bitburgr

Since there are many threads asking questions about PHL (both here and in the Mid-Atlantic forum), it seems like it might be a nice idea to start a thread (perhaps a sticky) that consolidates a lot of the answers that people are looking for. I’m happy to start this off and will update this first post as people identify additional information or correct anything that isn’t quite right.

US in PHL
US operates flights out of terminals A-West and A-East, B, C and F.

- Most flights in A-West and A-East are transatlantic (TATL) but there will be mainline domestic arrivals/departures and Republic regional flights.
- B and C are mainline domestic, Caribbean, and Canadian flights and also include E-170/E175 flights.
- F is for regional flights (RJs, turboprops) both domestic and Canadian.

Flight numbers 3100-3499 will park at A/B/andC. They are operated by Republic Airlines. NO other Express carrier parks at the A/B or C gates the rest are in F.

Here is the break down of flight numbers
West Side US Airways 0001 - 0699
East Side TATL 0700 - 0799 Also some domestic thru flights
East Side Us Airways 0800 - 2199 Including Shuttle flights
PSA Airlines 2200 - 2599
Mesa Airlines 2600 - 2999
Chautauqua Airlines 3000 - 3099
Republic Airlines 3100 - 3499
Trans States Airlines 3500 - 3550
Air Wisconsin 3551 - 4099
Piedmont Airlines 4100 - 4649
Colgan Air 4650 - 4849

Getting from terminal to terminal
As of mid-November 2015, you can walk from A-West all the way to F airside. And it's a looong walk. There is still the shuttle that will take you between F-C and F-A. For those connecting from a flight arriving in F to another terminal, here are my thoughts on whether it's better to walk or take the shuttle:

F <-> E...walk (but be aware that there is no moving sidewalk here)
F <-> D...tough one...if the line to get on the shuttle looks long, I would walk.
F <-> C, B, A-East or A-West...definitely shuttle.

However, if you have time to kill, go for the walk.

There are two shuttles leaving F10, one goes to C16 and the other goes to A. It takes less than 10 minutes to go from F to either C or A, however, the shuttle does not run directly between C and A.

It takes upwards of 15 minutes to walk from the farthest gates of C to the farthest gates of A-West, however, there are moving sidewalks to help.

The airport website is http://www.phl.org. It includes terminal maps plus shops and restaurants by terminal.

Where can I fly to from PHL?
With the merger with AA, I'm guessing you can fly just about anywhere. (If anyone knows of a route map on AA.com, let me know and I'll update this section}

Security at PHL
Security wait times can vary widely both by time/day and by which Terminal. When it is not peak Int'l flight times it may be faster to go through security in terminal A security and then walk/shuttle to the terminal you need. However, security in terminal A is basically only one line so it could be slower if you get behind a clueless family with strollers and not knowing they need their boarding pass and passport because it's their first time overseas. Terminal C can sometimes go fast and you have more choice of which line. Terminal B can either be really fast or you'll be standing in line at the other end of the bridge connecting the terminal with the parking garages.

ATMs
There are BOA-branded ATMs throughout the airport (airside...not sure about pre-security)...probably two per terminal

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 newstand in the International Arrivals hall.

Reasonable connection times in PHL
PHL is notorious for delays.

Domestic to Domestic Connections
A minimum 60 minute scheduled connection time should be sufficient for domestic to domestic connections (ie: SFO-PHL-BOS or ORD-PHL-SYR)

Domestic to International Connections
A minimum 60 minute scheduled connection time should be sufficient for domestic to international connections (ie: SFO-PHL-FRA or ORD-PHL-LHR). This assumes your first flight arrives into A, B, or C. If you are arriving into F (ie: ELM-PHL-MAN), you might want to plan for an additional 15 minutes to accommodate the bus ride over to A.

I'm a non-US passport holder connecting in PHL from an international to a domestic flight. How long of a layover should I schedule?
You should schedule a minimum of 2 hours to be safe to accomodate CBP, claiming your bags and then rechecking. (ie: LHR-PHL-BOS)

{reader input would be helpful for international-to-international connections}

Parking at PHL
Please see this thread...

Rental Cars
Please see the airport website for a list of rental agencies. PHL is old-school, meaning a couple of the agencies are on the airport and the rest require a shuttle to the off-airport location. And unlike airports like DFW, there is no consolidated rental facility...you will need to get on the shuttle marked for your particular agency. Even the on-airport agencies have a shuttle. The shuttles pick up outside baggage claim...follow the signs. Shuttles ~should~ run every 10 minutes or better.

However, you can walk through the parking garages on the first level and make your way over to the on-airport agencies. I don't think it's encouraged but it can be done. Hertz, Avis and National are the on-airport agencies. Or if you are returning a car, it might be faster to walk back through the garage than wait for the shuttle. (These strategies are recommended for the experienced PHL traveler only.)

Where to eat 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. However, if you have a very early departure (before 6:30) or a somewhat late arrival (after 10:00) you may be out of luck as the restaurants are either just opening or just closing.

An updated list of places to eat can be found here.

How 'bout some coffee?
There is a Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, and le Bus in the B/C food court. There are Au Bon Pains in A-West, C and F. And a Peets in the new D/E connector. There's another Dunkin out in A-East, too.

I want to hang out, watch some sports on the TV and have a couple of drinks, where should I go
There are a number of places that can satisfy this need...Jet Rock in terminals B, D and F
Chickie's & Pete's in C and E would also be good. Locals recommend a cheese steak and the crab fries.
{anywhere else?}

I'd like a nice glass of wine
Try Vino Volo near the food court in B/C or just inside security in D/E. Also, Cibo Bistro in A-West and B

I'm looking for something a little more upscale...not a sports bar or fast food
Cibo Bistro again in A-West and B.
Sky Asian Bistro in C.
Legal Seafood near the Food Court.

{Any other recommendations?}

US lounges
There are two domestic lounges in PHL, one in F and one between B and C (with escalator access across from the food court and elevator access at the beginning of terminal B).

See this thread regarding the "old" Envoy lounge: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...-1-2011-a.html

There are no showers in any of the US lounges (or any in the airport that I know of)

Sleeping at the Airport
Minute Suites is available near the start of the B terminal (start heading toward A and it will be on your left). But still...no showers.

The Airport Marriott is the only on-property hotel and people have reported good experiences here. This hotel is outside of security down toward the B parking garage. But to park at the Marriott, you would need to drive into the C garage.

Currency Exchange
There are two Travelex kiosks, one each in A-West and A-East. Will you get a better deal with Travelex or your ATM card? Probably your ATM card...but that's really for you to determine.

There may also be a Travelex kiosk in or near the International Arrivals hall (important because if your destination is PHL you won't be able to get back into A-West or A-East).

There is a Travelex in center city Philly and one at the King of Prussia Mall.

Wireless in PHL
(taken directly from the airport website FAQ...as of October 2010) The Airport offers free Wireless Internet access to everyone, every day. To utilize this service, users must have a computer with built-in Wi-Fi technology or an 802.11b network interface card.

Where can I smoke at the airport?
You can't. No smoking in the airport.

When all else fails, how about a scavenger hunt
1-Find the two McDonalds.
2-Find the Liberty Bell made out of Legos.
3-Find the Aviation Play Station (and not the Sony kind of playstation).
4-Take the shuttle from C over to F and then back to A and walk to C
5-Find a likely location for the old US Envoy lounge (good luck!)
6-Count the number of moving walkways (include the number that are under repair).
7-Find a flight going to Vegas. Count the number of wedding dresses being taken as carry-ons.
8-Count the number of entrances to US clubs (including Envoy)
9-Count the number of lanes that are actually open in the new, combined D/E security.
10-Figure out why a dry, hard, two day old chicken salad wrap in the Food Court between B and C costs $8.
11-Check out the time capsule photos of the airport in the men's room across from Au Bon Pain
12-There are some neat historical photos of PHL at the end of the moving sidewalk between D and E (closer to the E-side of the walkway)

That should keep you busy for a little while.

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

Unfortunately, there are no lockers in PHL so you can't store your carry-on for a couple of hours while you hit the town. If you have access to the US Club, there is a place to leave your bags near the elevator entrance (from the "B" entrance). It's "at your own risk".

What to do in Philadelphia?
Get a cheese steak. The big three are Pat’s, Geno’s and Jim’s. Pat’s and Geno’s are across the street from each other at 9th and Passyunk. Jim’s is at 3rd and South. None of them are easily reached via regional rail (commuter train...see below). However, the next best thing would be to go to the Reading Terminal Market. A farmers market of sorts, you can definitely find a good cheese steak here…along with a lot of other good foods. Another good bet is any one of the street vendors. And you’ll get a good price from them, too.

Historical. The National Constitution Center, Betsy Ross’ house, Ben Franklin’s grave, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell can all be reached via reached via regional rail (commuter train).

There is also a self-guided walking tour of the historical areas that runs daily during the summer and on select weekend days during the spring and fall. Check out www.theconstitutional.com for more info.

anything else?
Take the Mural Arts tour. Driving through Philly, you can't help but notice some of the amazing murals on the sides of buildings...the ~whole~ side of the building. There are numerous tours available...Mural Arts Tour.

Or, check out www.gophila.com for a longer list of cultural events and entertainment.

How to get to Philadelphia?
Septa (link … look for regional rail) – sure you could take a combination of buses, subways and trolleys, but I’m only going to give the easiest here…the Airport Line (Septa recently dropped the use of the "R" designation for all its regional rail but many locals will still call this the R1). The train travels between each of the PHL terminals, University City and three Center City stops. This train has half-hourly service to the city.

As you walk out of your terminal and leave security, cross the enclosed bridge. The stairs to the train is ~before~ you get to the escalators to baggage claim. The train takes about 25 minutes to Center City and has three stops. It costs $7 to buy a ticket onboard…cash only.

i – University City - primary stop for points in...well...University City. This includes Univ of Penn, Drexel, HUP and CHOP.

ii- 30th Street Station – this is where you’ll find Amtrak and the first transfer point to all the other regional rail lines. This is the best stop if you are going to points west of the Schuylkill River.

iii – Suburban Station – the primary stop for most of the businesses in center city. This stop is just west of City Hall.

iv – Market East – the last center city stop and is just east of City Hall. Best for the historical sites, Reading Terminal Market and the Convention Center.

When you come back, make sure you are getting on the train heading ~back to the airport~ instead of continuing into North Philly. When going back to the airport, it’s cheaper to buy your ticket from a ticket window at the station rather than buying on board.

Taxi – $28.50 flat fare ride to Center City (plus tip).

Is Philadelphia safe?
Really? In a word, yes. If you are going during daylight hours and are headed to any of the historical locations, Center City, Society Hill, Penn's Landing, you’ll be fine. Areas north of Temple University “may” be risky. West Philly (west of University City) is the same.

If you are going at night, the same areas that are safe during the day should be okay at night.

Looking for some cool bars or restaurants?
This changes frequently. The restaurant section of Philadelphia Magazine (link) is a great start if you are looking for a new place to eat. Philly Magazine breaks out their listings by neighborhood and also includes the suburbs and the (Jersey) shore.

Can I get from PHL to NYC? How long will it take and how expensive will it be?
With no traffic, driving from the Philadelphia airport to midtown Manhattan is roughly 2 hours (106 miles). You will be traveling on the heavily used NE corridor, so "no traffic" is the exception to the rule.

There are regular Amtrak trains (including high speed Acela trains) from 30th Street Station (see "How to get to Philadelphia" above) that run anywhere from $30 - $100 each way (this would be in addition to the SEPTA fare). Taking SEPTA from the airport, connecting to an Amtrak train can take anywhere from 2 - 3.5 hours depending on ease of connection, which Amtrak train you get (express/local/Acela/regular) and time of day.

A cheap yet more time consuming option is to transfer to the R7 SEPTA line at 30th street station and take it to the Trenton rail station (last stop). It is then an easy transfer to an NJ transit commuter train which goes directly to New York Penn Station. The total fare on NJ Transit will be $12.50 (this is on top of your SEPTA fare). This method can take anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours depending on the ease of your connection, time of day, and whether you get an express train at Trenton. Additionally, all New York bound NJ transit trains make a stop at Newark Airport.

Connections are also available at 30th Street Station to NJ Transit commuter trains to Atlantic City.

Note: When taking NJ transit be sure to purchase your ticket at an automated machine before boarding (cash and all major CCs are accepted). Buying a ticket on board is cash only and incurs a $5 surcharge.

Other inexpensive options include the Bolt Bus from outside 30th St Station as well as MegaBus, both of which offer wifi.

Can I get from PHL to Washington DC? How long will it take and how expensive will it be?
With no traffic, driving from the Philadelphia airport to Washington DC is roughly 2-and-a-half hours (145 miles). You will be traveling mostly on I-95, so "no traffic" is the exception to the rule.

There are regular Amtrak trains (including high speed Acela trains) from 30th Street Station (see "How to get to Philadelphia" above) that run anywhere from $50 - $150 each way (this would be in addition to the SEPTA fare). Taking SEPTA from the airport, connecting to an Amtrak train can take anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours depending on ease of connection, which Amtrak train you get (express/local/Acela/regular) and time of day.

Can I get from PHL to Wilmington, DE? What are my options? Is PHL the closest airport?

Wilmington's airport no longer serves commercial flights - therefore yes, PHL is the closest airport for those needing to travel to Wilmington. With no traffic, it is a roughly 30 minute drive from PHL to downtown Wilmington.

SEPTA regional rail and buses also serve Wilmington, DE and Newark, DE (home to the University of Delaware). From the airport, take the 37 bus to the Chester Transit Center. Transfer there to the R2 Regional Train to Wilmington then Newark. The journey should take just over an hour depending on time of day. (Alternately, take the R1 to 30th street and then take the R2 south to Wilmington and Newark. Better yet, when taking Airport Line (former R1) to Wilmington/Newark (former R2) to Delaware, transfer at University City instead of 30th Street. That shaves about 5-10 minutes off your connection window and sometimes that means scoring an earlier R2.)

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If you have other ideas for this kind of thread, please let me know

Jumpgate

Can I get from PHL to NYC? How long will it take and how expensive will it be?

With no traffic, driving from the Philadelphia airport to midtown Manhattan is roughly 2 hours (106 miles). You will be traveling on the heavily used NE corridor, so "no traffic" is the exception to the rule.

There are regular Amtrak trains (including high speed Acela trains) from 30th Street Station (see "How to get to Philadelphia" above) that run anywhere from $30 - $100 each way (this would be in addition to the SEPTA fare). Taking SEPTA from the airport, connecting to an Amtrak train can take anywhere from 2 - 3.5 hours depending on ease of connection, which Amtrak train you get (express/local/Acela/regular) and time of day.

A cheap yet more time consuming option is to transfer to the R7 SEPTA line at 30th street station and take it to the Trenton rail station (last stop). It is then an easy transfer to an NJ transit commuter train which goes directly to New York Penn Station. The total fare on NJ Transit will be $12.50 (this is on top of your SEPTA fare). This method can take anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours depending on the ease of your connection, time of day, and whether you get an express train at Trenton. Additionally, all New York bound NJ transit trains make a stop at Newark Airport.

Connections are also available at 30th Street Station to NJ Transit commuter trains to Atlantic City.

Note: When taking NJ transit be sure to purchase your ticket at an automated machine before boarding (cash and all major CCs are accepted). Buying a ticket on board is cash only and incurs a $5 surcharge.

MikeLaw

In the evening and the morning, there are plenty of domestic flights in and out of the A terminal. Scanning the next five hours or so on today's schedule, I see arrivals from Chicago, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Tampa, Providence, Seattle, Phoenix, Charlotte and San Francisco into A.

I think you can safely say that basically all the TATL and Caribbean flights go through A, but not that domestic flights don't.

PHL

I think you're showing your age as much as me...back in "my" day, Columbus Blvd and Walnut were quite happening. Walnut still has a collection of restaurants, but some very notable ones have closed (Striped Bass, Suzanna Foo, Circa). Broad street between Chestnut and South has a few new ones, as well as Old City around the 2nd and Market area. Northern Liberties above 2nd and Spring Garden having a very vibrant dining and social scene too, but for a visitor that would be best reached by cab from within the city (not far, but probably too far to walk).

cwe84

Republic/USX E170/5's depart from A/B/C terminals.

Jumpgate

I don't know the answer to this one, but it'd be nice if someone could post what a "reasonable" amount of time would be that someone should schedule for all types of connections: domestic-domestic (i.e. SFO-PHL-BOS), domestic-international (i.e. SFO-PHL-FRA), international-domestic (FRA-PHL-SFO), and international-international (FRA-PHL-CUN).

bitburgr

Thanks for the info provided so far. I've updated the first post and called out for additional information where needed.

bitburgr

Really, even from the A terminals?

Now that I think about it, I've landed at terminal C in an E-170. Do these planes ever land at F?

Thanks.

coachrowsey

bitburgr, this is a great thread^thank you for starting it.

MNTEERFLYER

Agreed!! Is there a way we can get this thread added to the "Links to Popular US Airways Threads" thread?

Perhaps someone would create a similar thread for PHX and CLT hubs

pinkcat

LHR-PHL-MCO arrive into A, UK passport holders so thru immigration in the slow lane, walked to E, WN flight to MCO
Allowed 4 hours for the connection, spent 2 of them in the bar and shopping

aztimm

Yes, this is great. Some things I've learned on my own, but some I didn't know, even after transiting PHL a few times.

Unless someone else has begun one, I'll take a stab at a similar thread for PHX; I'll use the template that bitburgr followed here (copy/paste into a new thread, then sub in PHX info). I'll plan to get a start on it this afternoon.

dukeman

This link to the airport website might be helpful. It has terminal maps and lists of the various restaurants, shops, etc. by terminal.

www.phl.org

PHL

Rarely, if at all. They are sized similar to the old F-28's and DC-9's rather than the EMB 135/145, Dash 8 and CRJ200's that use the F terminal. I've been on many E170 flights, and all have come in and gone out of A/B/C.

On that topic - A-West is used quite a bit for many domestic trips now. That wasn't the case a few years ago, but the concourse wasn't being well utilized until late afternoon when the intl. departures started to begin. So, more flights have been shifted to better balance out its use throughout the day.

iztok

I can take CLT. If any can PM me their thoughts/info I can start assembling.