ACY, Atlantic City International Airport, located about 50 miles southeast of Center City, is one of several in the Philadelphia area that weary travelers, and the occasional politician, like to talk about as an alternative to PHL. Instead of trying to reconfigure the airspace around Philadelphia and New York as a way to reduce congestion and flight delays, as the FAA hopes to do, why don't airlines just use ACY more? That could, in fact, happen, according to a longtime industry consultant, Michael Boyd, who addressed an Atlantic County Transportation Forum at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey last week. But, Boyd said, it will require major carriers providing more connecting flights to ACY from their hubs. Today, only Delta does that, with three--a-day regional jets to and from Atlanta. Leisure-oriented Spirit Airlines has the only other scheduled service now, to Florida, Las Vegas and the Caribbean, and to its Detroit hub in the summer. Almost a million passengers used ACY last year, compared with almost 32 million at PHL. Less than a third of the travelers using ACY are there just to go to Atlantic City, out of a total of 34 million visitors a year. Here is a link to the ACY Website.
Boyd, in his address and on the phone with us afterwards, noted that Atlantic City's efforts to convert itself from a day-tripper destination to one where more people come to stay overnight, should help ACY draw more airlines. Among the reaons the airport can be attractive for people who need to go to or from South Jersey is the congestion, both on the ground and in the air, in and around the alternatives, PHL and Newark, he said.. Indeed, a colleague from the forum who drove Boyd to PHL had a hard time finding a parking garage or lot that wasn't full (Another problem to be revisited on another day!) But the main reason PHL is congested is because it has more than 600 departures a day, a function of the region's large population and its use by US Airways as a hub. That in turn means travelers from South Jersey will continue to drive to PHL because they must, to get where they want to be.(You will note Boyd used PHL himself since it offered the most direct flights to his home near Denver). And don't expect the majors to offer short-hop connecting service from ACY to PHL or Newark -- it would be expensive for the airlines, and they would pass on the cost to you in high fares.
Still, if you find a flight from ACY that meets your needs, and you don't have to drive too far to get there, give it a try. You will be amazed how quickly you can get from the parking lot to the terminal.
Comments (4)
ACY is a very poor airport IMO. Logistically it is extremely cramped, and it's dirty/dingy. It also is not very accessible to public transportation...it's a $20+ cab ride to the closest NJ Transit stop in Absecon or Egg Harbor City.
You'd be FAR better off traveling to Harrisburg, which is a brand new terminal and soon to be onsite Amtrak-accessible. Or even BWI, which is already Amtrak-accessible (albeit via a connector bus). Both are also only a bit farther to drive to than ACY.
Posted by Jason | April 24, 2007 10:55 AM
Posted on April 24, 2007 10:55
I have never had a bad experience travelling out of ACY, and do so when ever I can a direct flight to where I am going (even though PHL is much closer). In addition to the time saved in passing through security, you take off almost immediately from when you pull out of the gate at ACY. There is not long wait on the runway. At PHL, you could sit on the runway for at least an hour. And I never had a baggage handling issue flying into/out of ACY.
Posted by Dan | April 24, 2007 4:49 PM
Posted on April 24, 2007 16:49
Why does Lehigh Valley International (ABE) always seem forgotten as an alternative? It's only one hour's drive north of Center City, and beats the pants off of driving (good grief) to Harrisburg, and has a lot more service than ACY.
Posted by Bob | April 27, 2007 1:01 PM
Posted on April 27, 2007 13:01
Might want to check out Wilmington, DE, especially if going to Atlanta. Easy in-out for parking, can grab some good deals, have used it 3X and been very happy.
Posted by jimmy mack | April 27, 2007 2:58 PM
Posted on April 27, 2007 14:58