One of the big cons of Lakewood is the fact that there are no international airports nearby. You have EWR an hour north and PHL about 1 ¼ southwest.
EWR is obviously a bigger airport with more flights (and United if you have their status), but if PHL has the flight I need, they’re my first choice for a few reasons:
- Fewer tolls to/from the airport
- Parking is substantially cheaper
- Traffic to the airport is much more predictable
- The airport is very quiet and security is quick
- I’ve never experienced a delay due to congestion
Yet, PHL is not even on the radar of most people I know. What am I missing?
Although I love certain aspects of PHL (parking, for one), to me it is a much bigger ordeal than EWR. First, it's more like 55 minutes to EWR and 1 hour 25 minutes to PHL, and that extra half an hour of driving time makes all the difference. You show up at the airport fatigued from the drive, and it makes the whole experience much more daunting.
In general, I won't nix a flight if it's from PHL, but I definitely seek out EWR flights first, even if it costs a little more.
I also have a pet peeve when certain family members ask for a ride to or from the airport and their flight is from PHL because it was marginally cheaper than EWR. Is an extra hour of my driving time not worth something? /rant