Flying on the Saturday after Thanksgiving

[TyGuy]

We are flying to Orlando from Philly on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We have a US Airways flight leaving Philly at 8:00. What should we expect at the Airport? I am thinking that the people flying home that day will probably be flying later in the day but just was wondering what the experts on here think.

Thanks
Ty

 

[msmayor]

I have been to the Philly airport for early flights and it really can be a zoo. My daughter had a 7:30am flight out one Saturday morning after the holidays and we arrived at 5:30am to ridiculously long lines at check-in and security. Once she got her bag checked (Delta curbside) and cleared security, she had barely 10 minutes before they started boarding the flight.

I always allow a minimum of 2 hours in Philly regardless of the time of flight.

 

[eliza61]

We are flying to Orlando from Philly on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We have a US Airways flight leaving Philly at 8:00. What should we expect at the Airport? I am thinking that the people flying home that day will probably be flying later in the day but just was wondering what the experts on here think.

Thanks
Ty

Hey Ty,
1) Crowds. LOL. that's going to be a very busy weekend at most airports and Philly international is a big one.

2) You've got an 8 am flight so I would probably go for being at the airport by 6. How are you getting there? If driving and parking in long term parking remember to give yourself extra time to have the shuttle pick you up and get you to the terminal. If some one is dropping you off, make sure you pull over in designated zones. Philly cops have been cracking down on folks pulling over and putting on their flashers.

3) Security. so far terminal f is the only one that has the new scanners so I think US air leaves from another terminal. If you have kids I would simply make sure all pockets are empty with no metal belt buckles to set off the alarms.

Truthfully I don't think the security personel is slow I think more problems occur from unprepared travelers especially those with small kids who get to the xray machines and have 5 bags of toys for the kids, food to snack on and then have to explain to Sally why she has to let the stuff animal go through the machine.

Great job on trying to get a bead on the procedure, it will definitely speed you up.

 

[eliza61]

P.S.
Philly airport has a great new concourse. I know if you're trying not to spend money you may want to try to bring "stuff" to eat especially for a early flight. believe me Ty, the less "bags" you have to lug or go through security the easier your life will be.

 

[Missytara]

I do much the same thing out of BWI; my flight leaves at 6:55 am. It has not been that crowded, but I usually make sure I am the airport no later than 5:15 am.

Check the Philly website before you go; BWI allows you to park in the parking garage for the same price as the ESP (Extended stay parking) if none is available. The lot can be pretty full on Saturday morning, because as you said, most everyone is flying out Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning.

 

[eliza61]

Ty,
Article on this very thing in the Inquirer today.

Philadelphia airport expects 700,000 travelers to pass through, beginning Sunday through Monday, Nov. 29.

The part of screening that takes the longest is not walking through a metal detector or standing in the imaging machine a few seconds, but emptying pockets of change, removing shoes, and screening carry-on bags.

Holiday travel attracts the infrequent, once-a-year passenger who may be unfamiliar with security protocol and guidelines for carry-on items.

"They are coming to the airport, packing as much into their carry-on bags as possible to avoid the checked-baggage fee," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition. "That causes the TSA security personnel to do more hand searches. Consequently, it makes the throughput at the checkpoint slower, and it causes problems at the gate."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/busine...ay_chaos_at_Philly_airport.html#ixzz161YOWpK5
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

 

[Missytara]

That is good to note.

Since I travel in the middle of the holiday weekend, I pack very lightly in my backpack and check everything. I hate to be one of those people who takes forever to go through the line.

 

[TyGuy]

I started thinking about this and decided to call the Airline about upgrading to First Class. It cost me 30,000 miles to bump my DW and I up to first class but we get free checked bags and a priority security line.... so I think it was worth it. We'll only do it for the trip down so that we can travel that day without too many problems. We fly back on Sunday, December 5 at 7:30 at night so I'm not too worried about that flight.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

It cost me 30,000 miles to bump my DW and I up to first class but we get free checked bags and a priority security line..

Due to airline status, our family always gets to go through the priority security line and sadly, it often is no faster than the regular line. You still get behind travelers who seem to have no clue about how to go through security and usually have fewer x-ray/scanners or after having your boarding pass and id checked, are just fed into the regular scanner lines. I would have saved the miles myself and gone through the regular lines.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Ty,
Article on this very thing in the Inquirer today.

Philadelphia airport expects 700,000 travelers to pass through, beginning Sunday through Monday, Nov. 29.

The part of screening that takes the longest is not walking through a metal detector or standing in the imaging machine a few seconds, but emptying pockets of change, removing shoes, and screening carry-on bags.

Holiday travel attracts the infrequent, once-a-year passenger who may be unfamiliar with security protocol and guidelines for carry-on items.

"They are coming to the airport, packing as much into their carry-on bags as possible to avoid the checked-baggage fee," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition. "That causes the TSA security personnel to do more hand searches. Consequently, it makes the throughput at the checkpoint slower, and it causes problems at the gate."

Read more: http://www.philly.com/philly/busine...ay_chaos_at_Philly_airport.html#ixzz161YOWpK5
Watch sports videos you won't find anywhere else

Let me add something else from that article . . .

Frequent flier Steve Lapin of Elkins Park wanted to know what the fuss was about, and, returning from a business trip in Pittsburgh last week, opted out of the scan in order to get a pat-down.

"I have no problem with the technology, but I wanted to see what the pat-down was like," he said. A TSA agent took him aside, and instructed him to put out his arms.

"He told me what he was going to do: check the collar of my shirt, my sides, the waistband of my pants, my legs, halfway up my thighs, front and back. And that's what he did. He had gloves on," Lapin recalled.

"He went to the back of my collar, down the front of my shirt, rubbed his hand on the inside of my waistband, where the belt loops are, down the front of my leg. Then the same thing on the back - down to the ankles and up the ankles, to halfway up my thigh. That was it. Nowhere near my private parts - not even close.

Why does that search make anyone feel safe?

It was totally ineffective in it's stated purpose and the supposed rationale behind all this woohaa. If Lapin were an undie bomber, the TSAer would not have known, passed the guy through, and then . . .

 

[helenk]

eliza61- Thanks for the interesting article, I am leaving for WDW on Monday the 29th hopefully it will not be horrid.
My flight does not leave PHL until 4:00 pm, but I plan on getting to the airport by 2:00.
I'd rather have to sit at the gate and read my book and enjoy a cup of coffee rather than standing in a security line hyperventilating and wondering if I am going to miss my flight.

 

[TyGuy]

eliza61- Thanks for the interesting article, I am leaving for WDW on Monday the 29th hopefully it will not be horrid.
My flight does not leave PHL until 4:00 pm, but I plan on getting to the airport by 2:00.
I'd rather have to sit at the gate and read my book and enjoy a cup of coffee rather than standing in a security line hyperventilating and wondering if I am going to miss my flight.

I'm the same way too. I use to travel a lot (pre 9/11 days) and I would much rather be early then stress about getting there late. I can always get a book, read the newspaper, get a cup of coffee... There are plenty of things to pass the time before you have to get on the plane...

 

[eliza61]

Let me add something else from that article . . .



Why does that search make anyone feel safe?

It was totally ineffective in it's stated purpose and the supposed rationale behind all this woohaa. If Lapin were an undie bomber, the TSAer would not have known, passed the guy through, and then . . .

but if he had some thing strapped to his leg or chest it would have been found. then it would have been effective. We can play ifa, woulda, coulda all day long.