Connecting at Philadelphia airport

Connection time calculator, immigration and security, and how to move between terminals at PHL.

How connections work at PHL

At Philadelphia airport, as at every airport in the United States, passengers arriving on an international flight must clear immigration (CBP) and customs, collect their checked bags and re-check them, and go through TSA security again before their connecting flight, even when both flights are on the same ticket.

The airport has 7 terminals or concourses (Terminal A-West, Terminal A-East, Terminal B, Terminal C, Terminal D, Terminal E, Terminal F). All of them are connected after security, so you do not need to clear security again to change.

Connection time calculator

Is your layover at PHL long enough? Pick your connection and get an estimate with the times of this airport.

Terminals / concourses: Terminal A-West, Terminal A-East, Terminal B, Terminal C, Terminal D, Terminal E, Terminal F

Getting between them: Walking airside; free airside shuttle bus to and from Terminal F (Gate F-14 to Gate C-16 and Gate A-1), every 10 minutes, 5 to 7 minute ride

All seven terminals (A-West, A-East, B, C, D, E and F) are connected after security, so you can walk between them without leaving the secure area. Terminal F sits slightly apart from the main concourse; a free airside shuttle bus links it with the other terminals.

Official transfer times:

  • Adjoining terminals → e.g. A-East to B, B to C: up to 10 min walking
  • Terminal C → Terminal F: up to 15 min walking
  • Terminal A-West → Terminal F: up to 45 min walking
  • Terminal F (Gate F-14) → Gate C-16 or Gate A-1: up to 7 min by bus

There is no internal airside passport control. Arriving international passengers clear U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on arrival.

  • Adjoining terminals (e.g. A-East to B, or B to C) are 3 to 10 minutes apart on foot; across the central terminals A to E, 10 to 20 minutes.
  • Walking the full length of the airport, from Terminal A-West to Terminal F, takes 30 to 45 minutes: take the free airside shuttle to or from Terminal F instead.
  • Terminal C to Terminal F is about 15 minutes on foot.

Estimate based on typical times at this airport, not your airline's official minimum connection time. Immigration and security lines change with the time of day and season. On a single ticket, the airline must rebook you if you miss the connection; on separate tickets, it does not.

Sources: phl.org.

Times are estimates: always check with your airline.

TSA security wait times

Estimated wait at the security checkpoints of PHL right now. When live data is not available, it shows historical averages.

More about PHL

Airport guide Departures Arrivals