Had to fly out of T3 today - Flying Delta as I couldn't get space on either UA or US. What a dump! What an inefficient terminal. PHX should really tear this thing down. With AA certainly moving into T4, wouldn't there be room to move the remaining carriers from T3 into T2? I think there is sufficient check-in and gate space there.

AA has been at T3 since 1979 and will probably leave when US merges them into its T4 operation next year.

All thanks to our friends at the TSA.

T3 was formerly the best terminal to use in terms of parking, ease of use, beauty, dining options, etc.

And then the omnivorous need for security at all costs divided it into tiny little gulags with TSA checkpoints choking the corridors.

I have never thought so - not from the day it opened. The parking garage feel claustrophobic with low ceilings and difficult to manouver with circling ramps. Spliting operations on three levels rather than two makes if difficult to use, especially with escalators set the way they are. Moreover, I find nothing of beauty about it. The art does not appeal. Thoughout, it has limited lighting (both interior and in the covered outdoor automobile roadways) and poor window access to the field from the gate areas.

T2 has T3 beat on every level - and has from day one. Parking is a breeze. Layout is simple. One never has to change levels (except via a ramp since it has been upgraded to have bridges to the aircraft). And the beauty of the old floor design in the main lobby and the airplane sketches on the tiles in the rest rooms excells.

T4 needs some improvements. But like T2, it is nicer than T3, IMO.

And until T4 opened, HP (and I believe WN) was over in T3.

I can't remember the last time I've been in T3, probably the last time my Mom visited and she flew DL. I normally fly US, occasionally UA, and very rarely WN, so I'm normally in T4 and sometimes T2.

According to the PHX Wikipedia page:
So I wouldn't count on T3 going away anytime soon

If memory serves...

T2 housed US' PHX hub along with AS, PS, TW, and WN. HP, I believe started at T3, originally serviced by AA (or NW?) and then moved to T2 where they put a large temory addition up which was raised when they then moved to T4.

I believe the pther airlines in T3 were AA, DL, EA, and WA.

While I discount much of what is in Wikipedia, PHX have indded authorities been in love with T3 since in opened and have had an irrational, IMO, disdain for T2 Indeed, there was talk of making T4 an exact copy of T3, HP vetoed that.

At least T3 has a couple of food options outside of security. The only choices at T2 if you have to wait to meet passengers on a delayed flight is the expensive restaurant or premade sandwiches.

When picking up passengers, my practice is not to eat first - no matter the delay - in order to be able to eat with the arriving passenger. If the delay gets too long, my backpack always has a tub of peanut butter and a spoon in case the blood suger falls to low.

WN was never in T2 or T3. They went straight from T1 to T4, and the wrecking ball was poised to take down T1 the day after they moved.

HP's original hub was in T3 with two separate south concourses - one was made out of wood! Two of the gates were designated for parking the B742's. HP moved from T3 to T4 on the same day that WN did.

I love T3 - the security corridors are too narrow/low for the nude-o-scopes so this is one of the very few terminals remaining in a major U.S. airport where you don't have to choose between a grope and a scan to fly.

Some of the signage in the South Concourse of T3 still reflects a large number of non-existent gates (e.g. 1-15). As noted earlier, Sky Harbor has plans to renovate/rebuild the South Concourse of T3 for UA (which would result in the closing of T2). AS is supposed to be moving to T3 (North Concourse) shortly.

The availability of a post security lounge (AC) will be a plaus when AA flights move to T-4!

Actually, it was America West who moved into entire T4 back in early 1980s and after that WN is moved into T4 from the old terminal 1.

Yes, the entire terminal 3 modernization. It going to be change. They will being build new TSA checkpoint, new concessions, new ticket counter & additional a new baggage carousels, and final a new south concourse as well. When the old T3S will be demolished. UA & AS and Great Lakes will relocated to entire terminal 3. The old terminal 2 will be closed, but is not going to be demolished.

I hope that the city has to give some financial encouragement to AS, UA, & ZK to move out of lovely T2 into awful T3. The move will cut utility expenses for the city at T2, but it will be at the expense of AS, UA, & ZK passengers if it does happen.

Why would the city have to pay the airlines to move to a much more modern facility? Of all the things, I don't want my taxpayer dollars going to the airlines to move to a newer, more modern facility (which is going to be REMODELED before UA moves in).

T3 needs modernization, but it's far better than some whole airports.