General Information
Philadelphia International Airport is located just seven miles from downtown Philadelphia, one of the biggest metropolitan areas in the USA. The airport features seven terminal buildings organized alphabetically by letter, namely A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Terminals A, B, C, D and E are interconnected by a series of convenient travelators which makes transportation easy between them, while shuttle buses are provided to the other two terminals. The airport boasts over 110 gates within these terminals, offering a total of 130 non-stop flight destinations both domestically and internationally. Acting as a major hub for US Airways, there are several direct connections to dozens of destinations including San Francisco (SFO), Barcelona (BCN), London (LHR), Belgium (BRU) and the Netherlands (AMS). Numerous other airlines also operate out of Philadelphia International Airport including Air Canada, American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa, offering passengers a wide variety of different destinations both domestically and globally. The most popular destination currently offered by Philadelphia Airport is Atlanta (ATL), with more than 820,000 passengers choosing to fly there over a twelve month period. Frankfurt (FRA) is the most popular international destination.
The History of Philadelphia International Airport
The site over which Philadelphia International Airport located was originally developed as an airfield in 1925, when it served as a training ground for the Pennsylvania National Guard. Two years later, Charles Lindbergh took charge of the site and transformed it into the Philadelphia Municipal Airport, although it was not until 1940 when the first terminal building was built. After the new building was erected on the eastern side of the airfield, a number of domestic air carriers such as American Airlines and United started to offer flights to various destinations throughout the USA. The first runways measured less than 1,650 meters each, but have been lengthened several times over the years in order to keep up with the ever rising demand for air travel. During WWII, the airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces as an important training ground for missions, including the famous Pearl Harbor Attack. It was returned to civilian use in 1945, when it took on its present name Philadelphia International Airport.
A new terminal building was added in 1953 in order to accommodate the newly established flights to Europe. By the end of the 1950s, after more terminals had been built, a large number of flights were being offered each day to numerous destinations all over the world. Further expansions have taken place in the last two decades, including a large extension to the main car park in recent years. However, due to land restrictions and difficulties in obtaining planning permission, it is uncertain whether Philadelphia International Airport will be able to grow much more in the years to come.
What to do if plans go wrong
Bad weather conditions at Philadelphia International Airport are a common cause for flight delays and cancellations. In addition, the airport is the largest international airport in the world not to have an inground fuelling system, which means that fuel has to be taken to each of the airplanes via truck.
If your flight is delayed and you find that you have spare time on your hands, there are several duty free shops found in terminals A and C; while popular retail outlets and restaurants can be located throughout the airport. For passengers stuck for extended periods of time, the information desk offers free blankets, pillows, bottled water and snacks. There are several airport lounges for United, American and US Airways, but also a USO Lounge for members of the military and their families with showers, wifi, laundry, and refreshments. Free airport shuttles will take you to one of the 4 nearby hotels, and a newly opened virtual library is available to the public in the D/C airside connector. You can also use the airport’s free wifi to submit a claim for your delayed flight through our free compensation calculator. Just click below to see how much you might be able to claim for your troubles with the airlines, it will only take 2 minutes!