Book Flights to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia -- the City of Brotherly Love and America's first UNESCO World Heritage City -- is home to Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was drafted), the Liberty Bell, the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Rocky Steps), Reading Terminal Market, and one of America's most passionate sports cultures. Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) is dominated by American Airlines (the carrier's largest East Coast hub) with service to 100+ domestic and international destinations.
FareOptic compares American, Southwest, Delta, United, Spirit, and all carriers to PHL -- finding the cheapest available fare for your Philadelphia trip.
Cheap Flight Deals to Philadelphia (PHL)
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Why Visit Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
American founding history, world-class museums, iconic food culture, and the Rocky Steps
Independence National Historical Park -- The Birthplace of American Democracy
Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Constitution Center -- America's Most Historic MileIndependence National Historical Park -- a 55-acre National Park Service site in Old City Philadelphia -- contains the highest concentration of American founding-era history of any location in the United States: Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was debated and signed in 1776 and the Constitution was drafted in 1787), the Liberty Bell Center, Congress Hall (where Washington and Adams were inaugurated), Carpenter's Hall (site of the First Continental Congress), and 20+ additional historic structures within walking distance. The park receives 4 million visitors annually and the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 -- 55 Men, 100 Days, and the Document That Changed the World
The Constitutional Convention was held at Independence Hall from May to September 1787 -- 55 delegates from 12 states (Rhode Island refused to attend) met in secret (windows nailed shut against summer heat and eavesdroppers) to draft a document that replaced the failed Articles of Confederation. James Madison drafted most of what became the Constitution; Benjamin Franklin (81 years old, often carried to the hall in a sedan chair by prisoners from the Walnut Street jail) delivered the final speech urging unanimous ratification despite his own reservations. The Convention was supposed to run 3-4 weeks; it took 100 days. On the final day, September 17, 1787, Franklin reportedly observed a carved sun on Washington's chair: 'I have often and often in the course of the session looked at that sun without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting. But now I have the happiness to know it is a rising sun.'
Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Parkway Museums District
Rocky Steps, World-Class Collections, Rodin Museum -- One of the Great American Art InstitutionsThe Philadelphia Museum of Art -- anchoring the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the terminus of a mile-long museum corridor from City Hall -- is one of the largest and finest art museums in the United States, with 240,000+ works across 200 galleries including major collections of European paintings (Pissarro, Renoir, Cézanne, van Gogh), American art, Asian art, and the Marcel Duchamp Archives (the most complete Duchamp collection anywhere). The 99-step entrance staircase (the 'Rocky Steps,' from the 1976 film Rocky) is one of Philadelphia's most photographed sites. The Parkway corridor also contains the Rodin Museum (the largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside Paris), the Franklin Institute (science museum), and the Barnes Foundation (250 Renoir paintings, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses).
The Barnes Foundation and Its Controversial Relocation -- The Most Contentious Museum Move in American History
The Barnes Foundation -- created by Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951) with 2,500 works including 250 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, and 46 Picassos, worth an estimated $25-30 billion -- was established in Merion, Pennsylvania (a Philadelphia suburb) with a charter explicitly prohibiting the collection from being moved, lent, or reproduced. After decades of legal battles (Barnes's will was contested by his foundation's successors and Pennsylvania authorities), the collection was moved in 2012 to a new building on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway -- a relocation that the documentary 'The Art of the Steal' characterized as one of the great institutional betrayals in American cultural history. The move remains controversial among art historians and legal scholars.
Reading Terminal Market -- America's Oldest Continuously Operating Farmers Market
Amish Vendors, James Beard Award Winners, and 100+ Stalls Since 1893Reading Terminal Market -- operating continuously since 1893 beneath the ornate Reading Railroad head house at 12th and Arch Streets -- is one of the oldest and largest public markets in the United States, with 100+ stalls selling everything from Pennsylvania Dutch Amish baked goods (DiNic's roast pork sandwich, named America's best sandwich by Travel Channel's Man vs. Food) to James Beard Award-winning cheesesteaks, Pennsylvania Dutch pot pies, local cheeses, and fresh produce from Lancaster County farms. The market serves 100,000+ visitors per week and is central to Philadelphia's food culture in a way no other single location is.
Philadelphia's Cheesesteak Wars -- Geno's vs. Pat's vs. the Rest of the City
The Philadelphia cheesesteak debate (Pat's King of Steaks, founded 1930 by Pat Olivieri vs. Geno's Steaks, founded 1966 across the street in South Philadelphia's 'Cheesesteak Corner') is one of American food culture's longest-running and most passionate disagreements. Both shops operate 24 hours, seven days a week. Ordering protocol: you must know your order before you reach the counter or you'll be sent to the back of the line. The classic order at Pat's: 'One wit Whiz' (cheesesteak with Cheez Whiz). Serious Philadelphians will tell you neither Pat's nor Geno's makes the best cheesesteak in the city -- that title is fiercely contested by Dalessandro's, John's Roast Pork, and Jim's on South Street -- but the Pat's vs. Geno's corner is the pilgrimage site tourists make.
Eastern State Penitentiary -- The Prison That Changed the World
1829 Gothic Fortress, Al Capone's Cell, and the Birthplace of Modern Prison ReformEastern State Penitentiary -- a Gothic fortress of a prison visible from the Ben Franklin Parkway, operating from 1829 to 1971 and now a National Historic Landmark and museum -- was the most expensive and most studied building in America at the time of its construction (1829), and its model of solitary confinement (prisoners kept in individual cells with individual exercise yards, never allowed to interact with other prisoners) was adopted by 300+ prisons in Europe and South America before being eventually abandoned as psychologically destructive. Charles Dickens visited in 1842 and wrote of the solitary system: 'I hold this slow and daily tampering with the mysteries of the brain to be immeasurably worse than any torture of the body.' Al Capone served time here (1929-1930) in a luxuriously furnished cell.
Why Philadelphia's Prison Reform Became Europe's Model -- The Pennsylvania System
The 'Pennsylvania System' of prison management -- solitary confinement with labor, silence, and religious reflection as the path to rehabilitation ('penitence' = penitentiary) -- was adopted by the Quaker-influenced Philadelphia Prison Society in the early 19th century as a humane alternative to public flogging, branding, and execution that were the standard punishments of the era. European penal reformers (from France, England, Prussia, and Russia) visited Eastern State Penitentiary in enormous numbers in the 1830s-1840s to study the system. The building itself -- architect John Haviland's Gothic fortress design -- was directly copied in England, Belgium, and Brazil. The system was ultimately abandoned (even at Eastern State itself, by 1913) when research showed that complete isolation drove prisoners insane rather than reforming them. The building's design, however, became the global template for the modern prison.
How to Find Cheap Flights to Philadelphia
American Owns PHL -- Compare Southwest and Budget Carriers to Avoid Monopoly Pricing
American Airlines operates PHL as its largest East Coast hub, controlling 70%+ of gates. On routes where American faces no competition (many Northeast and mid-Atlantic markets), fares can be high. For flights to PHL from Southwest-served cities (Denver, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa, Nashville), always check Southwest.com -- Southwest's PHL fares are often 30-50% lower than American on competing routes.
Amtrak to Philadelphia Is Often Faster and Cheaper From NYC and DC
Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Acela trains connect New York Penn Station to Philadelphia 30th Street Station in 1h-1h15m (faster than flying when you include airport time), and Washington DC Union Station to Philadelphia in 1.5-2h. For travelers from NYC or DC, Amtrak to PHL is often more time-efficient and comparable in cost to budget airline fares. Consider Amtrak for short-haul PHL trips from these cities.
Check Newark (EWR) -- Often Cheaper for Coastal West Coast Routes
Newark Liberty International (EWR) is 80 miles north of Philadelphia -- close enough that a United or Spirit fare to EWR plus a bus ($20, Greyhound/FlixBus) or car rental may undercut an American PHL fare for transcontinental routes. New Jersey Transit rail also connects Newark Airport station to Trenton, NJ (45 min) with bus connections to Philadelphia.
Fall and Late Winter Are Philadelphia's Best Value Travel Windows
Philadelphia's peak travel periods are summer (June-August, for outdoor festivals and Liberty Bell tourism), early fall (September-October, for fall foliage and Eagles tailgates), and December (Christmas Market and constitutional history tourism). The best value windows: late January through March, and mid-November. January fares to PHL can be 40-60% cheaper than summer on the same routes.
Airlines Flying to Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
American Airlines
Philadelphia Hub -- AA's Largest East Coast Hub and International GatewayAmerican Airlines operates Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) as its largest East Coast hub and primary international gateway -- with 150+ daily departures to 100+ destinations including London Heathrow (nonstop), Paris, Madrid, Dublin, Reykjavik, and 20+ international destinations. American's PHL hub is particularly strong for transatlantic routes: PHL is American's second-largest international hub (behind DFW), carrying over 10 million passengers per year. Domestically, American operates the most routes at PHL by far, with nonstops to every major US city including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, and 60+ other markets.
Key Routes
LAX to PHL (5h nonstop); LHR to PHL (7h 30m nonstop; MIA to PHL (2h 30m nonstop); DFW to PHL (3h nonstop; ORD to PHL (2h nonstop; SFO to PHL (5h 15m nonstop)
Southwest Airlines
Point-to-Point Leisure and Short-Haul Business Routes -- Invisible to AggregatorsSouthwest Airlines operates significant service from Philadelphia International, including nonstops to Orlando (MCO), Tampa (TPA), Nashville (BNA), Denver (DEN), Las Vegas (LAS), and Cancún (CUN) among 20+ destinations. Southwest's PHL routes are often the most price-competitive option for leisure travel to Southeast and Southwest destinations, undercutting American's hub-captive pricing on routes where Southwest competes. Southwest does not appear on Google Flights or aggregator sites -- check Southwest.com separately for the lowest PHL fares.
Key Routes
MCO to PHL (2h 30m nonstop); TPA to PHL (2h 15m nonstop); BNA to PHL (2h nonstop; DEN to PHL (4h nonstop; LAS to PHL (5h nonstop)
Delta Air Lines
Atlanta Hub Connections and Nonstop Service to PHLDelta Air Lines operates nonstop service to Philadelphia from Atlanta (ATL), Boston (BOS -- codeshare with regional partners), Detroit (DTW), and Minneapolis (MSP), competing with American on key routes at PHL. Delta's ATL-PHL service is one of the most competitive short-haul routes in the Northeast corridor, with both carriers offering multiple daily flights and competitive pricing. Delta also connects PHL to its New York JFK hub for international connections on routes American doesn't serve.
Key Routes
ATL to PHL (2h nonstop, multiple daily); DTW to PHL (1h 45m nonstop; MSP to PHL (2h 30m nonstop; SLC to PHL (4h 30m nonstop)
United Airlines
Newark and Washington-Dulles Connections -- Regional Competitor to American at PHLUnited Airlines operates service to Philadelphia primarily via its Newark (EWR) and Washington-Dulles (IAD) hubs, providing access to United's international network for PHL passengers who need connections not available on American. United also operates select nonstops from Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and San Francisco (SFO) to PHL on routes where it competes with American. United's Newark hub is only 80 miles from Philadelphia -- many PHL-area travelers use Newark for United's global network.
Key Routes
ORD to PHL (2h nonstop); SFO to PHL (5h 15m nonstop); IAD to PHL (1h nonstop)
Things to Do in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Essential Info for Your Philadelphia Trip
State
Pennsylvania (PA)
Airport Code
PHL — Philadelphia International Airport
Currency
USD — US Dollar
Time Zone
EST (UTC-5) / EDT (UTC-4) in summer
Airport to Center City
7 miles. SEPTA Airport Line rail: 30 min, $6.75. Rideshare: $25-40, 20-25 min.
Dominant Airline
American Airlines (70%+ of PHL capacity). Compare Southwest separately for best fares.
Historic Sites
Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Congress Hall: free or low-cost admission. NPS timed tickets recommended in summer.
Emergency Number
911
Most Popular Airlines
Best Airlines for Domestic & International Routes
Frequently Asked Questions on Flights to Philadelphia
Everything you need to know about booking cheap flights to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PHL)
What airport serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia International Airport (IATA: PHL) serves Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley region. The airport is located 7 miles (11 km) southwest of Center City Philadelphia -- approximately 20-25 minutes by car or SEPTA's Airport Line regional rail (30 minutes, $6.75 to Center City stations, trains run every 30 minutes). PHL is dominated by American Airlines (70%+ of capacity) and is American's largest East Coast hub and primary transatlantic gateway.
How do I get from Philadelphia airport to downtown?
SEPTA Airport Line rail: trains run every 30 minutes, $6.75 one-way, 30-minute journey from all four PHL terminals to Center City stations (30th Street, Suburban Station, Jefferson/Market East). Rideshare (Uber/Lyft): $25-40 to Center City, 20-30 minutes without traffic. Taxi: $28-35 fixed zone rate. Parking: $30-35/day in airport garages. The SEPTA rail is the most cost-efficient option for single travelers or couples.
When is the cheapest time to fly to Philadelphia?
Cheapest flights to Philadelphia: January-February (post-holiday, before spring), late November (excluding Thanksgiving week), and mid-June before summer peak. Most expensive: Thanksgiving week, July 4th, Eagle playoff games, and major convention weeks. Philadelphia's fall (September-October) is peak tourism season for East Coast visitors but flights are mid-range priced since the airport has significant competition on those dates.
What is Philadelphia most famous for?
Philadelphia is most famous for: (1) American history -- Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was drafted), the Liberty Bell, and the most concentrated founding-era history of any American city; (2) the cheesesteak -- an iconic American food originating here; (3) the Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) and passionate sports culture; (4) the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Rocky Steps) and the Barnes Foundation; (5) Reading Terminal Market (one of America's great public markets since 1893); and (6) the cream cheese that bears its name, though Philadelphia Cream Cheese has been made in New York since the 1880s.
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