Philadelphia Airport has 7 terminals. In fact, it is one very large building divided into 7 sections, which can be moved between by airside shuttle bus.
The walking distances are long and it takes more than 40 minutes to walk from one end of the airport to the other.
Which terminal?
The different terminals are divided according to the airlines that service them.
International arrival immigration is always at Terminal B, but international departures are already handled in the classic key below, as there is no immigration check on departures from the USA.
- Aer Lingus – Terminal A-West
- Air Canada – Terminal D
- Alaska – Terminal D
- American Airlines – Terminal A-East, Terminal B/C, Terminal F
- British Airways – Terminal A-West
- Contour – Terminal F
- Delta – Terminal D
- Discover Airlines – Terminal A-West
- Frontier – Terminal E
- jetBlue – Terminal D
- Southwest – Terminal E
- Spirit – Terminal D
- Sun Country – Terminal D
- United – Terminal D
Airport map
Clear maps of the terminals and connecting corridors can be found on the airport's official website maps.phl.org.
Transfer between flights
All airport buildings are connected by internal corridors in the public and transit areas. In Philadelphia, there are no satellite buildings in the middle of the airport area.
The longest walking distance between Terminal A-West and Terminal F is a slow walk of approximately 40 minutes.
The airport shuttle buses, which run every 10 minutes and have clearly marked stops, can be used to shorten your journey around the airport.
The bus stops at Terminals A-East, C and F.
Book a hotel when you change planes at PHL Airport
What checks do I go through when changing planes?
Checks vary depending on the type of transfer.
We have listed the times you can realistically make it from plane to plane. The times are assuming that there is no queue longer than 60 minutes at immigration, but you will often spend more than 120 minutes at immigration.
- International -> international: immigration and security check
- 90-150 minutes
- International -> domestic: immigration and security check
- 90-150 minutes
- Domestic -> International: no check
- 5-40 minutes
- Domestic -> domestic: no check
- 5-40 minutes
Do I have to leave the transit zone when I change trains?
If you are arriving in Philadelphia on an international flight, you must exit the transit area, go through immigration and collect your luggage. You will check in again and go through security into the transit area.
If you are arriving from another destination within the US, you can proceed directly to the connecting gate without any checkpoint for both domestic and international flights.
Detailed procedures are described on the airport's website at phl.org/phl-transfer.
Do I need to collect my luggage?
If you are arriving at Philadelphia Airport from abroad, you must always collect your baggage and re-deliver it at the transfer check-in counter.
If you are flying from a destination within the U.S. and have a layover of no more than 8 hours, your baggage will be automatically transferred. It does not matter whether you continue on an international or domestic flight.
Do I need to apply for ESTA?
Every time you transfer from an international flight, you must collect your baggage and exit the transit area.
Therefore, you must have an electronic ESTA to enter the United States (for 21 usd online processing at the official website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov).
How long does the immigration check take?
Immigration checks in Philadelphia are often very long, with queue lengths ranging between 60 and 150 minutes.
If you have less than 1.5 hours to transfer, it is recommended that you tell the informants that you have a tight transfer before you get in line. In this case, you may be sent to the priority queue.
If you do not make your guaranteed connection due to the length of the immigration check, the airline will arrange the next flight free of charge. However, accommodation at the airline's expense will not be provided in these cases.
Do I go through passport control on departure?
No. There is no immigration check on departure from the USA.
