New bus service links airline passengers between Wilmington and Philadelphia

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Travelers in Delaware will soon have a new option to get to Philadelphia International Airport with cheaper parking and potentially much shorter security lines, as Wilmington Airport is teaming up with American Airlines to offer passengers motor-coach bus service to catch their flights at PHL.

The program, operated by the Landline company, offers passengers a chance to park at the airport just south of Wilmington and go through TSA security at the much smaller Wilmington Airport. They can then check their bags and board a coach bus to whisk them to Philly, where they can skip security lines.

Wilmington will be the fourth location to participate in the bus program, with service already provided from Atlantic City, Allentown and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

“We’re going to provide a service that will allow for customers to come to the airport here in Wilmington, park very cheap, be able to go through TSA very efficiently, then get on a motor coach,” said Tom Cook, executive director of the Delaware River and Bay Authority, which operates Wilmington Airport. “Go up to Philadelphia Airport, able to be put behind TSA, and go on your flight to wherever you want to where American Airlines is servicing.”

That includes international flights, too.

Both partners anticipate a surge in motor-coach usage, prompting Wilmington Airport to expand its parking lot spaces for both passengers flying out of Wilmington and Landline customers headed to Philly.

“Landline has the ability to monitor the activity and, you know, I’m sure if the demand is there, they will put the resources behind it to expand,” Cook said. “We are working on a way to expand the parking with close to 1,500 spots available for parking.”

Nick Johnson, vice president of revenue for Landline, highlighted the substantial number of American Airlines flights departing from Philadelphia. He assured that Wilmington is well prepared to handle the increased traffic.

“There are six big waves where there’s a bunch of flights that depart within a 40-minute window. And so these buses are perfectly timed six times a day to connect to those six big waves of flight departures,” said Johnson. “It’s perfectly timed so that you have some time to go to the restroom or get a coffee on your way to your connecting flight.”

What makes this transportation service unique is that if a traveler encounters traffic and misses their flight, there is no need to purchase a new ticket. Instead, the traveler will be automatically rebooked on the next available flight, avoiding the hassle and cost of rebooking.

“You have in-seat power, there’s Wi-Fi, entertainment at every seat for free, and then the seats themselves … it’s very spacious,” Johnson said.

Currently, the service is available only for routes between Wilmington Airport and Philadelphia. Travelers can access this service through flyingilg.com or book their transportation directly with American Airlines.

The service will begin this fall on Oct. 7.