Philadelphia International Airport — Local services in Tinicum Township

Ok! Lets talk the airport. I swear to you, PHL is like two different experiences… Let me explain.

The Arrival: Arriving to PHL from Atlanta was cool. The gate was clean and all of the staff had smiles on their faces. As I made my way to baggage claim, I was able to stay the course as PHL provides ample signage so you can’t get lost. Making my way around the bend, I stopped into the restroom and it was well maintained and the hospitality cleaners were close by with fully stocked carts.

Once at baggage claim, my luggage was already on the belt so I was able to literally grab and go! As I obtained my bag, I looked around to see how to get to the shared ride pickup area and boom! Yet again PHL had ample signage that told me where to go. Special shout out to whomever it was that understood the assignment that there is no such thing as too many signs. My anxiety did not increase at all because this was a job well done.

As I walked to the ride share area, I booked my ride and it was such a smooth process. The options within the Uber app were in direct alignment with the way PHL has the pick-up area strictured. The Color, Letter, and Number function was super easy to understand and made my pick-up an easy process without incident.

Now, as it relates to the ambiance, walking the hallways from the gate to the ride share was bland. There was nothing bad, but it was boringgggggg. No vibrant colors, nothing that catches the eye, nothing to engage with. Just walls and floor. LoL! I guess Atlanta just has me spoiled.

The Departure: Departing from PHL was a smooth process as well. Again, this signage made my route to check-in very easy. I checked in, dropped my bag, and was on my way to TSA. Once at TSA, the TSA Agents were very pleasant. No one had an attitude and they thanked you for your patience. Bonus points for the free above standard service.

As I finished getting through security I was able to really see PHL shine. The hallways were vibrant and full of shops and OHL related sports memorabilia and historic images. As I had some time to get to my gate, I decided to walk slow since there was something to look at and really take it all in. I love the decor and setup of Terminal E. Terminal E is bright and inviting. The shop and food options allow for anyone to engage as there is a nice variety of options. Not only are the shops and restaurant options good, there are these super comfy leather chairs that line the hallway that allow you to just have a seat and get a moment to yourself. I decided to take a seat, pull my laptop out and get some work done before heading to my gate.

The cleanliness of the airport remained as every single area was spotless. Whoever PHL has for a cleaning crew needs a Platinum Star as they are AMAZINGGGGGG! I didn’t even see a piece of dust.

As you can see from my details, my departure was a vibrant experience in comparison to my arrival. LoL! All in All, thank you PHL for providing a safe space for my travel...

Terrible experience at Philadelphia Airport (PHL) – Missed flight due to poor staffing and disorganization

Our experience at Philadelphia Airport this morning was extremely frustrating and disappointing. We arrived early for our flight to Las Vegas and got in line to check in. However, the check-in counter wasn’t open yet. Eventually, one woman showed up and said she would be checking in the entire flight by herself — an entire plane’s worth of passengers. She was working alone and quite slowly, which made the line move extremely slowly even though time was running out.

By the time we finally managed to check in and drop off our luggage, we had to rush to security and passport control. What awaited us there was chaos — there must have been at least 500 people in line. It was completely disorganized and felt like a nightmare. We tried our best, but by the time we reached the gate, it had just closed — literally two minutes before we got there. The airline staff told us they wouldn’t wait even a minute longer, and that our baggage was already on the plane to Las Vegas.

When we went back to the counter to try to reschedule or get a refund, the agent just gave us a phone number for customer service. She told us there were no more flights today, only tomorrow. We called the number and were told that if the airport staff would confirm in writing that it was their fault (because there was only one person doing check-in), we could get a refund. Otherwise, we would only receive a credit.

We returned to the counter and asked the staff to provide such confirmation, but they refused. They denied any responsibility, even though at least 15 other passengers missed the flight in the same way. Clearly, they didn’t want to admit fault to avoid consequences. We were left with no choice but to buy new tickets.

Additionally, I want to mention the overall atmosphere in the airport. Many of the staff were very rude and unhelpful. In the terminal where we waited for our new flight, there were almost no places to sit — only a few seats reserved for people with disabilities and three for staff. When I asked where we could wait for the next 7 hours, they just said, “It’s not our problem. Sit until someone tells you to move.” Extremely unprofessional and unfriendly.

This whole experience was unacceptable, and I hope this review helps improve staffing, organization, and customer service at this airport. I do not recommend flying...

The facility itself isn't too bad, but the people working there quickly drag it down. Examples: guy at the transfer belt for luggage could barely be bothered to pause his personal cell conversation to confirm we could put our bags on the metal platform. He didn't speak, instead opting for the pathetic wanna be cool guy head twitch that just barely confirmed we were doing the right thing. Then he proceeded to carelessly throw the bags onto the belt without looking. I mean, this has to be the easiest job in the world and requires literally zero talent. Is it so hard to be polite and maybe help tired travelers just trying to make sure they're following protocol?!? Second one was security. Holy crap. These people are a bad joke. Pretty sure one guy was high, but it took me 3 tries and moving ever closer to them before they would answer my wildly complex question about whether or not my belt needed to come off. Bob Marley's genius high security response? "I don't know, give it a shot". That's right, the TSA "professional" literally didn't know if i should wear a belt through the weapons detector and suggested I just throw caution to the wind. Unreal. This should be a terminable action when it comes to airport security, but no one cared. Hey PHL, drop by BNA or SNA when you get a chance and see how it's done. No big shocker that PHL was ranked worst large airport in the US in 2025. Whoever runs this joint should be fired. One last example was the lady working the gate. We got there early and asked if she knew if this was the correct gate for our flight (along with telling her our flight info). Without ever looking up from her cell phone, she said "I don't know, go look at the board". Gee, thanks. If only we had thought about that. If you can avoid this airport, do yourself a big favor and skip it. Even the pilots can't stand this airport, at least according to the one who spoke to us when...