Philadelphia International Airport Provides Travel Tips
Suggestions Can Smooth Travel During Busy Holiday Season

• Check the status of your flight by contacting your airline, or calling 1-800-PHL-GATE, or logging onto the Airport's website (www.phl.org) and clicking on Flight Information.
• Make sure you have all necessary travel documents, including a government-issued photo ID such as a valid driver's license, passport, military ID, or a county, state or federal government agency employee ID. Photo ID is required for passengers age 18 and older.
• It is generally suggested that passengers should arrive at the Airport at least one hour prior to a domestic departure and two hours prior to an international departure. However, during the busy travel period, you should allow extra time for checking in and passing through security screening.

• Checked baggage is subject to hand inspection. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recommends using locks that TSA screeners can open and re-lock to inspect baggage instead of breaking the lock. The TSA lists some "accepted and recognized locks" on its website, www.tsa.gov.
• If you are not checking baggage, it may not be necessary to wait in line at the ticket counter to obtain a boarding pass. Most airlines allow passengers to check in and print boarding passes from their websites, and some airlines have check-in kiosks at the Airport. Check with your airline prior to arriving at the Airport. Please confirm gate information upon arriving at the Airport, before proceeding to the checkpoint.

• Passengers must obtain boarding passes prior to entering the security checkpoint. Before entering the security checkpoint, have boarding passes and photo ID ready for inspection by TSA personnel and keep these documents available until you exit the checkpoint.
• To expedite your passage through the checkpoint, place cell phones, pagers, keys, PDAs (personal digital assistants), loose change, money clips, metal hair decorations, and metal jewelry in your carry-on baggage and place the bags on the X-ray machine belt.
• PHL provides plastic bags in which to place small items that need to be passed through the X-ray machine. The bags are available at Information Counters or from Information representatives who will distribute bags to passengers prior to entering the checkpoint.
• At the checkpoint, the TSA provides bins in which to place personal items and outerwear such as shoes, coats, jackets, suit jackets, sport coats, blazers and belts with metal buckles that must be removed and passed through the X-ray machine.
• Remove laptops and video cameras with cassettes from their cases and place them in the bin to be X-rayed.
• Equipment used to screen checked baggage damages undeveloped film. Pack undeveloped film in a carry-on bag. High speed and specialty film should be hand inspected at the security checkpoint. To facilitate hand-inspection, remove undeveloped film from the canister and pack in a clear plastic bag. Screening equipment will not affect digital cameras and electronic image storage cards.
• Medication, including diabetes-related supplies and equipment, must be properly marked with a professionally printed label identifying the medication or manufacturer's name or pharmaceutical label. Make sure all medications are placed in carry-ons.
• Do not wrap gifts. They may need to be opened for inspection. This applies to both checked and carry-on items.
• For additional information on permitted and prohibited items, in both carry-on and checked baggage, and security screening, consult the TSA website (www.tsa.gov), e-mail the TSA at TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov or call the TSA Consumer Response Center toll-free at 1-866-289-9673.

• Parking along the shoulder of Airport access roads is unsafe and illegal. If your party is not waiting for you when you arrive at the Airport, you cannot park at curbside to await their arrival. Prior to leaving for the Airport, check the status of your party's flight by contacting their airline, by calling 1-800-PHL-GATE or by checking flight information on the Airport's website, www.phl.org
• A PennDOT Park & Ride/Cell Phone Lot is available for motorists to wait, with their vehicles, until their party is ready to be picked up. The lot is located on Bartram Avenue adjacent to the Southbound I-95 exit ramp for Cargo City. A map and directions are available on the Airport website, www.phl.org.
• At the Airport, long-term parking is available in the garages and in the Economy Lot; parking in the short-term lot is recommended for visits of less than one hour.
• Parking Rates are as follows:
  • Economy Parking: $9.00 daily flat rate
  • Garage Parking: $17.00 daily rate
    $5.00, up to 1 hour
    $13.00, up to 3 hours
  • Short-Term Parking: $38 daily rate
    $5.00 up to 1 hour
  • $17.00, up to 4 hours

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