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AA Guide: PHL / Philadelphia International Airport - MCT, Connection, MCT, etc.

Old Oct 10, 2013, 9:54 am
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AA in PHL

Link to downloadable PDF PHL airport map

Philadelphia International Airport

This is a snapshot of post 1 of this thread, and has been revised over time. Feel free to add/modify what is here as needed. This thread originated in the legacy US Airways Dividend Miles forum. Link to older archived posts.


General Information
The airport is located at:
8000 Essington Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19153

Note: The baggage claim for terminal F has relocated to its own building on the arrivals roadway.

Passenger Information Guide: https://www.phl.org/Documents/Passen.../InfoGuide.pdf

Main airport website: http://www.phl.org

Link to contact phone numbers and email addresses for paging, parking, airport police, etc.


Check-In Times
Last confirmed 26 June 2017 (Click for link to source)

The following are recommended by AA:
  • For flights within the United States: 45 minutes before scheduled departure
  • For all other flights: At least 60 minutes before scheduled departure

Terminals
At PHL, AA operates from five terminals:
  • A-West for Gates A14 to A26
  • A-East for Gates A2 to A13
  • B for Gates B1 to B16
  • C for Gates C16 to C30
  • F for Gates F1 to F39
It is a good idea to verify which gate your flight is operating from before arriving. Generally you can assume the following:
  • Most flights in A-West and A-East are transatlantic (TATL) but there will be mainline domestic arrivals/departures and Republic regional flights, especially throughout the morning and early afternoon. If your flight is on an A330 or B767, it will almost certainly be at these gates.
  • B and C are mainline domestic, Caribbean, and Canadian flights and also include E-170/E175 and E190 flights. Before the merger, international flights served by B757s would depart from either concourse.
  • F is for regional flights (RJs with 50 seats or fewer as well as CRJ-700 and -900s and turboprops operate out of F) both domestic and Canadian.
  • oneworld partners (British Airways and Qatar) check-in and gates are in A-West.
  • AerLingus check-in and gate is in A-East.
  • Alaska Airlines (and Virgin America) use terminal D.

Ticket Counter Locations, Hours, and Kiosks
Last confirmed 15 January 2018 (Click for link to source)

Ticket Counters are staffed daily:
  • Terminal A-West: 4:30 AM - 9:00 PM
  • Terminal A-East: 3:30 AM - 8:30 PM
  • Terminals B and C: 3:30 AM - 9:00 PM
  • Terminal F: 4:00 AM - 10:30 PM
Kiosks are provided in the connector bridges between the parking garages and TSA Checkpoints at A-East, B, C, and F. There are also kiosks available by most AA gates. Mobile boarding passes for AA are accepted at all checkpoints.

Note: It is possible to use any AA ticket counter to check in and drop baggage, regardless of your flight's departure terminal.


Security at PHL
Last confirmed 7 October 2017 (Click for link to source)

TSA staffs checkpoints at all PHL terminals. All gates are connected airside, so it may be faster to use a checkpoint that is not associated with your gates.

PreCheck is only available at Terminal A-East, C, and D/E checkpoints.
  • Terminal A West: 5:15 am - 9:25 pm
  • Terminal A East: 3:30 am - 8:25 pm (PreCheck 3:30 am - 8:00 pm)
  • Terminal B: Open 24 hours
  • Terminal C: 4:15 am - 8:15 pm PreCheck ONLY
  • Terminal D/E: 3:45 am - 9:25 pm (PreCheck 3:45 am - 8:00 pm)
  • Terminal F: 4:15 am - 8:55 pm
Notes: International Arrivals following the connecting flights path will be directed to the A-East Checkpoint. If you have PreCheck, you may need to exit that queue and proceed to the far left, as you face the checkpoint, for TSA PreCheck access. Generally, if a checkpoint does not have full PreCheck available, you will get PreCheck Light, meaning you will have to remove liquids and laptops from your bag but will be able to pass through the metal detectors with shoes on as in a PreCheck checkpoint.

In the evening and overnight (observed after 11 PM), not all exits may be available. Looks for the visual paging displays (located by most Flight Info Displays and throughout the terminals) for exit closing announcements! Exit B is always open.


How to Change Terminals
Shuttle: AA offers the following shuttle routes:
  • Gate A1 (located between Terminal A-East and Terminal B) to Gate F10
  • Gate C16 (located between Terminal C and Terminal D) to Gate F10
  • Gate F10 (located in the Terminal F Food Hub) to Gate A1
  • Gate F10 (located in the Terminal F Food Hub) to Gate C16
Note: The shuttles at A1 and C16 only serve Terminal F. It is not necessary to reclear TSA when using shuttles.

Walking
  • Airside: It is possible to walk between all gates in all terminals. There are some moving walkways. "Normal" able-bodied adults can walk between almost any two gates in A, B, or C in about 15 minutes or less and between any two gates in F in about 5 minutes. Walking from F to A/B/C is longer; the distance from the furthest reaches of A-West to F is more than a mile.
  • Landside: You must leave the parking garages/ticketing halls to move between terminals before security. An option is to use the SEPTA rail platforms to move between terminals, which are accessible on the walkways to each terminal from the garages, about half-way between TSA and baggage claim.
  • Landside: It is also possible to use the Economy Parking Shuttle between terminals

ATMs
Bank of America provides 17 ATMs at the airport. A current list may be found here.


Prepaid SIM cards
You can buy prepaid SIM cards in the Airport Wireless stores. Those are airside. Not sure what is available landside as the only "retail" store is a newsstand in the International Arrivals hall.


Parking at PHL
On-site parking is managed by the Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA).
Link to current rates.
Estimated parking availability in the garages is available from the Airport's homepage, www.phl.org.

NEW in June 2017: AAdvantage Aviator Cardholders (Barclay's) now have access to reserved parking. See this link for more info.

For off-airport parking lot information,
see this thread...


Where to eat and drink in the airport
There are all manner of restaurants in PHL, from wine bar to bistro to Asian to fast food. In addition to the establishments in each terminal, there is a food court between terminals B and C.

Food options vary throughout the airport, but there is a wide selection. Many open as early as 5:00 am, most are closed by 11:00pm. Due to renovations, there is no longer a 24/7 restaurant behind security. Philadelphia's beverage tax must be collected in city limits, which comprises of everything except Terminal A-West. Pepsi appears to be the preferred soda vendor throughout most of the airport, including Chick-Fil-A and Smashburger in the B/C food court. Coke products are still sold in some parts of the airport, but it may take some searching.

See this link for the current directory.

Terminal B was renovated in 2017-2018 to add iPads to most seats in the gate areas to allow ordering at the gate. A similar arrangement is used in some portions of Terminal F. (link to FT thread)


Admirals Clubs and Other Lounges
Last confirmed 15 January 2018 (Click for link to source)

Admirals Club: Terminal A-East, Lower Level, between gates A4 and A6A.
Open Daily 6:30 am - 10:30 pm

Admirals Club: Terminal A-West, Mezzanine Level, between gates A15 and A16.
Currently closed for renovation. Expected to be rebranded as a Flagship Lounge

Admirals Club: Terminals B and C, Third Floor over Food Court
Open Daily 4:30 am - 10:30 pm

Admirals Club: Terminal F, Upper Level Food Court in the Central Hub
Open Daily 6:30 am - 8:30 pm

British Airways Galleries Club Lounge / First Lounge:Terminal A-West, Gate Level by A14.
Open Daily 3:15 pm to 8:20 pm
Also serves Qatar Airways customers daily from 6:30 am to 10:30 am.
Note: This lounge has been known to disallow non BA passengers, regardless of OW entry rules.

American Express Centurion Lounge: Terminal A-West, Second Level by A14 (Over the BA Club).
Open daily 5:00 am to 9:00 pm.
This is currently the only premium lounge at PHL with a shower facility. Shower is back in operation as of 25 May 2018.

The USO lounge is now (late April 2018) located in Terminal E. Showers are said to be available in this lounge as well.

Minute Suites is available airside in the A-East/B connector, and is a Priority Pass lounge. There are no showers.
First 30 minutes free for use by nursing mothers.
Open daily 24 hours.


Wireless in PHL
Airport Wifi was recently upgraded and is free for all passengers.


Where can I smoke at the airport?
Only in designated smoking areas on the pick up roadways outside baggage claim. There is no smoking airside at the airport.


Do I have time to go into Philadelphia?
If your layover is more than three hours (and Im sure this is debatable), you may have time for a quick trip into the city.


Ground Transportation and How to Visit Philadelphia
The zones mentioned below refer to areas on either side of the baggage claims for each terminal. If you have hired a private car, or meeting with group transportation, it is common they will be waiting at the bottom of the escalators from your terminal. Zones 1-4 are typically on the Arrivals Roadway, Zones 5 through 8 are on the Commercial Roadway, adjacent to the railroad tracks.

It is against airport rules for any driver to solicit you from inside the terminal, but this is difficult to enforce.
  • Rental Cars: Both On- and Off-Airport agencies use company shuttle busses to their respective lots. Pickup is outside baggage claim, Zone 2.
  • SEPTA Regional Rail's Airport Line travels between each of the PHL terminals, Penn Medicine (formerly University City) and three Center City stops. This train runs every half-hour (currently every hour on weekends due to pandemic related service reductions) and takes about 20 minutes to get to 30th Street Station. Train fare is $6.50 from Quick Trip machines at the airport stations or Ticket offices at Center City stations (cash or credit/debit card) or $8 cash only (change is available) on board to Center City. Fare is $8.50 from machines or ticket offices or $9 cash on board to all other Regional Rail stations. If you are traveling to one of the three Center City stops, be sure to hold on to your ticket as you now need it to exit through the kiosks at those stations.
  • SEPTA Bus: Two city buses also serve the airport ($2.25 cash fare; exact change only). Bus berths are at Zone 1.
  • Center City Taxi: Accessed at Zone 5. A base flat-rate $28.50 + up to $3 in passenger charges (based on number of passengers 12+) is in effect for all fares to and from the airport and the Center City area. This area encompasses: Fairmount Ave (North), South Street (South) Delaware River (East) and University City/ 38th Street (West).All cabs are supposed to accept Credit Cards, verify with your driver at the start of the trip.
  • Metered Taxi: Metered rates are in effect for all destinations not in the Center City zone. Tolls and other surcharges may apply. All cabs are supposed to accept Credit Cards, verify with your driver at the start of the trip.
  • Uber and Lyft both operate at the airport, follow their directions provided to request a ride.
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AA Guide: PHL / Philadelphia International Airport - MCT, Connection, MCT, etc.

Old Jun 18, 2021, 5:27 am
  #1666  
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Originally Posted by mileshound
This makes me nervous. We are arriving in F terminal and need to transfer to A for a flight to Aruba. We only have 41 minutes if we are on time (flight has 90% on time record). I figure it will take 10-15 minutes from getting to the gate to deplaning and getting on the bus + 10 min on the bus ride to A and 5 min to walk/run the gate in A. That eats up 30 min and puts us at the 10 min mark, but it is an international flight so will they close the doors earlier?

Are my time assumptions correct?

This is a FC award in October and there literally are no other options on AA or UA. I guess AUA is poplar that day. If we miss the flight, there literally are no other flights that day so we would have to overnight.
Your assumptions are pretty spot on, this one will be very tight. The MCT for domestic to int'l from an Eagle flight is 40 mins, so this one is barely legal by 1 minute.

That said, schedules for October are nowhere near finalized yet, so I'm not sure I'd be stressing about it just yet. Just keep an eye on it over the next 2 months.

Any schedule change would most likely result in either 1) a shorter connection, which would be illegal and let you rebook pretty much any routing to AUA for free, or 2) a longer connection at PHL. Both work in your favor.

On int'l connections you have 24 hrs to connect, so if things were to stand, any options to get to PHL the night before?

AA Guide: PHL / Philadelphia International Airport - MCT, Connection, MCT, etc.
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JJeffrey is online now  
Old Jun 18, 2021, 6:29 am
  #1667  
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: New Hampshire
Programs: AA EXP Hilton Diamond
Posts: 543
Originally Posted by mileshound
This makes me nervous. We are arriving in F terminal and need to transfer to A for a flight to Aruba. We only have 41 minutes if we are on time (flight has 90% on time record). I figure it will take 10-15 minutes from getting to the gate to deplaning and getting on the bus + 10 min on the bus ride to A and 5 min to walk/run the gate in A. That eats up 30 min and puts us at the 10 min mark, but it is an international flight so will they close the doors earlier?

Are my time assumptions correct?

This is a FC award in October and there literally are no other options on AA or UA. I guess AUA is poplar that day. If we miss the flight, there literally are no other flights that day so we would have to overnight.
You had made two assumptions that may not be true. One, that there will be a bus there when you get to the bus stop. Two, that the bus will leave exactly when you get on it. My experience is that neither is likely to be true. I have made the F to A connection doing a fast walk in about 15/20 minutes.
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pbuntrock is offline  
Old Jun 18, 2021, 8:45 am
  #1668  
PHL
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You might consider asking to change your first leg to the day prior and suck up the overnight. Of course, it means you have to take your bags and re-check them in the morning. And since this is 1 minute above the MCT, they may not be willing to make that change. It's basically insurance that you'll get the Aruba flight by paying for an overnight before the flight or, potentially, having to pay for an overnight when you misconnect (as well as the hotel first night in Aruba that you won't be checked into).

Another option - not sure where you're originating, but would you be able to make it to CLT with a better connection buffer? In October, there's 2 daily flights most days - 925am and 1125am.
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Old Jun 18, 2021, 9:12 am
  #1669  
 
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Originally Posted by pbuntrock
You had made two assumptions that may not be true. One, that there will be a bus there when you get to the bus stop. Two, that the bus will leave exactly when you get on it. My experience is that neither is likely to be true. I have made the F to A connection doing a fast walk in about 15/20 minutes.

That is why I figured 10-15 min for from getting to the gate to the bus leaving. With an eagle flight deplaning should be fast and we are close to the front of the plane.

At this time, there literally are no other options for that day or the day before. F is full which surprises me. Even UA is booked for those 2 days.

Another option if there are no schedule changes is to change the originating flight to the night before night before and stay at the Marriott.
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Old Jun 18, 2021, 1:12 pm
  #1670  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Programs: AA ExP, Marriott Amb, National EAE, Hilton Diamond, SPG Plat (RIP), US CP (RIP)
Posts: 2,372
Originally Posted by mileshound
That is why I figured 10-15 min for from getting to the gate to the bus leaving. With an eagle flight deplaning should be fast and we are close to the front of the plane.
Will you need to wait for valet checked carry on at the jetway bridge? Your answer may change if there is a change in equipment for the eagle flight.
Segments is offline  
Old Jun 28, 2021, 12:58 pm
  #1671  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 18
Anyone fly out of PHL recently on a Saturday morning? With the large economy lot still closed, and PHL tweeting that the garage is filling up on Thursday and Friday, I'm wondering how bad it will be at 4am on a Saturday morning. I'm also wondering if the AAdvantage Aviator lot is also included in their temporary long term parking, as I haven't been able to confirm that elsewhere.
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Old Jul 6, 2021, 9:13 am
  #1672  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 27
Originally Posted by NTP66
Anyone fly out of PHL recently on a Saturday morning? With the large economy lot still closed, and PHL tweeting that the garage is filling up on Thursday and Friday, I'm wondering how bad it will be at 4am on a Saturday morning. I'm also wondering if the AAdvantage Aviator lot is also included in their temporary long term parking, as I haven't been able to confirm that elsewhere.
Just flew from PHL over 4th of July weekend, and we used the garage around 5:30 am on a Saturday morning. The garage was definitely much more full than it would ever have been pre-pandemic when the economy lot was open, but there were spots available (this was in the B/A-East section). We just found that we had to go higher up than usual, and we had to be a little flexible. For example, we ended up parking more in the A-East section of the garage, since B (what we wanted) was more full. We also normally always get something on the first level where you can walk directly inside and across to security, but had no luck there. We found more spots on the 2nd level. I'd assume it would have been easier if we had gone up even further. When we arrived back at PHL yesterday, we still noted open spots here and there when walking back to our car.

I also saw the PHL tweets about garages being totally full and was nervous about it, but I think it was a bit overblown. However, the garages definitely are more full than they used to be, and it seems like they definitely need the economy lot back. I would leave a bit more time than usual for parking in the garages right now, but nothing crazy.

We didn't look at the AAdvantage Aviator lot to see what the situation is down there.
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Old Aug 1, 2021, 7:14 pm
  #1673  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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AA>QR at PHL

Routing CLE-PHL-DOH.

two questions:

1. Can you stay airside for the D-I connection at PHL?

2. Does AA routinely issue boarding passes for QR at first check-in airport?

Thanks
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Old Aug 1, 2021, 7:21 pm
  #1674  
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Originally Posted by tkelvin69
Routing CLE-PHL-DOH.
two questions:
1. Can you stay airside for the D-I connection at PHL?
2. Does AA routinely issue boarding passes for QR at first check-in airport?
All in 1 ticket (AA or QR?) or 2 separate tickets?

AA Guide: PHL / Philadelphia International Airport - MCT, Connection, MCT, etc.
Mwenenzi is offline  
Old Aug 1, 2021, 7:27 pm
  #1675  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
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Originally Posted by Mwenenzi
Oops, 1 ticket, AA award
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Old Aug 1, 2021, 7:46 pm
  #1676  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
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In my experience with QR, even if you get a BP for the QR flight at your departure airport, they want you to check in with them at your connecting point to get a proper QR BP. If you're flying in J that can be with the rep at the QR lounge.

And yes you can stay airside.
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Old Aug 2, 2021, 5:45 am
  #1677  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: PHL
Programs: AAdvantage EXP
Posts: 67
"If you're flying in J that can be with the rep at the QR lounge."

.Qatar shares the BA lounge which at the moment is closed.
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Old Aug 9, 2021, 10:05 pm
  #1678  
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Taking Saturday a MIA-PHL-BDL trip, with a 39 minute connection from a 787 that is regularly delayed at the A gates to an E175 in a B/C gate.

Should be fun. I'm tempted to change it to just MIA-PHL and tack on a separate PHL-CLT-BDL trip with better connection times, but there are supposedly scattered thunderstorms everywhere including MIA, PHL, and CLT for Saturday afternoon/evening.
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Old Aug 11, 2021, 1:57 pm
  #1679  
 
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Is B/C priority check-in still at the B end of the check-in hall?
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Old Aug 11, 2021, 3:07 pm
  #1680  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Posts: 5,030
Originally Posted by dkc192
Is B/C priority check-in still at the B end of the check-in hall?
Nope. It has moved to the C end of the combined B/C check-in desks.

BTW, I've experienced much longer than usual/historical lines in the priority check-in area in the past 2 months. Staffing seams to be on the low side for the number of pax coming through. Plan accordingly...
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