Philadelphia Airport Mini Guide
What can you Tell me About Philadelphia?
It’s the fifth biggest city in the US and is only 80 miles from the centre of
New York. The name of the city means brotherly love and today, the city still prides itself on the name. First built by William Penn to be a trade centre on the Delaware River, the city grew exponentially until the recessions of the 20th and 21st centuries. Today, its industries have changed from manufacturing to services including tourism with sights such as the beautifully landscaped Fairmount Park, the world’s largest, and its reputation for public art where it has the largest outdoor collections on the planet.
How do I get to Philadelphia?
Philadelphia has its own international airport, one of the major airports in the US. It’s the main international hub for US Airways and receives flights from all over Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. BA and US Airways fly from the UK with US Airways operating routes from Glasgow, Manchester and Heathrow.
What’s the Airport Like?
As you’d imagine for an airport handling 31m passengers last year, it’s very busy. With seven terminals, each having a single concourse it directs almost all international traffic to Terminal A West for security checks. Rising passenger numbers have led to expansion plans including further passenger facilities between terminals E and F. From the outside, the airport is a mix of the ultra-modern and the dated whilst inside, the best facilities are reserved for international passengers although all airside facilities can be accessed inter-terminal.
What Should I Expect When I Land?
To begin with, potentially a long walk if you’re arriving at one of the outer gates. Don’t forget that if you think you’ll need assistance, your airline will need to know a couple of days in advance. Once through the security check, collect your luggage and head out into arrivals. In the arrivals hall, there’s everything you’ll need, clearly signposted but if there’s a facility you can find or something else you’ve lost, try the information desk, located centrally. There are a couple of banks/exchange companies should you need to obtain dollars but these days it’s often easier to just use the ATMs.
To collect a rental car you’ll need to let the company know when you arrive by using the courtesy phones by the baggage reclaim. Once you’ve got your luggage, go to Zone 2 where the companies will hand over your vehicle. Public transport from the airport is easy too with the Philadelphia metro line stopping at each terminal.
What are Facilities Like for Departing Passengers?
The airport’s shopping and dining experiences are out of this world with well over a hundred shops in all areas of the airport. Originally concentrated in Terminal A West, more have been added to Terminals A East and B but all are easily reached by the fast internal transit system. The range of shops is also exciting with malls of fashion, books, electronics, gifts and more. Restaurants vary from the take away outlets like McDonalds to Japanese Sushi Bars and French bistros. If you need to get online, wireless is available but at a small cost.