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  • Philly airport now has online booking for economy parking lot and will soon offer valet service

    Philly airport now has online booking for economy parking lot and will soon offer valet service

    Philadelphia International Airport is launching new programs designed to simplify the parking experience for travelers.

    Park PHL, which was launched Thursday in collaboration with the Philadelphia Parking Authority, allows online booking for the airport’s economy parking lot. Starting Nov. 18, the airport will also offer valet services for the first time.

    MORE: SEPTA’s website now shows bus detours on maps – and its app eventually will, too

    To reserve and pay for parking in the economy lot, customers can head to the Park PHL reserve section of the airport website and input their entry and exit dates and times. There is no additional fee for using the online booking, and guests can modify or cancel their parking — and receive a refund — up until two hours before their scheduled arrival. The online reservation service will expand to include the airport’s on-site garages early next year.

    When PHL Valet launches next month, customers can book it online for $50 per day. People utilizing the service will drop their car off at one of three “Departures Roadway” kiosks at Terminals A-East, B/C and E. Upon their return to PHL, they can pick up their car at baggage claim. In the future, the airport expects to offer premium add-ons to valet packages, such as a car wash.

    The current daily fee for PHL’s economy lot is $15, which includes shuttle transportation to and from the terminals and access to free emergency services like battery jump starts, flat tire assistance, auto lockout help and lost vehicle finder. 

    The economy lot, located along the 4400 block of Island Avenue, previously had more than 7,000 spots before it closed during the COVID-19 pandemic amid declining air travel. PHL began to reopen it gradually in 2022 as air travel began to rebound. It now has 4,200 spaces that are available on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the PHL website. Other parking options for PHL travelers include garages, short-term lots and multiple private lots near the airport

    Franki Rudnesky

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  • Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge Coming to Philadelphia International Airport in 2025

    Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge Coming to Philadelphia International Airport in 2025

    Admirals Club and Flagship Lounge Coming to PHL

    American Airlines is planning to open an Admirals Club and a Flagship Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) next year, as first reported by TPG. 

    The Flagship Lounge project has been teased for years but has been pushed back since early in the pandemic.

    The only details that have been shared so far is the image above, the location of these lounges with both being at the A-West terminal, and that they will open in 2025.

    The airlines said:

    “The new space continues the airline’s reimagined premium design standards, including the overall aesthetic with warm finishes and fireplaces that evoke a sense of home. The opening of the new Flagship® Lounge and Admirals Club® lounge will continue to create a harmonized design experience across all newly opened lounges that customers will instantly recognize.”

    American Airlines Flagship Lounges are premium lounges located in five US cities that typically cater to international travelers. Currently American Airlines offers these lounges at New York JFK, Los Angeles, Chicago O’Hare, Miami and Dallas Fort Worth.

    Customers who may access a Flagship® Lounge include customers traveling in a First or Business class cabin on qualifying international or transcontinental flights or other qualifying domestic flights marketed and operated by American, a oneworld® airline, or marketed by Aer Lingus and operated by American.

    DDG

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  • TSA tests handheld language translation devices at Philadelphia airport

    TSA tests handheld language translation devices at Philadelphia airport

    The U.S. Transportation Security Administration is using Philadelphia International Airport as a test site for new handheld devices that translate statements from TSA officers for people who aren’t proficient with English.

    The TSA said the devices are intended to make interactions with travelers who do not speak English easier and help them understand what officers are asking of them.

    The devices are smaller than cell phones and contain libraries of 83 languages. An officer speaks into it and what was said gets translated into the language spoken by the passengers. The electronic translator can reproduce speech from a TSA officer as audio and as text displayed on the device’s screen, making it useful for communicating with people who are deaf, hearing impaired or blind, too.

    “We hope that this will turn out to be a valuable tool for our officers to provide guidance to passengers who might not speak English,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s federal security director at Philadelphia International Airport.

    TSA has begun using five of the devices at the airport — in terminals A-East and A-West, and at the busiest checkpoints in terminals B, D and E.

    The federal agency said officers have encountered benefits and technical challenges. One of the problems is that colloquial terms, like “pat-down,” cannot be translated in every language, so officers have been advised find different words to explain what they need to do.

    TSA officers can store up to 10,000 pre-programmed translations to handle typical interactions that help speed up the process. The devices also distinguish among dialects of the same language. With Spanish, for example, the translators are programmed to understand dialects spoken in Spain, Argentina, Colombia and the United States.

    The TSA said it views the technology as a “game-changer” for assisting people who aren’t fluent in English. Travelers at Philadelphia airport already have among the shortest wait times — at just over 9 minutes — at security points among the nation’s 31 busiest airports, according to a study released last year.

    “The field testing of these units is one step that we are taking to improve our communication with a broader traveling population,” said Jose Bonilla, TSA’s executive director of traveler engagement.

    Michael Tanenbaum

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