Commissioner Matt McGloin, chairman of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport Joint Board of Control, spoke Tuesday at a ribbon cutting for
American Airlines' new tarmac-to-tarmac luxury motorcoach service connecting the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport and
Philadelphia International Airport. Beginning Tuesday, customers connecting on American Airlines via the Philadelphia airport can check their
luggage and clear security at AVP, then board a 35-seat luxury bus that takes passengers directly to the tarmac of the “F” Concourse in PHL.

American Airlines Begins Service through Philadelphia from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

Avoca, PA – Customers departing from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport (AVP) with American Airlines now have the ability to make connections through a third hub – Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

Effective Tuesday, Aug. 6, new service linking AVP and PHL is operated by luxury motor coaches as part of American Airlines’ partnership with The Landline Company. The service operates four times daily in each direction, providing customers with a convenient way to start and end their travels. The service has many of the features customers would expect from the first-class cabin of a regional jet, including in-seat power, WiFi, plentiful legroom and leather seats. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton customers connecting on American Airlines via PHL can clear security at AVP. American and Landline take customers directly to the tarmac of the “F” Concourse in PHL, allowing for easy, behind security connections to American’s global PHL network. Customers book trips on American and Landline just like any other connecting flight option by navigating to their preferred airline ticketing / reservation platform and selecting AVP as their origin.

Here are the highlights:

American Airlines has launched a new “tarmac-to-tarmac” luxury motor coach service to its hub in PHL.
The new service allows passengers to clear security at AVP, board a luxury motor coach at one of AVP’s departure gates, and arrive at a secure gate at PHL’s Terminal F. Customers will then disembark at the gate (without having to re-clear security), and walk to their next gate to continue their connecting flight.
These luxury motor coaches feature 35 premium leather seats in a 2 by 1 seating configuration and offer 36 inches of seat pitch, comparable to the premium cabin on a regional jet. Passengers also enjoy free WiFi and in-seat power at every seat. Additionally, customers can earn and redeem AAdvantage miles using these new connecting Landline “flights”.
Bags are handled as with any flight: passengers check their luggage in with American Airlines on arrival, and the airport’s baggage handling system takes over from there. Check-in also works like any other American Airlines flight.
American has launched the service with four (4) roundtrips per day, timed to connect with American flights out of PHL.
To use the service, customers will book their flight through American Airlines’ website or mobile app, entering AVP as origin and selecting the destination (i.e. MIA) as the endpoint, just like a flight itinerary.

Carl R. Beardsley, Jr., AVP’s Executive Director, said, “Many passengers choose AVP for the convenience and low-stress environment. Being able to start your trip from AVP and connect through Philadelphia alleviates some of the stress when starting your travel from a larger airport.”

Joe Sottile, American Airlines Director of Domestic Network Planning, said, “We are pleased to expand our innovative partnership with Landline to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport. Complementing our existing service from AVP to both our Charlotte and Chicago hubs, this new service enhances access to American’s global network, including convenient one-stop service via our Philadelphia hub to over 100 destinations in the U.S. and around the world.”

“We are thrilled to expand our network to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region, allowing American Airlines passengers to clear security at their local airport, closer to home, and connect through Philadelphia post security,” said Michael Sharer, Landline’s Northeast Operations Lead. “This service will provide a seamless, premium motorcoach connection to passengers with flights out of Philadelphia. Passengers can book their trips on AA.com by searching Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP) to their final destination.”

“This program enables travelers to travel out of a large international airport conveniently by going through our security screening process from a smaller international airport,” said Karen Keys-Turner, TSA’s Federal Security Director for AVP. “We have put in numerous security requirements for the bus operators and all airline personnel to ensure robust security protocols are followed at all times. It is a secure and convenient method to clear security at a smaller local airport and be able to transfer to Philadelphia seamlessly.”

Travelers arriving back in PHL will continue to board the luxury motorcoach airside and arrive nonstop directly at AVP. Checked baggage will be directly transferred between the motorcoaches and aircraft.

American Airlines currently has three daily roundtrip flights between AVP and Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), as well as two daily roundtrip flights between AVP and Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).

Daily service to/from PHL will operate on the following schedule:

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP) to Philadelphia (PHL):

Depart AVP at 7:20 AM; Arrive PHL at 9:40 AM

Depart AVP at 10:20 AM; Arrive PHL at 12:40 PM

Depart AVP at 3:00 PM; Arrive PHL at 5:35 PM

Depart AVP at 5:10 PM; Arrive PHL at 7:30 PM

Philadelphia (PHL) to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AVP):

Depart PHL at 10:40 AM; Arrive AVP at 1:00 PM

Depart PHL at 1:45 PM; Arrive AVP at 4:05 PM

Depart PHL at 6:40 PM; Arrive AVP at 9:00 PM

Depart PHL at 8:50 PM; Arrive AVP at 11:10 PM