Phl- Terminal A Security Line

tadjr

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Aug 19, 2002
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I had a elderly couple on my PHL flight today connecting to Manchester, England. They questioned if the flight to PHL was on time since they had a problem on the flight inbound. Even after being told it was on time they still had worried looks on their faces. Seems they missed their flight to TPA from PHL because of the security backup at Terminal A after clearing Customs and Immigration. They went to the front of the line when time was running close for their connection and were told to go get back in line. No one bothered to mention the option of going to the other terminals to clear and I guess no one in PHL has a handle on this problem any more now than when it was mentioned here shortly after the new terminal opened. SOMEONE needs to look into the matter and get a plan in order. If TSA isnt going to open up any more security lanes (whether they dont have the staffing or the room to in A terminal), then SOMEONE in PHL needs to have someone there to direct customers or have signs directing connecting customers to head out into the elements and down to the other concourse to clear so they at least make their connecting flight. I can't believe this is STILL HAPPENING. I know CCY lurks here, why haven't you guys directed SOMEONE in PHL to get something done about this? Stupid little things that COULD BE CORRECTED or ALLEVIATED still go unchecked after months of complaints from customers and WHATS BEING DONE TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR THEM? How about running the airline this week?
 
Tadjr,

That is just downright pathetic. They do lurk here. What's the matter with this management. All these VPs, directors, mangers running around, and supervisors and no one addressed this problem yet? Its a wonder we have any pax who trust us enough to continue doing business with our airline.

I should not be amazed at this, just disqusted.
 
Witnessed this line myself recently. Around 8pm when all the carribean arrivals come in. I felt soo sorry for those folks. Was able to convince some to cut through the parking garage over to terminal B.

Shame on Usairways and whoever is responsible.

OH, I forgot....no one is accountable in MGT :down:
 
Came in Sunday from Europe. New terminal is great. Very efficient. Lots of Customs and Immigration...and then, bang, out the door to the single aisle security screening facility to reenter A. This has to be the worst setup in North America for handling online transfers from overseas in a hub. It mitigates everything they are trying to do. In order to fix a problem, you have to know you have one. How they can predicate the revival of the airline on a dysfunctional facility like Philly is mind boggling. The first order of business should have been to put it under proper management. It just can't be that tough. Continental did it in Newark (after many tries), and the whole place turned on a dime. Clueless.
 
The new A terminal in PHL is not complete....but we opened it anyway! That is why...while it looks impressive... it's a mess.
The company sites safety concerns about routing people thru the parking garage and since the signs are poorly posistioned and in English only half the pax have trouble just making it down to A security!
It's a joke!
 
I write this problem up every week, well I did when I was flying - not with the new reserve system.
We give our passengers excellent service across the Atlantic, we thank them for flying with us when they get off the plane in PHL all the time knowing that there life is about to become a living hell. Sure the new arrivals facility is wonderful and right away you hear people saying how happy they are that they didnt go through Kennedy or Newark, however, once those poor people have been made to stand in a line in a glass hallway that felt like a hundred degrees this summer and fall sometimes for over an hour you have to wonder what the planners were thinking. As a commuter I have witnessed people running to their gates sweating only to be told that their flight had departed. I have managed to get on flights because the international passengers didnt make the connection. Finally, there is nothing worse than to be sitting in a hotel in Philly for six days, yes six days trying to get a trip on quick call and hear people in the restaurant asking if they can use the meal vouchers they were given from US Airways most of them European and talking about how they missed their connection because they couldnt get through security.
Oh and one other thing, to the people who drive those carts around the airport like they are at the Indy 500, when you are yelling at our passengers and telling them to get out of your way, please keep in mind that there are many European passengers who dont understand you when you are screaming at them while trying to run them over.
November 17th and Ive flown once this month but do you think the company will tell me if I will be furloughed in January, Merry Christmas!
 
Look people security is security......thats why its called "SECURITY"
stop blameing mgmt for every tom,dick and harry......

chronic complainer's here should be dealt with like mr. gitomer???????????

not a mgmt lover but here, if you have a beef contact TSA!!!!!
 
Taylor,

You do not have the full story. This is not complaining about long lines. That is an insult to posters.

This is about large #,s of folks all arriving within an hour who just traveled long distance, passed imigration and cutoms, walked a mile to be greeted by a 1 hour + long line. They are connecting with last flight of night limits. They do not expect to clear security again. You are so far from security personnel that you wonder if this could be the right line. Signage is pathetic. No one to explain situation to pax.
A security seems biased against Usair and is not user freindly.

There are solutions, however employees are powerless, TSA is government (no more needs to be said) , and Mgt is allowing it to continue. :down:
 
If you think our passengers dont blame US Airways while they are being held in a glass oven waiting to get through security to make a connection at the A concourse, you really ought to leave your office and get down to the terminal once in a while and listen to them telling crew members how they will never fly on us again. It is so typical for you to say its not our problem, ofcourse it is. These people are being inconvenienced to the point where we are having to put them up in hotels for the night, buy them dinner and breakfast and send them on their way the following day. If we are still trying to be a global carrier then we should be working with the TSA to get this resolved.
 
And once again, where oh where is the station manager of PHL for USAirwas?

Based upon my experiences with the 'factor', I would say there is no station manager there. Symptoms, symptoms yet no cure.
 
3 wks ago I came back from FCO
connected in phl no problem....gee ...guess what I even made
the early connex to my destination....35 mins from intl to "F"
no prob....
signage was fine.....
stop complaining....U is a great airline...mgmt needs some attention in some areas
not in this case....
 
I know what you mean, the lines are horrible, and when BA and Lufthansa comes in the same time as our Trans Atlantic flights, the wait is horrendous! Hey, wait a minute, can both the BA pax and the Lufthansa pax blame US too? It must be our fault for their long lines too, based on what I read here on this forum. Wow, do we put their pax up for the night and give them food vouchers too? Shall we take responsibility for everthing? Do we own the PHL airport? Did we build it?
 
taylor01 said:
chronic complainer's here should be dealt with like mr. gitomer???????????

not a mgmt lover but here, if you have a beef contact TSA!!!!!
Not sure exactly who you are directing this to, but how many months ago was this brought up and appearantly nothing has been done about it? It IS a USAIRWAYS problem whether anyone wants to admit it or not, because the CUSTOMERS SAY IT IS! They really dont care that TSA isnt staffing or the Philadelphia airport isnt through building, all they know is they missed their flight on US and NO ONE was there to help them. Maybe its something that CCY needs to go to PHL and talk with TSA or the airport about then. THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS THREAD. I cant go there myself (and its not my responsibililty to), but when customers complain to me, in TPA, about the way they were handled in another city, after the matter has already been brought up before, then it is a problem with me. I dont want to listen to the customers complaining since I CANT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT other than pass on the info to CCY that IT IS A PROBLEM that needs to be addressed by SOMEONE WITH AUTHORITY TO CHANGE IT! When we had a problem with security backups, the manager spoke with the airport and TSA and wow, we got an extra lane now and no longer have the problems, and it didnt take 6 months to get it done either. I'm not a management lover or hater either, but I dont think the AGENTS in PHL have the authority to go to TSA or the Airport Authority to get something done. Like it or not, it does affect US Airways regardless of what the real reason is its occuring and it will drive customers away if it isnt addressed.
 
What is really sad is that we spend litterally millions for this cluster to accomodate our inconvenienced customers in hotels and with meals and it could be solved if TSA and the company would get off their behinds and address the problem. Funny how WN's arrival at PHL gets a total reconstruction of the security access to the concourse, but no one will address the isuse of A con. Another example of where WN gets preferential treatment. :angry: