Rainy weather works its usual "magic" yesterday at PHL as countless flights are delayed or canceled and the whole airport backs up into the usual chaos that is PHL.

I was flying US 259 PHX-PHL yesterday. It's a full flight, actually overbooked as we wait for a 12:56PM departure. Then that dreaded announcement that an ATC flight hold is made. Our departure is now scheduled for closer to 3PM. Dash over to the US Club ( it's tiny and nearly packed full with other like-miinded folks).

Ten miinutes later, they announce that the ATC hold is lifted and boarding is right now. :cool: So we pile in and push back on time and are number 2 on the take-off queue. Life is good ( especially since I'm sitting up front ). Sky is a little bumpy near PHL, and we hit the gate at 7:30PM -just 7 minutes past scheduled arrival.

PHL terminal has the usual chaotic look and sense of dread as you look at the faces of waiting travelers whose flights are delayed. As I walk past the gates, you see folks languishing in chairs or queueing at the desk as you hear the GAs make PA announcments about delays. A quick glance at the big arrivals/departures board counts 22 cancelations and an equal number of flight departure delays before I give up half way through the board. So our flight is quite lucky indeed to depart on time and to arrive promptly.

I know better than to get too jubilant since I've checked a bag to PHL, the dread of any FFer :eek: . Baggage reclaim is packed with folks ( I can't quite figure why since so many flights are not arriving on schedule ). It's 35 minutes from gate arrival until our bags hit the belt. I won't call this a PHL success, as 25 to 30 minutes is where I draw the line at acceptable vs. unacceptable service. But given our earlier good fortune, I'll call this a good PHL experience especially since it's raining and the parking garages are choked full and my wife is lucky enough to find a parking spot.

My wife remarks that the airport looks and feels like Thanksgiving eve. She's reight, but we'll be safe at home that day.

Barry

I was also at PHL yesterday in that mess. I also had a few encouraging events:

1) Bags from my in-law's PVD flight were on the belt 10 minutes after arriving at the gate (in the F terminal)

2) Our BOS flight last night was delayed by about 1 1/2 hours. Once they began the boarding process, one of the supervisors came over and announced that if the door wasn't closed and the flight pushed back within 30 minutes, the crew would become illegal and the flight would be canceled. Naturally, I expected a scene from "Airplane!" to break out, but the agents handled it amazingly well. We were pushed back within 20 minutes (on a fully loaded 737 with many bags being gate checked). They later joked and said they should just announce that for every flight.

Kudos to both the gate agents and the F bag handlers!

I was on the 5:50 PHL-SAN flight which became a 7:15-ish SAN flight due to late arrival from PHX. Fortunately carried on my bags and scored a gate dance upgrade.

Heading out of PHL was a mess for most yesterday. I was scheduled on the 5:05 PHL-ATL, which was cancelled. Then I was put on a 6:45 to CLT (after being told no direct seats were available), which was cancelled. Then, I was put on the 7:55 to ATL, which took off at 10:40! Amazing what rain can do.

My fiance had a 730pm flight PHL-BOS...

The normal 45 minute tax and 45 minute flight arrived at 1035pm!

The worst part is that the aircraft didn't arrive until 830pm, but when she called at 630pm it showed on-tie in pouring rain....

:td:

I didn't fare as well yesterday.

On the 8:15 DCA-PHL flight that was delayed an hour in the terminal, then they switch our gate, then hurry us on to the plane only to tell us that we'll be sitting on the runway for 45 minutes, as the tower won't release us, but they needed the gate for another plane. I think we finally took off around 10pm.

I was lucky: on US for the first time in a long time (O/D to PHL is the only time I'll fly there). My 5:45pm flight to ROC was cancelled, but fortunately the 3:40pm flight was delayed to ... 5:40pm. It eventually left around 6:35pm after a maintenance delay, so I was only delayed about 50 minutes in the end. It was good that I suggested the earlier flight to the agent: she wanted to book me on the next later departure to ROC, the 8pm flight, which finally took off at 12:51am.

I feel like I got away lightly, with a warning to drive to PHL next time (7 hours) rather than fly.

Is there a reason that US can't have the departure boards reflect the actual status of flights? The 5:45pm flight was shown as 'On Time' the entire two hours I was in the airport. 'On Time' seemed to be a synonym for 'Cancelled' - the flights actually operating showed the new expected departure times.