of selective editing.

I already stink at cards. I don't need the cards to stink as well; they'll stay out of my rectum, thank you very much. :D

Ah, the joys of selective editing.

My point was that there are plenty of other hiding places for malleable plastic explosives and harassing passengers about their footwear is one of the most stupidest, un-American things to happen withinin the last 50 years in the realm of civil liberties.

I checked in the self-service at PHL today. Some guy went off on the woman working there. She partially deserved it as she was being rude and unreponsive. I asked her a question b/c my machine told me I had to talk to the agent. Instead of answering or responding to my question, she just asked if I was "X" person who's bag she was ready to tag. She then tagged that person's bag and ignored me. Then, a guy come up and she did the same drill. She asked him if he was person Y (who's bad she was ready to tag).

This guy got fedup and asked her, "What's your problem?"
She feigned innocence and asked what his problem was.
Then he yelled, "What's your problem?! Don't work in customer service if you can't deal with it!"
She try to deny she was having an attitude and he yelled back, "HEY, DO YOUR JOB AND TAG THE BAG."

They went back and forth about calling the supervisor but I stopped paying attention as I found another agent to help me with my problem. When the surly agent was done with the yelling customer, she walked over and said, "I told that woman [the woman travelling with the angry guy] that I feel sorry for her for having to deal with him all the time."

my lurve with PHL is "We are 4,291 for take-off" :mad: :td:

My favorite?

Having an hour and a half connection time, "just in case". Yet... Removing shoes (sorry Spiff) for a stocking-foot sprint from one end of B to the other end of C upon deplaning from first segment severely delayed due to traffic. Having door of second segment literally close in my face as I arrive - about 1 1/2 minutes late.

The only consolation, if you can call it that, is that I am not alone. At least 7 other pax - 3 of them CPs - are also standing there at the gate, yet not allowed to get on the airplane.

The pouty GA speaks not a word of explanation, apology or thanks for our understanding, but merely shoves boarding passes for the next flight our way. Back of the bus, an RJ, and a window.

Now I have 2 hours to catch my breath from the sprint and, well, put my shoes back on.

Best part... Buckled up on the next flight out, the captain announces we'll will be sitting at the gate for about 30 more minutes... to wait for delayed connecting passengers.

Ah... love PHL. It's all just part of the day at PHL.

Had a USX flight today from PHL to ATL. Mrs PHL was going with me and there was a seat assignment snafu with her res, so we drove over early. Got there at 9:30 for an 11:35 departure. Good thing.

Went to the D-E garage, and the entrances were coned and closed. OK, lets loop back and try A-B. Make the grand loop and A-B is closed also, as is C. Every single garage was closed at 9:30am. No signs, no explanations. Just closed. One more return to terminal loop and out to Economy where we found a spot somewhere just shy of the Platt Bridge. 15 cold minutes later the shuttle bus arrives at the A bus stop (where several frantic people had far less time to spare than we had), is packed by the B bus stop, passes all the rest of the stops, and just about 10:30 we stagger off the bus at the F Terminal.

Could every garage have been full on a Tuesday at 9:30am? Seemed unlikely, so before saying hi to the TSA, I went over the bridge to the E Garage, up to level 6, and took a peak. Nearly empty. Maybe 20 cars. So why were all the PHL parking garages closed? Who knows? It is PHL: that says it all.

By the way, US cleared up the seating issue and the flight was great.