PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread X

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by EastSideHBG

Dirty in many spots, rude staff, shuttle nightmares (I have a fun story from when we had to take one from one terminal to another), homeless people hanging around (although this has since been addressed within the last year but I cannot confirm the results, as I haven't flown out of there within the last year), baggage being tampered with and items stolen from it...

Again not my least favorite and there are things I like about it but also not my most favorite either. But this parking situation is really stupid no matter how you slice it.

Rude staff is every airport. Hate to break it to you. Even at Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle. I've never encountered anyone working at PHL that was overtly rude.

I've never once seen anything I would consider dirty at the airport. CERTAINLY not in "many" spots. I've never seen homeless people at the airport - was this an issues during COVID? I haven't flown out of an airport since 2019, but will be flying out next year.

Baggage tampered with? You sure they're not just looking through it? Every airport looks through and searches random luggage. It's pretty standard airport security around the world at this point.

I've also never taken a shuttle, so can't talk about this. I usually just walk through the airport if need be.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by bigfish

I am with you Summers. I have never had issues flying out of PHL. The only thing that would be nice is if the airport line had custom seats that made luggage easier to transport.

They did. Two Silverliner IIIs were modified with extra luggage space and given a special paint scheme.

[EastSideHBG]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Rude staff is every airport. Hate to break it to you. Even at Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle. I've never encountered anyone working at PHL that was overtly rude.

Yes I'm familiar with airports. I am glad that you haven't had the same experience. It was embarrassing to have most of my business travelers arrive at my site and complain about the staff and I couldn't say much because I had seen it too.

I've never once seen anything I would consider dirty at the airport. CERTAINLY not in "many" spots. I've never seen homeless people at the airport - was this an issues during COVID? I haven't flown out of an airport since 2019, but will be flying out next year.

Some of the bathrooms were disgusting, trash laying around, overflowing cans, bugs...

It was also voted one of the worst airports in the country just a few years ago:

PHL has consistently ranked as one of the worst airports in the US, scoring a dismal 3/10 on airlinequality.com.

And AA even threatened to stop paying their tenant fees due to staff's observations.

The homeless have been an issue but yes it did get worse during COVID and so much so that they had to come up with a plan to finally address it:

https://www.phl.org/newsroom/access-airport-business

https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/cor...-airport-tested-for-coronavirus/2407709/

Baggage tampered with? You sure they're not just looking through it? Every airport looks through and searches random luggage. It's pretty standard airport security around the world at this point.

Yes, I am familiar and I'm sure when stuff was taken from it. And this was not a one off, I have many stories of this and even some from people who worked behind the scenes.

I've also never taken a shuttle, so can't talk about this. I usually just walk through the airport if need be.

One couldn't just walk through the airport, as there was some sort of construction occurring so folks had to get on an outside shuttle to go to certain gates.

[mcgrath618]

What terminals are you flying out of? I flew a lot this summer and terminal E was always pristine.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by bigfish

I am with you Summers. I have never had issues flying out of PHL. The only thing that would be nice is if the airport line had custom seats that made luggage easier to transport.

Same. I don't get the hate. Just last weekend I flew out of terminal F on an Embraer to Columbus (it's been years since I was in Terminal F) and I was shocked by how nice it was. In many ways, nicer than the terminals that serve larger aircraft.

PHL compares poorly to many International Airports in other countries, but it holds its own here. JFK is a dump. Newark is a dump. The new LaGuardia is amazing. Charlotte is dated. Atlanta is nice but also dated (their train runs every 3-5 minutes though, since that's a topic). A lot of airports you can't connect to other terminals once you get through security (LAX, JFK, etc), so I've always enjoyed the convenience of being able to wander once I'm in.

But yeah. Just dump on PHL.

[summersm343]

Sorry you had bad experiences EastSideHBG, but I've honestly never had an issues at PHL, and don't know ANYONE who's ever had any issues at PHL.

I think PHL is just as nice and clean as most airports that I've been to and even the ones people go absolutely goo-goo-gaga apeshit about including Denver International, Heathrow, O'Hare, LAX, etc.... so again, I don't get the hate.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

What terminals are you flying out of? I flew a lot this summer and terminal E was always pristine.

I don't get it.... I've flown out of multiple terminals at PHL and have never had an issue, thought everything was clean and pristine.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Same. I don't get the hate. Just last weekend I flew out of terminal F on an Embraer to Columbus (it's been years since I was in Terminal F) and I was shocked by how nice it was. In many ways, nicer than the terminals that serve larger aircraft.

PHL compares poorly to many International Airports in other countries, but it holds its own here. JFK is a dump. Newark is a dump. The new LaGuardia is amazing. Charlotte is dated. Atlanta is nice but also dated (their train runs every 3-5 minutes though, since that's a topic). A lot of airports you can't connect to other terminals once you get through security (LAX, JFK, etc), so I've always enjoyed the convenience of being able to wander once I'm in.

But yeah. Just dump on PHL.

Agree 100%. What I've noticed in the Philly area is that a lot of people in this area do not travel a lot AT ALL. If they do, its to Florida or Mexico or a tropical island. IDK, maybe it's similar to other parts of the country... but it's absolutely mindboggling to me.

You get a ton of people who say this sucks about Philly, that sucks about Philly, that sucks about Philly.... but they've never been anywhere else really.

Once you travel other places, you realize Philly actually kicks ass comparatively to most places - ESPECIALLY in the US.

PHL is nice compared to every airport I've been to. Does the city of Philadelphia have it's problems? Absolutely, nobody would deny that, especially with the crime the past 2 years.... BUT, overall, Philly kicks ass and PHL doesn't deserve the hate it gets.

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Agree 100%. What I've noticed in the Philly area is that a lot of people in this area do not travel a lot AT ALL. If they do, its to Florida or Mexico or a tropical island. IDK, maybe it's similar to other parts of the country... but it's absolutely mindboggling to me.

You get a ton of people who say this sucks about Philly, that sucks about Philly, that sucks about Philly.... but they've never been anywhere else really.

Once you travel other places, you realize Philly actually kicks ass comparatively to most places - ESPECIALLY in the US.

PHL is nice compared to every airport I've been to. Does the city of Philadelphia have it's problems? Absolutely, nobody would deny that, especially with the crime the past 2 years.... BUT, overall, Philly kicks ass and PHL doesn't deserve the hate it gets.

PHL is LEAGUES ahead of Midway and BWI in terms of appearance and upkeep, and better than O’Hare in terms of experience.

I’d even say it’s better than LaGuardia, though that’s not a very high song of praise.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

They did. Two Silverliner IIIs were modified with extra luggage space and given a special paint scheme.

If I recall correctly, they also have wider aisles by eliminating the third seat on one side of each car. I used to take it to the airport when I worked in Center City, but that was fourteen years ago.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Agree 100%. What I've noticed in the Philly area is that a lot of people in this area do not travel a lot AT ALL. If they do, its to Florida or Mexico or a tropical island. IDK, maybe it's similar to other parts of the country... but it's absolutely mindboggling to me.

You get a ton of people who say this sucks about Philly, that sucks about Philly, that sucks about Philly.... but they've never been anywhere else really.

Once you travel other places, you realize Philly actually kicks ass comparatively to most places - ESPECIALLY in the US.

PHL is nice compared to every airport I've been to. Does the city of Philadelphia have it's problems? Absolutely, nobody would deny that, especially with the crime the past 2 years.... BUT, overall, Philly kicks ass and PHL doesn't deserve the hate it gets.

I'm 1K with United and I fly out of PHL occasionally and it's always been perfectly fine. I mostly fly out of Newark or LGA because they are United hubs, but PHL is middle of the pack as far as airports go, so yea I don't understand where the super negative comments are coming from.

Also, I spent the weekend in Philly with my boyfriend, (stayed at the Westin), we had such a nice time! The city is definitely bustling, people out and about, stores were busy, restaurants packed, etc. I am happy to see improvements even since my last visit 2 months ago. And a lot of major developments all over!

Originally Posted by mcgrath618

PHL is LEAGUES ahead of Midway and BWI in terms of appearance and upkeep, and better than O’Hare in terms of experience.

I’d even say it’s better than LaGuardia, though that’s not a very high song of praise.

You must have not seen the new LGA. The new LGA is stunning, it is now becoming one the best American airports (not all terminals are done yet).

[mcgrath618]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

I'm 1K with United and I fly out of PHL occasionally and it's always been perfectly fine. I mostly fly out of Newark or LGA because they are United hubs, but PHL is middle of the pack as far as airports go, so yea I don't understand where the super negative comments are coming from.

Also, I spent the weekend in Philly with my boyfriend, (stayed at the Westin), we had such a nice time! The city is definitely bustling, people out and about, stores were busy, restaurants packed, etc. I am happy to see improvements even since my last visit 2 months ago. And a lot of major developments all over!



You must have not seen the new LGA. The new LGA is stunning, it is now becoming one the best American airports (not all terminals are done yet).

I have not. I will withhold judgement until it's finished.

[Raja]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

PHL is middle of the pack as far as airports go, so yea I don't understand where the super negative comments are coming from.

Also, I spent the weekend in Philly with my boyfriend, (stayed at the Westin), we had such a nice time! The city is definitely bustling, people out and about, stores were busy, restaurants packed, etc. I am happy to see improvements even since my last visit 2 months ago. And a lot of major developments all over!

Yeah, I don't understand the extreme comments on either side. PHL is ho hum. Better than average for food, convenience, and security. Average for cleanliness, design/architecture, technology, and delays. Below average for baggage handling (my god the baggage handling is always a clusterf**k, and the slowest of any airport ever). International terminal (A West) and Terminal F are the best. C and D are the worst. It was dirty during COVID, but it's gotten better.

Totally agree about this weekend. Had some friends from college here and it was rocking. Huge lines for all the attractions. Restaurants and bars overflowing. People dressed to impress. Anti-social crap at a minimum, or at least less noticeable. It felt pre-pandemic.

[justremember]

Originally Posted by arkitect13

If we wanted to send that to councilmembers who would it be sent too? Theres 2 comittes I see, district council members and the council members at large, is there a way to contact them all at once?

Those aren't committees, those are the types of councilmembers. District councilmembers are elected by residents of one of the city's 10 councilmanic districts. There are also seven at-large members elected city-wide. The all have equal voting power and both kinds can serve on Council's various committees.

The best move to contact them would be to also reach out to their chiefs of staff and legislative or policy directors. Those are the people that help shape what initiatives each member supports. I'd also recommend framing any suggestion in a way that shows many people support it and it will make the member look good to their constituents. They're not going to get behind anything - especially anything outside the status quo - just because one person had an idea.

I used to work in Council - briefly - so I've seen a little bit of sausage making.

[UrbanRevival]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

I'm 1K with United and I fly out of PHL occasionally and it's always been perfectly fine. I mostly fly out of Newark or LGA because they are United hubs, but PHL is middle of the pack as far as airports go, so yea I don't understand where the super negative comments are coming from.

Agree with this 100%. PHL is perfectly fine, and actually above-average for concessions. At some point, I think PHL just became the "whipping boy" of airports, for whatever reason, but I've long thought the unfounded negativity towards it is bizarre.

I've been to 15-20 major airports across the US, in addition to Heathrow and Charles de Gaulle in Europe. The only airports I ever recall being super impressed, or left any sort of impression, regarding modernity and efficiency are: Dulles (DC), Detroit, and Charles de Gaulle. End of list. Only Newark and Miami struck me as particularly bad. There's plenty of things to b*tch about in Philly, but the airport honestly is not one of them.

If anything, as you allude to, the US is just very behind on keeping its general infrastructure cutting edge, and that certainly includes airports.

[iamrobk]

While this parking situation may need to be addressed (I'll reserve judgment for now, until we know a little more about the practical impact), I'm also very pro-PHL. All things considered it's at least average-ish by US standards. All the terminals are at least decent these days (D and E are kind of boring, but serviceable), and are all connected post-security (which is an underrated benefit that some major airports still lack). It's never seemed particularly dirty to me but fair enough if anyone has seen that, but the walks between terminals (particularly between A-East and B, C to D, and E to F) can be bland. The only other big downside is it's very long - I somewhat recently walked from A-West to F (I know there's the shuttle, but I had time and was curious just how long the walk would take, lol) and whew, that was a hike.

Just IMO but I think people with a super negative perception of PHL are still thinking of how it was 10+ years ago, when frankly it wasn't nearly as good.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by PHLtoNYC

You must have not seen the new LGA. The new LGA is stunning, it is now becoming one the best American airports (not all terminals are done yet).

Yeah. I've actually always been a devotee of LaGuardia. When you live in Queens or Brooklyn it's super easy to get into and out of, even in relative terms when it was under construction.

But now it's just drop dead. Awe inspiring. For sure the nicest airport in the country (though I haven't been to the new MSY).

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by iamrobk

The only other big downside is it's very long - I somewhat recently walked from A-West to F (I know there's the shuttle, but I had time and was curious just how long the walk would take, lol) and whew, that was a hike.

Just IMO but I think people with a super negative perception of PHL are still thinking of how it was 10+ years ago, when frankly it wasn't nearly as good.

My only gripe with PHL is the check in experience. When you walk into the arrivals halls to check in, you're literally smashed up against the check in lines. There is no breathing room and it doesn't give you the sense that you're about to embark on a fun experience (i.e. traveling). I do love when you go to catch a flight at an airport and the room sort of opens up upon arrival, to give a sense of adventure and possibility. At PHL, it's very meh. Like an afterthought.

But my overall experience with the airport is generally good. Also, super underrated that you can basically get there from Center City in like 8 minutes.

[arkitect13]

Ill agree with the majority here, PHL, has a terrible parking system rn, there's not enough, id rather see another garage replace a few of the lots and the lots could be redeveloped or something. The airport is pretty good, its far from the worst in the country, but not the best either, I will say its retail options are decent, its offerings are great, the airport is convenient, the terminals are easy to navigate and it has decent transit connections, minus the fact that it runs infrequently. If anything the interior color schemes and layouts need a small refresh, Id love it if it would get an amazing atmosphere like the airports in asia but they seem to flashy.

The one thing holding it back in my opinion, is the experience when your outside the terminals, while transit connections are good, I feel the airport needs a landscaping refresh, the garages are ugly, and it needs an dedicated to no train related transit, like a bus hub for SEPTA, shuttle buses and parking buses.

[EastSideHBG]

It's funny because within all of these comments there are many that are basically saying the same thing as me and they don't love it, don't hate it, it's middle of the road. But it has had some real issues over the years. Is it better? Sounds like it (I have not flown out of it in over a year and when I do next I will be sure to see what's been going on). Can it keep improving? Of course.

Originally Posted by iamrobk

Just IMO but I think people with a super negative perception of PHL are still thinking of how it was 10+ years ago, when frankly it wasn't nearly as good.

Exactly and if one has been flying out of PHL for decades there is a much bigger experience pool to draw from vs what may have been happening only within the last few years.