Philly Phactor Observations

[tadjr]

Arrived into PHL from MAD on Wed over 1 hour early. Zipped right thru immigration and customs (no checked bags). Went to the agent and asked to be listed for the next flight so I could get a boarding pass to get thru security since things changed in PHL this week. No problem, he listed us and off we went (no tude either!). Screeching halt. Waited in line at A West security about 10 mins and made it to the next to last turn (I think), when the agent came thru and said everyone follow me. Back to the other side of the crossover, down the stairs and back up to A East. Another line. (I had seen someone else taking people over as we walked thru and should have known better to just go straight to another security area). Heard lots of people complaining about missing their flights. Not sure if something else had come in late or what, but there were some very unhappy campers. At least US had agents trying to spread out the load some. Finally made it to the front of the A East line and the TSA guy told the agent "I'm closing down the B-F line". Down one more screening line went with the line at least 30 mins long to begin with. Not sure why he did it, but it shut down. Made it thru the other side of security just over 1:15 from landing. Lots of unhappy AA folks in this line too. I cant believe how bad security STILL is here. I guess some cities have the TSA thing down and others dont. ( The new A West security from local PHL checkin was open and not a long line so if you are stuck in the line when reclearing, head there or on down to B-C depending on where your connection is leaving from.) Unfortunately they had directed some people down to B-C to just get them cleared and they were leaving from A West on one of the few domestic flights out of there. (MCO and CLT were the two at the time). I heard someone comment that they had waited 2 hours to reclear! Guess my hour wasnt too bad.

Also noticed landings on 35 while waiting for the flight. Dashes, Rjs and even a couple of 737s.

 

[usairways85]

good to hear pretty much everything went well with the exception of security. Yea, i don't know what it is with Philly, but they can't seem to get security right at all. I rememer back when A-west wasn't completed yet and the security line for A-east was backed up all the way to the parking garage during the afternoon international rush.

How many security lines did they have? I think this is one of the problems. Every other airport i've been do, there are a good amount at each terminal, in PHL there are like 2-4 per terminal.

 

[nycbusdriver]

The TSA seems to be going out of their way to screw USAirways and its customers arriving from international destinations. I don't know why. I thought maybe they had an agenda against the recently resigned USAirways station manager, but if it is still happening, then the reason is deeper than that, or just typical government bumbling. The TSA has a propensity for shutting down screening points on a particular schedule, rather than when the lines disappear. If several island flights arrive late, those passengers almost always seem to arrive at security to find only one line open. Evidently, the TSA schdules multiple lines open for the time when the customers would arrive IF all flights were on time, and closes some lines down on schedule no matter what the customer load. I think USAirways should print a banner to place at security to the effect that their waiting time is compliments of the U.S. government and not USAirways.

Without luggage to recheck (or even WITH luggage to recheck) I would proceed outside to the B concourse to recheck luggage and clear security. B security seems to always be easier and faster. Except for the walk outside schlepping your bags, B security is more convenient to most of the domestic departures. In inclement weather, you can walk down the SEPTA train platform (elevators at both ends for the A Concourse and B Concourse) to B concourse. The platform is covered, though open air, and there are never any crowds to slow you down.

 

[Colby]

Im not sure what all is going on NOW....But I have done A LOT of traveling in and out of PHL since May(yep Furlough Day).....

I haven't had a lot of Problems getting through and then a couple of days ago I was on my way out of town and OH MY GOD I came up near "C" Security which is NEVER A LONG LINE... And it was half-way down the Hall.... Then, when I finally got my ticket I tried again...and it was Still LONG...So, I went back out the doors and down through "D" Concourse.... GOT RIGHT THROUGH !!!!!
The only problem was my flight was going out of B-15..... Yep got a lot of Excercise that day.....


Guess the good news is that the Airport is BUSY !!!!
Hang in there people.... and Make sure now a-days to make sure to get to the Airport 2-hours early......

 

[crushed]

I rememer back when A-west wasn't completed yet

A-west STILL isn't finished!
That's the problem...
The A-west security for recheck won't be open for another year.

 

[crushed]

I thought maybe they had an agenda against the recently resigned USAirways station manager, but if it is still happening, then the reason is deeper than that,

Still?
The Station Managers last day was yesterday.

 

[Harry Callahan]

I can't speak for the PHL problems, but I can tell you that in CLT the TSA has a severe shortage of personnel. They are quitting left & right due to working conditions. According to the few of those people I talk to no one is being replaced.

 

[Colby]

I can't speak for the PHL problems, but I can tell you that in CLT the TSA has a severe shortage of personnel. They are quitting left & right due to working conditions. According to the few of those people I talk to no one is being replaced.

I know someone that works in PHL for TSA and works almost Everyday... or works Double shifts.... So, guess they are Short in PHL too......

 

[robbedagain]

sounds something like my station--southeast the garbage dump airline with the wrong employees-- has people stacked in line for a security on most days has in the past caused some of our pax to miss their flights because the tsa just loves to take their time and they dont give craps if the pax misses the flight--regardless if the pax has been at the counter since say 5am when it opens. what a way to have this republican in office

 

[tadjr]

I think part of the problem is that TSA doesnt care WHO misses their flights or not. We tried at one time to get people pulled to the front who were close to dept and TSA said no. Not sure if this was just a local thing or policy everywhere, but I dont see why TSA would have a problem with the airline pulling people. Come to think of it, there was an AA agent pulling people for flights leaving within 1/2 hour, but with 6-10 767-A330s coming in at the same time, its kinda hard to pull people who "are leaving soon!"

 

[nycbusdriver]

Bob -

If memory serves, you are correct in that the Democrats wanted the TSA, but there was one Republican who also favored it...George Bush.

Tad -

If the airlines had the staffing to do this, they could insure that folks make their flights if they get to security at a reasonable time. TSA says it treats everyone equally when they present themselves at the front of the security line. How they are queued up is totally at the discretion of the airlines. Hence, some places they have lines with priority for first class, high power frequent flyers, and employees. These folks get to bypass the long lines because the airlines, not the TSA, permit it. With proper staffing, there could be a "close-to-departure" queue which would give these folks priority into the TSA meat-grinder.