US Airways Dividend Miles (Pre-FlightFund Merger) - LGW via PHL??????

Planning a trip to London in October - looking to connect via PHL. However, I have been reading such horror stories lately, esp with late and lost luggage, should I make other plans? Starting a cruise in Europe and would hate not to have any luggage.

Thanks!

Go through CLT. Not only is it a better airport, but far fewer delays, and you should be on the Airbus A330-300 instead of the Boeing 767-200ER. Airbus is way nicer.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by gnomie:
Planning a trip to London in October - looking to connect via PHL. However, I have been reading such horror stories lately, esp with late and lost luggage, should I make other plans? Starting a cruise in Europe and would hate not to have any luggage.

Thanks!</font>

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dsingerUNC:
Go through CLT. Not only is it a better airport, but far fewer delays, and you should be on the Airbus A330-300 instead of the Boeing 767-200ER. Airbus is way nicer.

</font>

I agree completely. I have two roundtrip LGA-LGW coming up. Tried booking all through CLT but on one of the 4 transatlantic segments it was sold out. So I have 3 through CLT and one leg LGW-PIT. I would definately avoid PHL.

Your profile says you are from New York city. If that's true, then you'd be best to just drive or shuttle it down to PHL rather than deal with the hassles of taking a short flight, connecting, transitting from terminal F to A and worrying about bags. In fact, if you're within 2 hours drive of PHL in the NY area, that's still a better alternative.

I wouldn't fly all the way down to CLT just to avoid the 'possibility' of lost bags. That problem was bad, but has improved a lot over the last few months. And, yeah - definitely make sure you book your flight on the A330.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PHL:
Your profile says you are from New York city. If that's true, then you'd be best to just drive or shuttle it down to PHL rather than deal with the hassles of taking a short flight, connecting, transitting from terminal F to A and worrying about bags. In fact, if you're within 2 hours drive of PHL in the NY area, that's still a better alternative.

I wouldn't fly all the way down to CLT just to avoid the 'possibility' of lost bags. That problem was bad, but has improved a lot over the last few months. And, yeah - definitely make sure you book your flight on the A330.</font>

With all due respect, are you serious? You are suggesting someone drive to PHL from NY just to avoid flying connecting through there? I would actually agree it would be better than taking the connection, but the logical extension of that is to fly to CLT or PIT or take a nonstop on AA or UA. The connecting flights to CLT or PIT will likely be on nicer planes and take less time than the drive from NY to PHL. Personally, I would put all of those options ahead of flying through (or driving to) PHL. From many places in metro NY, if you allow an extra hour for the drive plus 2 hours to check in, etc at PHL that is almost as long as the flight from JFK-LHR. As I have posted on other threads, I recently flew CDG-PHL-LGA on US, sitting in Row 1 on the airbus on the transatlantic segment. I would rather fly across the pond in coach on an AA MRTC 777 (and yes I have done it recently)than do that on US again. I am expecting much better on US through CLT or PIT, however.


[This message has been edited by GadgetFreak (edited 08-12-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by GadgetFreak:
With all due respect, are you serious? </font>I did that in April. I live near Harrisburg; originally was scheduled MDT-PHL-LGW outbound and LGW-PIT-MDT return. I rebooked due to the war and on the agent originally routed us MDT-PHL-LGW + LGW-PHL-MDT. Told the agent I'd just take the legs between PHL and LGW, thank you.

If you can cut a leg off your journey it's worth adding 90 minutes or so to the drive, IMO.

My post was based on the assumption the poster wants to fly on US. If they are within relatively easy reach of PHL, I'd still say to drive it before flying to PIT or CLT.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by PHL:
My post was based on the assumption the poster wants to fly on US. If they are within relatively easy reach of PHL, I'd still say to drive it before flying to PIT or CLT.</font>

Sorry, didnt mean to over react. What I was trying to say was that in my opinion, the problem is PHL. Driving to PHL only helps somewhat. The flight from NY to PIT or CLT is probably a lot shorter that the drive from NY to PHL. Also, going to PIT or CLT avoids PHL. I cant imagine getting back after a 6 or 7 hour flight and then going through INS and customs at PHL and then having to drive 2 or 3 hours through NY traffic. I think it is less time and more convenient to fly through CLT or PIT out of NY than to fly or drive to PHL if one is going to LGW.

&gt;"Starting a cruise in Europe and would hate not to have any luggage."

Several cruise lines advertise a service that picks up and sends your luggage to the ship. It's there waiting for you. I have a Seabourn cruise in November and am thinking about trying it. Then all you have to do is have a bit of carry on.

Jane in PHL

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thumbsup.gif Nice comment JanePond!

I'm in a bit of a predicament for upcoming flights to LGW. I'm based out of RDU so the CLT A330 is clearly the best connection. That being said, I may book the outbound thru PHL (with a few hours to kill in PHL) to check out the new Envoy Lounge and US Club in the new international terminal. The return flight will certainly be thru CLT fo the easy connect.

I regularly take the Acela Express train from Penn Station in Manhattan to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and then the Septa commuter train from 30th Street Station to the airport; Acela Express takes about an hour and the Septa train is about a 20 minute trip, costs $5, and stops right at each terminal at the airport. You can use TransitCheks (the transit authority discount coupons) to pay for Amtrak between NYC and Philadelphia, which drastically cuts the Amtrak ticket cost.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by NYCommuter:
I regularly take the Acela Express train from Penn Station in Manhattan to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and then the Septa commuter train from 30th Street Station to the airport; Acela Express takes about an hour and the Septa train is about a 20 minute trip, costs $5, and stops right at each terminal at the airport. You can use TransitCheks (the transit authority discount coupons) to pay for Amtrak between NYC and Philadelphia, which drastically cuts the Amtrak ticket cost. </font>

I have a colleague in Princeton who always hops on the Acela to Newark Airport Rail Station or Philadelphia 30 Street, then hops on the AirTrain or the Septa Airport line (respectively) right to the airport terminal. (He chooses US Airways or Continental based on fare, schedule, etc.) I thought flying to Princeton regularly would be a pain, but he says he never drives (past the train station) and it is much easier than hassling a drive and parking at the airport.

It's one of the very few examples of true intermodal transportation in the United States. Something very commonplace in Europe!