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American Tackles Gate Overcrowding in Philadelphia With a Unique Solution
JT Genter
Contributor
JT is a location-independent digital nomad traveling 250,000+ miles each year with his wife Katie.
June 08, 2019
•
3 min read
American Tackles Gate Overcrowding in Philadelphia With a Unique Solution
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American Airlines has been on a growth spurt from its transatlantic hub in Philadelphia (PHL). Just this week, AA launched three new European routes -- Dubrovnik, Croatia (DBV); Bologna, Italy (BLQ) and Berlin, Germany (TXL). With those new flights on the schedule, American says it's now offering more than 420 daily flights to about 120 destinations.
The trouble is that Philadelphia is already a pretty crowded airport, so these new flights are creating a sort of "musical chairs" situation for PHL's limited gates during peak parts of the day.
Rather than having flights wait for an open gate or using aircraft stairs and buses, American Airlines has come up with a rather neat solution; Passenger Transport Vehicles (PTVs) are going to unload "up to two arrivals a day" to help with gate compression issues. (In aviation vernacular, "gate compression" essentially means too many planes for too few gates.)
I caught up with AA's Philadelphia spokesperson Andrew Tull to learn more about how this is being implemented:
Every morning, our Hub Control Center evaluates planned arrivals — taking into account number of transfers, requests for assistance (wheelchairs, unaccompanied minors) — and selects two terminating aircraft to park on one of two remote pad positions near the Terminal A.
RELATED: Take a look inside American Airlines' 196-foot high Hub Control Center
Up to three PTVs will meet each arriving flight — depending on the passenger load and size of the aircraft being deplaned — with both forward and aft doors used to expedite the process. From there, the "buggies" are able to drive straight to customs and immigration hall in PHL's Terminal A.
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I was curious how much extra time this process might take for passengers with connections to make. But, Andrew says American has "found that we're able to deplane our customers with PTVs as fast as traditional arrivals."
To help prepare passengers for the experience, AA has "developed a set of onboard messages that our [flight attendants] read before landing to help inform our customers what to expect" and AA has customer care representative onboard the mobile lounges to assist with questions.
If you are like me and want to experience this yourself, Andrew said that this solution is being used during afternoon arrivals when American has a lot of European flights arriving at PHL. The gate compression issue is primarily affecting AA's larger aircraft, so aircraft chosen for the PTV arrival typically are Airbus A330, Boeing 757 or Boeing 767 aircraft.
Considering the congestion at more and more airports, I'm surprised that this solution hasn't been implemented at more airports. Rather than using aircraft stairs and buses, these PTVs seem like they'd be easier for passengers with limited mobility while providing a safer and more sterile transfer of passengers from the aircraft to customs and immigration.
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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
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Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants
TPG Editor‘s Rating
Go to reviewCard Rating is based on the opinion of TPG‘s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.