PHL or EWR

[thefigueroas]

My family and I are about halfway between both Philadelphia and Newark. We are starting to plan our trip for next year and would appreciate the opinions of people who have flown in and out of both. Is one more satisfactory than the other? What are the benefits of one versus the other? We have flown out of PHL once and the experience was fine but not anything to be over the moon about so we are not rigidly loyal to it. Thanks in advance for any and all assistance.

 

[ibcnu]

We are also at the half way point for PHL and EWR and also a little less than an hour away from ACY (Atlantic City).

We have flown out of ALL airports. ACY is ideal, but very small and very few non-stop flights to Florida. Spirit had problems over the summer, although they do have non-stop flights, I refuse to book them because of the extra fees for carry-on.

I find that PHL and EWR are about the same. We find coupons online to park offsite and have a shuttle take us to the airport. I will say that the shuttle van in PHL was much nicer (I think it was a mini bus) than the shuttle van in EWR (which was a run down van).

Whenever I book flights, I check all three airports and go with the airline that has the most direct (prefer non-stop), then price.

One thing great about PHL is Southwest, which has really low fares to Florida, with 2 free checked bags per person! Southwest does not fly out of EWR.

 

[jimmalru80]

We live in Ocean County, NJ. We flew out of Newark our first four trips to WDW and then switched to Philadelphia. Difference was like night and day in PHL's favor. Much less traffic, very easy in and out of terminal driving, easy to park, less lines and on time more than Newark. Plus it was a shorter time/distance driving home at the end of the trip. Have also flown Spirit Air out of Atlantic City and that was the best of all for us. So easy, but dealing with the unpredictable schedules of Spirit can be a hassle.

 

[3mickeymom]

We live in Southern Monmouth County and choose Philly. We haven't flown out of Newark in years. I check prices for both, and Philly is usually cheaper and I think more covenient. Spirit is always my first choice though, out of Atlantic City, but we never paid for carry-ons yet. That might be a deal breaker. I belong to the Nine dollar fare club and have gotten some great deals. So easy and hassle free flying out of Atlantic City. My son flew to Boston for 1 dollar over Memorial Day weekend flying Spirit. Can't beat that price!!

 

[TaraPA]

I'm in the middle of both as well. DH flies almost weekly for work & prefers PHL over EWR. EWR is (or at least seems) much more large & congested. Traffic in & out of PHL and parking there are easier. You didn't say where you are but ABE is a small airport only 15 min. from me & now offers non-stops to Orlando on Airtran & Allegiant.

 

[bookwormde]

I do not know if it is just bad luck but everytime I fly into EWR I end up in a holding pattern for 30-45 minutes. most of the time no delay at PHL

bookwormde

 

[thefigueroas]

I do not know if it is just bad luck but everytime I fly into EWR I end up in a holding pattern for 30-45 minutes. most of the time no delay at PHL

bookwormde

This is why I love the Disboards. You will always get a lot of different experiences. When we used PHL we were in a holding pattern for 45 minutes. I think some of this is just luck of the draw. It may very well just come down to price. I want to thank everyone for their input so far. I did check regarding ABE but it is too far for me. I am in Burlington County, NJ.

 

[holden]

DH flies out of PHL at least 4x a month and we fly out of PHL for every family trip. BE WARE!!!... Unless you fly out first thing, you could be 20th in line for takeoff. No exaggeration. We have sat in a plane for 1.5hrs. in Philly waiting for our turn many times. Because PHL is between NY and Washington DC, the flight traffic is incredible. We had a 7am flight to CA recently and were shocked when we left the gate, taxied, and took off right away. It was the first time in 15 years of flying once a week that DH experienced that! (He travels for his job every week). Having said that, PHL is 1/2 hr. from our house, so that's where we depart for every trip. We just bite the bullet, tip the baggage guys nicely, and hope our luggage makes it to our destination.

PS- Our bags have always made it from curbside check.

 

[thefigueroas]

DH flies out of PHL at least 4x a month and we fly out of PHL for every family trip. BE WARE!!!... Unless you fly out first thing, you could be 20th in line for takeoff. No exaggeration. We have sat in a plane for 1.5hrs. in Philly waiting for our turn many times. Because PHL is between NY and Washington DC, the flight traffic is incredible. We had a 7am flight to CA recently and were shocked when we left the gate, taxied, and took off right away. It was the first time in 15 years of flying once a week that DH experienced that! (He travels for his job every week). Having said that, PHL is 1/2 hr. from our house, so that's where we depart for every trip. We just bite the bullet, tip the baggage guys nicely, and hope our luggage makes it to our destination.

PS- Our bags have always made it from curbside check.

Yep. That is exactly what happened to us. We took an early evening flight but by the time we took off it was pitch black. That is precisely why I am not exclusive to that airport per se. I am from Atlanta so am used to large crazy airports but that holding time was crazy.

Have any of you stayed at an airport hotel at EWR or PHL in order to take an early flight? If so, which one and what was your experience?

 

[PSUGuy]

Yep. That is exactly what happened to us. We took an early evening flight but by the time we took off it was pitch black. That is precisely why I am not exclusive to that airport per se. I am from Atlanta so am used to large crazy airports but that holding time was crazy.

Have any of you stayed at an airport hotel at EWR or PHL in order to take an early flight? If so, which one and what was your experience?

We stayed at the Wyndham in Newark this March for their Sleep 'n Fly, and at the Ramada in Essington twice for the same deal. The Wyndham was nicer, but I'd recommend either and the shuttle service at both was great. If you choose PHL, you might want to consider driving directly to Winner parking 2 hrs before your flight. They'll drop you off at the terminal in your car, securely park it for less than $7 per day with internet coupon and for $10 more they'll pick you up in your own car upon landing and you drive off without you ever returning to the lot. Wifey doesn't sleep well the first night in any hotel so this works well for us.

Bill From PA