By Harriet Baskas

Airport essentials Airport Web site Airport map Ground transportation Opened in 1940 as Philadelphia Municipal Airport, today's Philadelphia International Airport (airport code: PHL) encompasses a plot of land once known as Hog Island, site of a giant shipbuilding yard built in a hurry during World War I. Its wartime legacy all but forgotten, PHL is now the gateway to the City of Brotherly Love.

Get oriented Take care of yourself Take care of business Explore the airport Transportation

Get oriented PHL Note Luggage carts rent for $3 but are free to arriving international passengers in the customs area. Philadelphia International Airport is one of those airports that just keeps on growing, making the numbering of terminals and concourses a bit confusing to a newcomer. There are essentially five terminals with nine concourses. Here are the airlines served by each. Terminal A: East and West concourses. A-West: Air France, Frontier, and US Airways (international flights). A-East: Air Jamaica, American/American Eagle, ATA, British Airways, Lufthansa, charter flights. Terminal B/C: B and C concourses; US Airways. Terminal D: D concourse; Air Canada, Air Tran, America West, Continental/Continental Express, United/United Express, US Airways. Terminal E: E concourse; American, Delta/Delta Connection, Midwest Express, Northwest, Southwest Airlines. Terminal F: Concourses 1, 2, and 3; US Airways Express. It should take no longer than 5–10 minutes to make your way along and between adjacent terminals, but it can take up to 20 minutes to get from Terminal A to Terminal F. Take care of yourself Eat: For the most choices, head to the Philadelphia Marketplace, located in the Terminal B/C connecting corridor. There, a spacious food court is ringed by outlets of both local and chain eateries. Your choices here include T.G.I Friday's, Independence Brew Pub, Bassett's Turkey and Salad Café, Flamers Charburgers and Chicken, Olde City Deli, Sbarro's, Asian Chao, and Philly Steak and Hogie Co. PHL Note Best bet for carry-on/takeout: Sandwiches or sushi from Caviar Assouline. Best sinful snack: Chocolates, also from Caviar Assouline. Each concourse in the airport also offers a variety of dining and fast-food options. Highlights include Cibo Bistro & Wine Bar in Concourse A-West and Lamberti's International, in Terminal D. Relax and refresh: To rest your feet a bit and do some serious people-watching, grab a seat in the Philadelphia Marketplace Food Court or snag one of the white rocking chairs thoughtfully scattered all along the central corridor and out on Concourse A-West. For more out-of-the-way spots, head for the lobby of the Philadelphia Airport Marriott, which is connected via a skybridge to Terminal B. You'll find a quiet, bright seating area along the skybridge and more comfortable seats in the lobby of the hotel. Day rates are offered at the hotel and include access to the health club and pool. Keyed up from traveling? Aqua massages and traditional massage services are offered by Gate C16. As of May 2004, there is no smoking allowed anywhere at PHL, including all restaurants and bars. Smokers must leave the terminal complex to light up. Take care of business Airlines with club rooms at PHL include: American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, and United Airlines. A Laptop Lane business center rents fully equipped mini-offices by the minute and sells a variety of business-related gadgets. It's located in the Concourse A/B connector and is open 7 AM–10 PM daily. A UPS Store is nearby and offers e-mail and mailing services, copy machines, fax machines, and a wide variety of cards, stamps, and office supplies. There's also a staffed business center at the Philadelphia Airport Marriott, accessible from the airport via a skybridge near Terminal B. Explore the airport Shop: The Philadelphia Marketplace, located in the connecting corridor between terminals B and C, offers a wide variety of shops, including several jewelry stores and Pennsylvania-themed gift shops, as well as the Philadelphia Museum of Art Store, a PGA Tour Shop, Barbara's Booksellers, Bath and Body Works, Brookstone, Gap, and Wilson's Leathers. Caviar Assouline carries caviar, gourmet foods, sushi and takeout sandwiches. PHL Note Best souvenir under $10: A tiny Liberty Bell or a copy of the Declaration of Independence from the Pennsylvania Market shop in the Terminal B/C connector. There's no need though to limit your shopping to the mall, though. Colorful kiosks and shops are scattered throughout the airport and offer sports paraphernalia, watches, pens, lingerie, handbags, magic tricks, and kids clothing. Sightsee: PHL has an extensive art program with more than a dozen exhibition sites scattered through the airport. Look around and you'll see everything from fine art and photography to ceramics, whimsical sculptures, furniture, and items on loan from the Franklin Mint and area museums. For a map of the exhibit spaces and a listing of current shows, pick up an "Art and Exhibitions" brochure from one of the information kiosks located in each terminal or print it out ahead of time from the airport Web site. Look out: Most concourses offer great views of airfield activity, but Terminal A-West, with its wide corridors, high ceilings, and soaring glass walls, offers some of the best viewing spots in the airport. Play around: Young kids will enjoy the Aviation Play Station (by Gate D10), which has several interactive displays. Kids (and adults) of all ages might enjoy an art treasure hunt: Stop by an information booth and ask for a brochure containing a map and a listing of current exhibits in PHL's Art and Exhibitions program. Be sure to visit the flocks of tiny bird mobiles along the moving walkway in Terminal A-West. Transportation You'll find a ground-transportation coordinator in each baggage claim area who can help determine your best route out of the airport. The 7-mile cab ride to downtown Philadelphia will take 15–30 minutes and cost a flat fee of $20. Shuttle vans make the trip downtown for $10 to $12 per person. Information is available at the Centralized Ground Transportation Counters in all baggage claim areas or by calling 1-215-937-6958. Fast and easy, SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) runs high-speed rail service to several stops in downtown Philadelphia. The trip takes about 25 minutes and trains leave every half hour from 5 AM to midnight. For more information: . SEPTA bus routes 38 and 108 also run by the airport, but will require transfers to get downtown.

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