It can be done, with huge ifs: If you are off the plane quickly (Envoy? front of Economy cabin?), if you have only carry ons (mandatory), and if you are lucky with passport control and re-clearing security. I would NEVER book 1 hour on purpose. however, if you have status and can same-day standby for free, then run for it. Remember, an hour is not an hour. An hour is 45 minutes or maybe 50 on a regional jet, as the door closes before departure.

Thank you. I can fly standby for free and will try running again. Hadn't thought about how short an hour is at PHL.

I've cleared A to F in 45 mins in the past, but I'm done attempting to book close connections in PHL with an international leg. Last week I was MBJ-PHL-BOS on a Sunday afternoon with a 1.5 hr layover to make it to B. I didn't even come close to making my flight. I think I was #100 in line trying to reclear security when the doors closed. Luckily PHL-BOS is basically a shuttle that runs every hour. If I had a destination that US didn't run on a regular basis, I'd rather book the later flight than chance it.

Get Global Entry if possible. My last international arrival I was in first, third person out the door, only one at GE line, a quick walk out the arrivals door, into my car (I park right outside the arrivals door in the garage), and home to Newark, DE in just 45 minutes after plane landed.

I'll be flying into PHL tomorrow from ZRH and had a couple of questions about the exact process between connecting flights and if I'll have enough time or if I'll be cutting it close. I am scheduled to arrive in PHL at 1:45pm on US Airways 711, I am then scheduled to depart at 3:35pm on US Airways 191 to Phoenix. I don't have any checked bags, will I still need to exit security after customs and immigration or can I stay within the secure area and just go to my next flight? I do have a US Passport. Will that speed up the customs and immigration process? I think I arrive in terminal A and depart from terminal C. Does that sound about right? I haven't had much experience in airports. Is it easy to navigate to everything at PHL?

You will exit the secure zone after immigration so you will have to re-clear security. Sounds like you will have sufficient time, and walking from A to C won't take but 10+ minutes after you re-clear security. There are a few sets of moving walkways that make it quick.

Ok thanks for letting me know more about what to expect. Hopefully it won't be too busy with Memorial Day weekend and all.

I am not so optimistic. See my experience upthread. consider not reclearing at A if you aren't the first TATL to land.

I'm with you ludocdoc. I'd exit A, walk outside to B(C) and reclear there. Security at A has been a nightmare recently, and there's no preferred line there either.

Bingo. I've done F to A in 20 minutes, cleared Customs and Immigration in 10 minutes, but I've never gotten thru the A checkpoint in less than 30 minutes.

There actually is, but I think you can only get to it from the A-East side and not from the international arrivals side. On the A-East side, if you're in first or have status, they should direct to you a shorter line. This is actually my current primary method for getting through security on busy Monday mornings. No body scanners at that checkpoint yet either. Even at 6:30am on Mondays I've yet to wait more than 15 min there.

That said, during the busy afternoon transatlantic arrivals timeframe, walking to B isn't a bad plan as B/C only tend to back up badly during the morning and evening rushes. Either A-West checkpoint shouldn't be too bad then either, as folks coming out of immigration aren't dumped there.

is it possible to recheck luggage coming out of customs and avoid the crowded A-East checkpoint though? I pretty much never check anything, so have never been inclined to try it.

I thought there was too and arrived a few weeks ago to find the line well over the bridge. I asked the TSA woman directing people to the end of the line and she said (and I quote): "there ain't no preferred line".

I just use B/C wherever I'm going now; I usually want to get to the elevator behind the Dunkin Donuts there anyway.

I haven't tried it, but I dont see why not. I often book a long connection to visit my 2 year old nephew in Philly, even if you had to swim 10 feet upstream to get out (10 or 20 feet my estimate), then such an explanation should do the trick. By then, your luggage is gone, and you're trying to leave, so what would they do to stop you? And there's no TSA at that location, it's 100 feet farther.

Weird. Usually it's a contract person - not TSA - guarding the line at A-East. And they've been shockingly consistent (in a good way) for me, so this is troubling.

I'm usually heading to the B/C club too, but it's not a long walk from A-East, and I usually handily beat my colleagues there who enter the B or C lines, even those with status.

Hi

I have looked at the Guyde to PHL but don't see the info I need so hence asking here.

I will be coming in on a Southwest flight from Denver in September which I believe arrives into terminal E. I am then flying out on US Airways flight to Glasgow UK. This I believe departs from Terminal A West. The time between schedules is 2 hours and 45 mins.

How do I get from E to A west? I take it I will need to go out onto landside then go to A West then come back in again, or is it possible to stay airside and check my bags in with US without having to come out through security?