Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Airport; Procedure; Human Factors
We were taxiing in at PHL on taxiway E. We were told to enter the ramp at E5 we called ramp on 130.575 and asked for clearance in. The controller said to call the other ramp on 129.75 at spot 12. So we taxied to spot 12 and called the ramp. The controller on 129.75 said we were in the wrong spot and that we shouldn't have been in that spot. We were cleared into park and no issues arose from this. No traffic was near us on the ramp and the flight was completed successfully. The Ramp Controller informed us of our mistake and we accepted it. Confusing ATC instructions are what caused me to go to the spot without clearance. The PHL ramp controllers didn't make very clear instructions to us and I am new to PHL so I was unfamiliar. It does not seem like the ramp controllers talk to one another and it seemed like one controller cleared me into another ramp that they did not control. It was very confusing but again no issues arose from this and the flight was completed without any further issues.
Air carrier Captain reported receiving conflicting and confusing taxi clearances from Ground Control and Ramp Control after landing at PHL.