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Yea, as much as I'm forced to love Philly International (I live here), the way they do treat your stuff is quite disheartening. Though, US Airways should be mentioned for sucking overall. I've never flown with a more ungodly service.
AirTRAM for the win.
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Yay. I'm flying through Philly on Monday. The alternatives were La Guardia or Newark, though - talk about damned if you do, damned if you don't...
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I flew through Philly (thanks former employer!) on my way home for Christmas vacation a few years ago. I was unfortunately on US Airways as well, and didn't get my luggage back for 2 days. I avoid Philly and US Airways at all costs.
There you go folks. Steal property from passengers and the airlines don't really care. But steal money from the airlines and they're all over it.
@beavis88:
It's not even a question - fly through Newark. Of the three you mentioned, Newark is probably the cleanest, best airport in that part of the country.
Two things:
1) Usually when there is fraud like this, a major contributing factor is management's unethical attitude. The employees key off of this and figure if management is unethical, then they can be too. I'd be willing to bet that US Airways management also displays unethical behavior.
To be more clear--management is not THE reason these employees stole--but it is probably a major factor.
2)Why are they just firing these employees? Prosecute! These employees will just find another employer to steal from. If US Airways would just prosecute them, the next employer could do a simple background check and know not to hire these jokers.
Please, if you own a business and an employee steals from you, press charges so they'll have a record and have trouble getting hired somewhere else. Too many times, people steal from a company until they get fired and then move on to another company and steal again. Break the chain.
I've actually never flown through Newark, and I'm going through it this May, but as far as an airport itself, Philly isn't too bad. It's not as nice as say, Cincinnati or Las Vegas, but it isn't the worst. Hell, the Terminal F even has a Philly Cheese steak place in it.
Yet another thing that sucks about Philadelphia.
Everytime I fly through Philly for a connecting flight they lose my luggage. This happened back to back during the school year, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I would pick other connections, but prices would increase drastically. Hopefully the new hirings fix this problem.
@letoofdune
I must say, your post shocks me. If true, Newark has obviously done some serious work since the last time I flew through there (probably 6-8 yrs ago). I had pretty much reserved a permanent spot for Newark on the list of suckiest airports that ever sucked, right next to Detroit's old terminal...Ah well, tickets are bought and paid for this time. Think they'll let me carry my golf clubs on? :(
Maybe I'm too much of a Polly Anna, but I see this as a good thing overall. When you're cleaning house you have to start somewhere, and I think we can all agree that US Airways needs to clean house, especially at Philadelphia Airport. So what if it's this minor thing at first, it's a step, and I hope one in the right direction.
I have to fly out of PHL often. It is, hands down, the worst large airport in the USA.
For a period I was packing all my clothes in a box and shipping them FedEx back home so I would not have to put up with the 4 hour waits for luggage.
If you told me that the PHL USAir baggage handlers were making bonfires with the \"lost luggage\" and dancing around the fire Lord of the Flies style, I would not be shocked.
After living in the area for almost four years, this is what I have learned about PHL.
1. Avoid USAir. Their employees are the rudest and most incompetent.
2. Never take the first or last flight out. ATC likes to \"ground stop\" for no good reason.
3. Take a nonstop flight to your destination if at all possible because delays in PHL will virtually guarantee a missed connection.
4. For the love of God, do not check a bag. Learn to pack a week's worth of stuff into the standard carryon. If you can't do that, fly through another airport.
Being a native of South NJ I have flown into and out of the PHL airport. I have flown US air dozens of times. I have hated every one of those flights but since the flights were purchased with frequent flier miles I had no choice.
My wife who was in medical school in missouri, routinely flew from st louis to phila. Out of 6 flights her bags were lost 4 times! All on us air.
NEVER NEVER NEVER FLY US AIR! SPEND HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS MORE TO USE ANOTHER AIRLINE!!!!!
Worst. Airport. Ever.
WTF is going on with US Airways? My wife just arrived in Philly from Boston, and her connecting flight to Detroit was straight-up canceled. On the way to the airport this morning we heard a troubling report on NPR about Philly airport always having massive delays, but it was sorta too late at that point.
What's going on with the US airline industry in general this summer? Seems like everything's been shot to hell.
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Uh, US Air has a huge baggage problem, and needs more handlers, and they are FIRING THEM??
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These are the same gents who went on strike during the holidays a few years ago, screwing over thousands of travelers. US Air and their baggage handlers can all rot. Let them go bankrupt and stay bankrupt. (Yes, I'm bitter)
@Buran: Well, if they're falsifying their time sheets, than what do you expect?
Ugh... I gotta fly outta PHL to go to a wedding in Michigan. I hope I manage to get my stuff packed well enough that I don't have to check anything.
I flew out of PHL to go to providence once before and had no trouble at all. But it was like a 9PM flight, so the airport was pretty empty. Coming back wasn't bad either.
I fly out of Philly and Newark fairly often. I've seen no noticable difference between the rudeness nor the ineptitude. Luggage lost only once, and get this, it was a non-stop flight to Seattle. HTF do you lose luggage on a non-stop? Anyhow, I've seen problems in a lot of airports. PHL is bad, but I don't think it's necessarily the worst either.
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Stealing from airlines via fake OT = bad! Can them all! Hire complete new staff STAT!
Stealing from airline passengers via baggage theft = (yawn) I'm sorry, you were saying?
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@Buran: They (ValueJet) did not fly a plane straight into the Everglades. Their dumbassed outsourced maintenance company loaded Oxygen cannisters onto the plane that were supposed to be empty but were in-fact live.
As they bounced around in the cargo hold during takeoff, they ignited and caused the plane to catch fire in-flight.
The fire is what caused the plane crash, not the crew. They, unfortunately could do little to prevent the crash since the fire burned-up their avionics.
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And their severance package includes a piece of luggage of their own choosing!
AirTran? Wonderful if you like lines that consistently go out the door and I-don't-give-a-fig service. My flight was delayed an hour and a half, but nobody bothered to mention that at the check-in counter. And their flights weren't on the electronic boards, so it wasn't until I reached the gate (hustling because I had waited an hour in their line...) that I learned of the delay.
Now, you can save decent money on Air Tran, but don't expect anything but minimal service.
i flew out of philly in january, and could see them loading the baggage while i was in my seat on the plane. i then saw my suitcase placed on the conveyer belt, half hanging off the side, as the belt took it farther and farther up from the ground. i waited for one of the 3 morons out there to notice that a suitcase was definitely going to fall off this conveyer. then i watched my suitcase fall from the very top of the conveyer to the ground, a good 15 feet. thanks philly!!