<p>I’ve noticed a few of you appear to be from the Philadelphia metro area and I’m hoping you can give me some advice. I am trying to make reservations for my D’s flight back to Chicago on Wednesday, 11/24th. I know…the busiest travel day of the year. Can’t be avoided. </p>
<p>Anyway, she is willing to fly out early and she has 2 options on Southwest, either 6am or 935am. Being the busiest day of the year, is it safe to think that if she chose the 935 flight, there would still be parking available in the airport garage around 7am? We’re willing to pay for the close by parking so she doesn’t have to deal with the economy parking shuttle.</p>
<p>Or, do you think she would be better off with the 6am flight? We always try to be to the airport 2 hours in advance, but does she really need to be there at 4am?</p>
<p>I don’t have a definitive answer to your question. But the parking garage at PHL is very spacious, and the Economy parking lot ($11/day) is within walking distance of the terminals.</p>
<p>Philadelphia has excellent, very close, off site parking. We NEVER park on-site at PHL. Parking is available North or South of the airport so pick a site depending on which way you are coming. You should reserve a spot and print out a coupon. Here’s ones that we have used. - [Philadelphia</a> Airport Parking - Long Term and Short Term Discount Philadelphia Airport Parking](<a href=“http://www.colonialairpark.com/]Philadelphia”>http://www.colonialairpark.com/) and [Philadelphia</a> Airport (PHL) Parking - Philadelphia FastTrack](<a href=“http://www.avistarparking.com/fasttrack/Philadelphia_(PHL)-Airport-Parking]Philadelphia”>http://www.avistarparking.com/fasttrack/Philadelphia_(PHL)-Airport-Parking) We have traveled at peak travel times before. Coincidentally we will have family flying in the same day your daughter is flying out - and using Southwest! Service has been excellent at all places with shuttles always right there as soon as we parked. We’re a family that is always cutting it short, and have not missed a flight because of the parking. (Missed one once because of my parents, but that’s another story)</p>
<p>Thanks for the links, NewHope and kathiep. We have used the same type of off-site parking outside of O’Hare and it worked very well (and saved us a bundle!). I know on-site parking is more expensive, but given this is her first time driving to the airport on her own, I hesitate to add more steps to the process of getting her there on time. Probably overthinking things, but hey…</p>
<p>I did email the PHL Airport parking customer service to find out if the garage ever fills up. Hoping they will respond promptly. </p>
<p>Having never flown on the day before Thanksgiving, I’m wondering if it’s necessary to get to the airport more than the standard 2 hours ahead of time. It seems that every year, local TV news teams are always at the airport showing throngs of people there that day. She’s flying Southwest, will get there around 7am, not checking any bags, and will have her boarding pass already. She can just go straight to security, right?</p>
<p>Yes, she can go straight to security. 7 am for a 9:30 flight will be plenty of time. It’s early enough that traffic will not be stacked in the skies, and earlier flights will not be delayed. Just pray for good weather!</p>
<p>S1 flew into Phila on Southwest from Chicago last Wed. before Thanksgiving (1:30-ish flight) and we picked him up there enroute to north Jersey to see family. Had a small delay, but we were running late, too, so it all worked out fine.</p>
<p>Illinois Mom, I understand what you are saying but I’ve parked and flown out of other airports (we live almost equi-distance to Newark airport) and we do use airport parking at Newark but at Philadelphia the on-site parking can be a bit more confusing then the off site. With the off site parking all you have to do is do a google map to get to the parking and then tell the shuttle driver what airline and they will drop you at the door. With the on-site you often can’t figure out exactly where to park closest to what terminal and then you will have to walk much further from the parking lot to the terminal then you would be walking from the car to the shuttle. It’s really not an extra step.</p>
<p>kathie, thanks for the heads up. I’ll let her know her options. On the return trip, has it been your experience that it is easy to find the shuttle back to the lot? She’d be using one of the fast track economy lot on Essington (closest to Camden).</p>
<p>And, CountingDown, I am praying the weather will not be a factor that day!</p>
<p>My son used to fly on the 6 AM flight out of Boston pretty regularly. The airport didn’t open until 5, everything went very fast, and the place was always ready and serviced. He would stay up all night and then sleep on the plane. If it were my daughter, I’d go for the 6 AM flight because it would make MY day easier.</p>
<p>No, not bad. They give you a ticket when you get on the shuttle on your way to the airport and you call the number after you get your baggage at baggage claim upon return. If you don’t have baggage, you still go to baggage claim and then just go out the door to and wait in the labeled area. The signage is good. If you lose the little slip, there’s a place where you can call them by punching a button, but best to not lose it, I think. My daughter and son both did it by themselves when they were still in college.</p>
<p>I agree with Kathiep. I use the same off site parking sites. They pick you up curbside and you are dropped off right near your car. I like doing that much better than having to walk through the parking garage alone, especially if you arrive at night. I have had my car broken into while parked in the airport garage. It was very unsettling.</p>
<p>You don’t mention where in Philadelphia your daughter is but if she is within walking distance of the SEPTA Regional train system and given that she will have only a carry on bag, another alternative is to take the train to the airport. The airport line runs from center city to the airport and back frequently and drops passengers off at the terminals. If your daughter is in center city, it is very convenient and easy and the airport line can be picked up at Suburban Station and at 30th Street Station. If she is outside of center city, she would need to take the train into 30th Street Station and grab the airport line from there. Loads of students use the train for airport transportation and it is convenient, safe and cheap. Just a thought.</p>
<p>^^^She has used the train before to get to the airport, but that means she needs someone to drop her off and pick her up at the station in Camden (for safety reasons). Since all of her roommates will be leaving for the holiday weekend as well, there’s just too much uncertainty involved with that option.</p>
<p>We also never use the airports parking, but always use Winner Airport Parking. You go to their location (5 minutes from the airport) and they drive you to the airport in your own car, then they pick you up in your own car (you can either leave directly from the airport for an additonal fee or go back to their location and pay there with no additional fee). You don’t have to load and unload your car and get on and off a shuttle bus with your luggage.</p>
<p>I used Winner one time but really did not like having a strange guy driving my car and the driver was not going to put on a seat belt until I asked him to!</p>
<p>I have used them for years and never had any problems or issues (including never having a driver who did not put on his seat belt).</p>
<p>I have gotten great service from them over the years and would recommend them.</p>
<p>However, I believe that there may be less expensive alternatives, it you don’t mind taking yor luggage out of your vehicle and getting on and off a shuttle bus with it.</p>
<p>CC is great! My family always laughs at how much time I spend here, but when you can get such good inside advice about such a wide variety of issues, I get the last laugh. : )</p>