Cory S.
Yelp
Within the last two weeks, I flew out to Philadelphia for my third layover in the past year en route to another nearby city. It was to visit family, and I typically fly American Airlines, so I find myself regularly traveling from the B or C gates over to the F gates (or back depending on which way I am traveling). With an exception of one day last year where I was stranded for the night in Philadelphia due to flight cancellations, I have always had a very positive experience at the PHL airport. After all, the slogan of the Philadelphia International Airport is "Good things start here."
Unlike friends who absolutely hate flying, I enjoy the travel experience, especially when using some helpful tools like CLEAR, Global Entry/TSA Pre-Check, airport lounge membership, and airline status, most of which I was able to enjoy during my PHL visits. When checking in (during my rare travels where I start a journey in Philadelphia), I was able to skip the check-in area if I didn't need to check bags (as I checked in online) on one of my trips, and then this most recent time, I checked in at the priority area for assistance and checking bags. I then went and used Global Entry and CLEAR to skip most of the line at Security while keeping my shoes on (thanks to an American Express Platinum card which comes with credits for both). If I start off at a certain terminal (like F, I believe), they won't have CLEAR but should have Pre-Check.
The airline lounges in Philadelphia are plentiful as there are four Admirals Clubs, a Centurion Lounge (AMEX Platinum), Chase Sapphire Lounge by The Club, Minute Suites, Delta SkyClub, and United Club among several other lounges. I often have two hours for a layover, which is enough time to visit the Centurion Lounge (Terminal A) and an Admirals Club (Terminal F).
I also found that it was easy to navigate the car rental area from leaving baggage claim and making it up to the car rental check in, but that typically involves taking a shuttle. They also have an art exhibition at the airport along with more than 170 shops, restaurants, and services. You can go to https://www.phlfoodandshops.com/deals/ in advance for some promotions and deals at these locations. All in all, it's a great airport and one I do not have an issue with a layover here and there.