PHL Gates

[RowUnderDCA]

Put the new DAL/LCC in terminals A, B, C and F.

Put the remaining combos of AA, CO, NW and UA in D.

Put WN in E.

Spread the others out in A, D, E and F.

Alternatively, some 'legacy' carriers or combos may want to use RJ's to serve PHL. In that case maybe the AA, CO, NW and UA want to be in E and F and WN in D.

 

[traderjake]

I'd suggest that if US wants more gates, it can bring cash and the airport will build them.

How much cash did LUV bring to build gates?

How many people does LUV employ in PHL vs US?

The people who run the airport and the city ought to think about that.

 

[700UW]

The problem is there is not any room in PHL for expansion.

 

[JS]

GIVE IT A REST RESIDENT PHL BASHER. This thread is discussing International - Terminal A. There are very few international terminals in U.S. airports that are as efficient and physically appealing as A-West in PHL. I can be as much of a generalist as you and state without proof, that More passengers and employees LOVE PHL than hate it. I have personally never read or heard anything but very positive comments regarding PHL from arriving international passengers. Fortunately your baseless opinion is constrained to the bounds of this Forum - where it's quality is best suited.

spin alert

Arriving international flights get priority when airspace is full. Of course it sounds great. You don't hear their complaints when they have to wait an hour for take-off, because they land in a different country. 🙄

 

[ClueByFour]

How much cash did LUV bring to build gates?

How many people does LUV employ in PHL vs US?

The people who run the airport and the city ought to think about that.

The people who run the airport are crooked, but it did not take a rocket scientist to know how many people US laid off, how many local vendors got the stiff in bankruptcy, and how high domestic fares were out of PHL before LUV came to town.

Where else is US going to go? Leave PHL? That's a hollow threat, and the city knows it. Somebody will fill the service and job gaps--US has an empty gun there.

LUV was a new entrant, and thus (according to the feds) entitled to gates. But let's take that one step further--given extra gates in A (east or west), US will run like 2, maybe 3 flights/day. LUV runs 6-10 flights/day per gate. They get better utilization out of the capital infrastructure.

The gate issue is one of blocking. US has never hesitated to do "half assed" operational things if the money is there. If the sandcastle really thinks these flights will be profitable, they'll run them out of B/C, run them into remote stands and people move for deboarding. This "gates or else" thing is designed to do nothing but constrain LUV's growth in PHL. It's transparent and a pretty weak play at that.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

LCC has a lower percent of gates at PHL then most carriers have at their major hubs. Just an observation. And LCC doesn't have that many gates all together at PHL. Begrudging LCC gates is fine but kind of petty.

 

[Travelpro72]

Though we do need more space for international arrivals and departures the gates DO sit pretty idle for the most part during the day over on A-west. True we have a few stray flights but not much. I guess it will come down to if the city wants to have more international destinations or more frequency to more domestic markets. Many do tend to forget what US did to many cities in BK. Given the fact that new management is running the show, it's still Usairways. I hope they decide soon. I also agree with the Usairways having an empty gun when it comes to making ANY kind of threat of leaving PHL. Not gonna happen obviously.

 

[usairways85]

Put the new DAL/LCC in terminals A, B, C and F.

Put the remaining combos of AA, CO, NW and UA in D.

Put WN in E.

Spread the others out in A, D, E and F.

Alternatively, some 'legacy' carriers or combos may want to use RJ's to serve PHL. In that case maybe the AA, CO, NW and UA want to be in E and F and WN in D.

Problem is only 4 gates would be opened at D if WN took all of E and you need to fit both NW and AA in D.

Makes you wonder if PHL even needs to add a hammerhead addition to E if DL is going to move into B/C. If PHL does not add the hammerhead WN would have i think 8 gates in E and if they took NW's gates they would have the entire terminal of 11 or 12 gates.

 

[RowUnderDCA]

does AA, UA, NW and CO really need more than 16 gates cummulatively (on D)? Seems that, except of B, C and E, PHL is somewhat underutilized.

 

[PHX PHLyer]

This is only slightly relevant since we are on the topic of PHL, but I flew through PHL for the first time today since July and the gate areas were like night and day. The new carpet, new paint, nicer chairs, and the nice flat screen television in the boarding areas make a world of difference. My boarding area in July was disgusting.

I know that appearance doesn't always do much when you have bags getting lost, grumpy employees, crummy ground crews, and delayed flights, but it actually put me in a better mood and was a welcome surprise, as I was dreading the PHL connect today.

 

[USPHLElite]

PHL always has been, and always will be, a nasty place. Passengers hate it, employees hate it, but the company loves it. It's all about the money. The best thing that could possibly happen, would be the Federal Govt to declare the place condemmed and unfit for human habitation and turn it over to Waste Management Co. It would make a wonderful dump ground.

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) ranks 2nd among large airports in overall passenger satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 North America Airport Satisfaction Study released on June 29th. PHL had an overall score of 703 on a scale of 1,000, just three points behind top-ranked Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. The average score for large airports was 692

 

[ClueByFour]

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) ranks 2nd among large airports in overall passenger satisfaction, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 North America Airport Satisfaction Study released on June 29th. PHL had an overall score of 703 on a scale of 1,000, just three points behind top-ranked Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. The average score for large airports was 692

That score was thoroughly debunked both here and on Flyertalk. Do a search.

Nobody but PHL residents or PHL crews likes PHL (and not even the majority of the crews I've engaged on the subject).

 

[US AIRWAYS FAN]

Why can't US share gates if this is a problem. If they only use some of these gates for 4 flights a day then why can't they be shared? US does this at LAX with WN at Gate 4 and 8.

US's European flight arrive in the afternoon and depart in the evening. Most of those gates(A West) are not used much in the morning or mid afternoon are they???

 

[JAXPax]

Why can't US share gates if this is a problem. If they only use some of these gates for 4 flights a day then why can't they be shared? US does this at LAX with WN at Gate 4 and 8.

US's European flight arrive in the afternoon and depart in the evening. Most of those gates(A West) are not used much in the morning or mid afternoon are they???

That would be funny. Having 140 people sitting in A/B/C lines on the floor waiting for their flight to Burbank (via Detroit, Chicago, Omaha, Las Vegas, and Reno) while an A330 full of US passengers bound to Rome has to wade through them, in a hurry to get to their seats and a glass of $3/bottle wine.

 

[US AIRWAYS FAN]

JaxPax,

No one would be wading through anyone. If WN were to use those gates in the AM hours then there would be no problem. All the European flights don't depart until late afternoon and evening so there is no problem there.

I don't know for sure but I assume most of those gates sit empty in the morning and part of the afternoon.