Hi All,

I am moving to PHL for a 9-month consulting assignment that will have me traveling domestically 2-3 days a week most weeks (out tuesday am, back thursday evening). Assuming my employer doesn't want me driving to EWR (which I'm sure I would do if they let me), what are my options? Should I accrue status miles on UA in anticipation of the switch, or on US? Is US really that bad? What would you do?

Thanks!!

Panic panic panic! Ahh!!! Anything but US!!!

Seriously, I'd avoid US at all costs. UA might well be the best option.

What route are you looking at...? CoConnect can hop you to EWR and they fly non-Barbie jets to Houston.

First, I have flown US extensively in the past 24 months (although not out of PHL).

It's not perfect, but it's really not that bad. All my flights have been on impeccably clean planes, service has been friendly and professional, and I have not been delayed (flying mainly LGA-DCA or LGA-BOS, and then connecting from these two locations).

The other option at PHL (and usually the best deal) is Southwest, which has a large number of flights out of PHL.

Personally, I would avoid the drive to EWR which might be OK for the occasional flight to Asia or Europe, but is a bear of a drive, especially during rush hour (remember, there is no easy way to get from Philadelphia to Jersey, even though I-95 and the NJ Turnpike are sometimes so close together you can see one road from the other).

Good luck!

There are non-stop alternatives to US from PHL to most major cities in the US. If you're going to Syracuse or Buffalo or Kansas City, you'll have to fly US, but otherwise you may have a choice.

Depending on how many status miles you expect to accrue and what you are going to use your miles for, US's program may be no worse than UA's. Upgrades are reportedly easier to get than they used to be on most routes.

US is better than it was a year or two ago; at least their planes are arriving on time more often. The hard product is fairly bare-bones but it's still not Ryanair.

Could you take Amtrak from 30th St to EWR? Seems to be a 1 hour ride +/- few minutes.

Absolutely. That's an option. I would take Amtrak over driving any day, as the drive can easily take 2.5+ hours during rush hour.

Still, if the choice is between flying non-stop from PHL on US or another carrier on any flight short than about 3 hours, adding the trip to EWR will make it far less convenient.

Also, keep in mind that Amtrak to and from EWR for an early morning departure or late night arrival back at EWR will not be convenient, as trains to and from EWR between 11:30 PM and the next morning are either non-existent or very few and far between.

Finally, while CO service may be a cut over US, you should also keep in mind the frequent ATC delays at EWR. While the ATC issues at PHL are not so much better, you might as well not add in the trip to EWR to compound the problem.

Thanks all for your advice. At this point, I still do not know what my most frequent routes will be, nor have a read the corporate travel policy, so I guess those things will shape my decisions.

I'd drive.

I worked in Lansdale, PA for a summer and fly into EWR.

The traffic really wasn't that bad and I hate to drive.

You will be avoiding Sunday and Friday night Jersey Shore traffic, which is a big plus.

Where are you working at in PA?

I might have some back roads that could save some time.

From Lansdale, sure, that makes sense.

But that's over a third of the way from Philly to EWR already.

If you were to drive to PHL from Lansdale it would take you about as long.

It all depends where you live.

If you're literally in Philadelphia, or in the immediate surroundings, getting to EWR on an on-going basis will be a huge challenge.

Also, if you really want to fly on CO, you can still do it out of PHL, as long as you don't mind connecting in CLE or IAH.

That's a good point -- depending on where you live and work EWR may not be that much less convenient than PHL. From most of Bucks County, EWR is not that much further than PHL. From northeastern Montgomery County, as TWA Fan 1 observes, it's a wash. From most anywhere in the city or the Western suburbs, you're much better off with PHL.

I'm not sure I'd agree that getting to EWR is necessarily a huge challenge -- from Center City or University City or the Eastern Main Line it's easy enough to get to 30th Street Station and thence to EWR -- but it will certainly take more time.

Especially if you live in northern Bucks County, I think EWRis easier than PHL, because getting to PHL means driving through the insanity of I-676 in Center City...

From northern Bucks County you're better off taking I-95 to the airport. There's no reason to get on I-676.

I was a top tier US flier for decades until a few years ago. Most of my travel switched to Asia and TALT, so this eliminated US for me most of the time. I live north of PHL and use a car service to Newark of Kennedy for my SQ flights. This may seem excessive but it usually comes out pretty close to what parking would have cost me. Besides I do not like driving 2 to 3 hours after flying 22 (just me). The drive from PHL to ERW can take as little as 2 hours but you should plan on more to be safe. Also, the train ride will take near 90 minutes I would think since you most likely will be on a normal (express) Amtrak, service you need one that stops at Newark Airport. Do not forget to add in the train from the Amtrak station to the airport.
To me this becomes the same as making a connection. US has become a point A to B carrier, not a carrier of choice but of convenience. I look for non-stops first and schedule second. It is more important to me to get where I need to go as quickly as possible, preferably on the schedule I would like. While cost is another factor I look at total cost, if flying a different airline with a lower ticket price requires a extra night in a hotel I take that into account.
In summary I am interested in protecting my time not showing loyality to any program. And if that requires flying on a airline I do not like too much but it saves me hours of time each trip I do that. I would not take a trip to ERW just to fly CO, but that is me. If I was absolute on flying CO only, I would take a CO connection out of PHL before taking the train to ERW. Fly US not fly US take miles on UA does not matter do what is best for you. And remember both US and UA and soon to be CO will all be part of the *alliance.

for all you nay sayers,I do the opposite I usually drive from the EWR area to PHL. But lately its been cheaper fares out of EWR

OP if you are heading West PHL-CLE-XXX or PHL-IAH-XXX is no problem what so ever, except no non-stops. Its a hassle and usully expensive with a long layover if you are staying East of the Mississippi

theres always WN

but for most EC travel its either US or up to EWR

I'd fly WN before flying US regularly.