PHL Airport/MCO Airport............??????

[chrisd596]

According to today's newspaper the Philly US Airways check in procedure is a real mess. What can I expect for a 6:50 am US Airways flight out of Philly on Sunday Aug 3rd?


Also what should I expect for a 6:30 pm US Airways flight out of MCO?

Haven't flown in years. Have used the Auto Train the last three years so I don't really have an experience on departing from Philly or MCO.

thanks for the help
chris

 

[ducklite]

Philly is a mess. You need at least two hours from the time you enter the terminal. Not from the time you get to the parking lot. If you can print your boarding passes in advance or use a kiosk to check-in it helps a lot.

We've had to wait for 90 minutes to get through security. It's just terrible.

I hate to say it, but you do need to be there by 4:50am on your departure date.

MCO has gotten better, but during peak times (which your departure time is) they still back up something fierce. I'd plan on two hours there as well.

Anne

 

[kdibattista]

We have taken that same USAir flight out of Philly for the past 3 years (well last year they moved it to 7:10) and never had a problem. We arrived around 5:15 and were always one of the first ones there. No waits at all but then again, we usually go in September when it tends to be less crowded.

 

[chrisd596]

What is it like leaving for 6:50 am out of PHL on Sunday morning?????



How about Sat night 6:30 out of ORL

thanks

 

[beccasmom]

Philly is horrendous. We flew out of PHL on 6/14. We had a 12:15 flight, got in line to check in at 10:00 and finally reached the front of the line at 11:25 a.m. They had two counter agents, but when one took a break, there was no replacement. For a Saturday morning, it was a disaster. Many people missed their flights and the customer service (!!) was nil. At the time we were there, the e-ticket kiosks were malfunctioning. Security, however, was very quick - no line (everyone was in the USAirways line!). We made our flight, but we were sweating it out. I've never had such problems with USAirways and I was aggravated enough to write a letter of complaint when I got home. I realize that the people at the counters are overworked because of the recent layoffs, but the airline made no friends that day in Philadelphia.

I would strongly suggest printing out your boarding pass at home and/or getting to the airport as early as you can. Two hours would be the absolute minimum.

Flying back home from Orlando was a relative day at the beach. We used the e-ticket kiosks with no problems. The security line there (at 7:15 a.m.) was very lengthy, but moved fairly well. The experience was more streamlined and much more professional, in my opinion. We made our 8:00 a.m. flight easily.

The article in yesterday's Philadelphia Inquirer was no exaggeration.....it is a mess.

 

[Pryncess'mom]

Is this a problem they are working towards fixing? We are scheduled on a 6 pm on January 16 PHL to MCO. and I don't get out of work until 3 pm. it takes an hour to get to the airport! Is this problem worse on busy times? Anybody heard anything!!


Deb

 

[BillPA]

We used US Air in May and had no problems. I "checked in" on line, printed our boarding passes at the office. The check in line wasn't long but I think I saved 10 minutes by the on line check in. Self Checked our bags, and headed to the gate. Security check was less than 10 minutes. We were at the gate less than 20 minutes after our son dropped us off. This was a Friday for a 5:30 pm flight.

The return from MCO went just a smoothly. There we used the self serve kiosk, self check bags and off to the security area, that took less than 5 minutes. This was Tuesday for a 6:30 PM flight home.

Wish all my flights went as smoothly as US Air has been on the last 3 flights.

 

[doombuggy]

While I responded on your other thread, I will respond here also. I have never had a problem at Philly International. I have flown several early flights (all on US Air) from there both before and after September 11, 2001. I went to Orlando on September 25, 2001 and my dad dropped me off 2hr 20 minutes early (on his way to work), and I ended up sitting at the gate for 2 hours 9after going to the counter, security and the bathroom). I beleive the flight was around 8:30 am. I went to Las Vegas on an early flight (7 or 7:30 am) in May 2002, and againg ended up sitting at the gate for quite some time. I honestly think you will not have many problems so early in the morning. Granted you are going on a Sunday, but not many people do that.

The person who is leaving on a 6pm flight, while getting out of work at 3pm is probably cutting it a little close, unless someone is dropping you off. If you have to park the car, you might want to see if you can get out of work a little earlier.

PS: i have been flying from Philly to FLA since 1974. I had more problems flying to LA from Newark (NJ)!

 

[mcnuss]

I think you are making yourself needlessly worried. I saw your plan on the other thread, and you are going to be just fine. The "mess" that the media reports is generally overblown. Going at that hour on a Sunday morning, Philly should be pretty peaceful. Most of the reports pertain to peak hours and of course, the bad days, when it is crazy there. I have been in & out of Philly numous times, and only once did I get stuck in a bad line, and that was at 5:00 pm on a Thursday, a notoriously heavy business travel day & time. The time you are leaving MCO ( is pretty busy, esp. in the summer. When we were there at Thanksgiving, they seemed to have everything running well, but as with all things airline, that can change. Give yourself lots of time, breathe!, and you'll be fine. If you have extra time at either airport, the shopping is quite nice!

Just get your boarding passes the night before, check your bags curbside (assuming they are open, if not you'll have to go inside) and proceed to security. If you have trouble with US Airway's on-line boarding pass system, do not panic, it can be a little quirky. Just go to the kiosk with your credit card (does not have to be the one you used to buy the ticket). It will know who you are & you'll follow the prompts and be on your way in no time. BTW - you can check luggage at certain kiosks (which look just like ATMs and are lined up next to where the human agents work in PHL).

Have a great trip.

 

[chrisd596]

Thanks for all the help. I'll relax a little more now and just get there 2 hours earlier and know that that is enough time.

thanks
chris

 

[XStAnt]

I agree with Mcnuss, don't panic over flying out of PHL. It's actually a pretty good airport for it's size and # of passengers. Most of the problems occur during busy time (mid-morning to early evening).

A 6:50 am flight should be no problem. Last time I flew that early they didn't even open up the ticket counters and kiosks until about 5:30 am. If you arrive at about 5:15 am you should be okay. I recommend using the self-service kiosks to check in. You just swipe your credit card (it doesn't charge anything to use, they use the card to identify you), confirm the reservation, take your boarding pass from the kiosk, and check your luggage with the nearby attendant. Security lines should not be that long at that hour of the morning.

As far as your flight out, I would leave at least 2 hrs for MCO. You may even want more, especially if you're renting a car (even longer if your rental is off site). MCO is a very busy airport and security can really back up--especially later in the day. I'm not sure if USAir has self service kiosks at MCO.

Also, please realize that USAir now charges for meals. It is $7.00 for breakfast and $10.00 for lunch and dinner. The food is not bad, just overpriced. My DW and I have bought food at the airport and taken it on board with us. It's cheaper and usually tastes better. PHL has some good places to get sandwiches, etc to bring on the plane.

 

[chrisd596]

OK ... so how much drive time do you need from WDW to MCO for a Saturday flight at 6:30, including dropping the car off at Alamo which is on site.

thanks
chris

 

[XStAnt]

To be on the safe side, I'd give yourself an hour to get to the airport and to drop off the car. It will probably take less time, though. It takes about 30 minutes to get to MCO (using 417). The rental companies at MCO are usually pretty good with drop offs. Most have attendants in the parking lots with hand held computers to check you in and give you your receipt. It really speeds things up.

 

[mcnuss]

Here's what we do:

When you arrive at the Thrifty desk and begin the process of the rental, look at your watch and make note of the time. When you arrive at your final destination, look at your watch again to see exactly how long it took to get there. That's how we judge how much time we'll need to get back. So far, it's worked like a charm!

ps: We have very good friends from law school who live in Marlton - what a small world!