EWR security setup is a nightmare!
That brings up a good point - I fly out of EWR weekly and ever since about 2 years ago, I've always just gone to Checkpoint 1 since that's where TSA Pre is. BUT, I've always noticed Checkpoint 2 is usually not crowded at all - thus my question, for whom is Checkpoint 2 / who is allowed to go through?
yahooyahoo said:
The problem is Security. The terminal is fine once you get through Security.
I don't understand why Mileage Plus members can't go through any of the 3 gates. TSA sends them all over to Gate 1 and it's a sh&t show.
or perhaps those herein saying Newark is not that bad are suffering from Stokholm syndrome.
I've never had to wait more than 3 mintues going through security and Newark Liberty, but that's probably because I usually fly out at 2am.
max_weisenfeld said:
or perhaps those herein saying Newark is not that bad are suffering from Stokholm syndrome.
Or maybe it's just not that bad. I don't have any issues with long security lines and we fly more often than most. It's easy to navigate, I've never once been treated rudely and it's a bright and airy space. They have decent food choices, plenty of lounges and places to sit. I don't understand what is so terrible.
sure and a Centurian lounge would be awesome. Agreed it needs improvement but it's really a decent place. Now if I experienced the lines others are reporting, I'd feel differently but so far so good
yahooyahoo said:
The problem is Security. The terminal is fine once you get through Security.
I don't understand why Mileage Plus members can't go through any of the 3 gates. TSA sends them all over to Gate 1 and it's a sh&t show
Mileage Plus or TSA-Pre? I've never been sent there for being a Mileage Plus member (which is probably pretty much everyone who flies on United.) TSA-Pre tends to have fewer spots in all airports, although I agree that it would be good if they could add another one in Terminal C. They also could do TSA-Pre better in Terminal A. Right now the only advantage is that you don't have to take off your shoes, but you still have to go through the same line as everyone else.
max_weisenfeld said:
or perhaps those herein saying Newark is not that bad are suffering from Stokholm syndrome.
If you travel with any regularity, you see airports that are much worse and much better than EWR.
Newark is perfectly fine, IMHO, but I also don't think air travel is a "nightmare."
Generally uncomfortable, sure, but it gets me from here to someplace I want/need to be very quickly, usually efficiently and at a reasonable price.
The noise makes me crazy. Blaring televisions + background music + loudspeaker announcements + TSA agents hollering instructions = increased levels of stress even when security lines are not terrible. There are definitely many, many airports in this country and elsewhere that are much more pleasant with regard to the overall environment, IMHO.
I didn't have any issues with the airport itself, and I was traveling with three kids. When they got restless we just walked around the shops and looked at stuff. They have water fountains in case you don't want to spend half a paycheck on a bottle of water. And the bathrooms were relatively clean considering the amount of use they get.
My only issue, both at EWR and Orlando was security.
I have to admit that I started all this complaining with my initial title that "EWR is a nightmare".
My intent at the time was to warn people about the terrible security lines that we encountered that morning. I dashed it off quickly while stressing about whether we were going to make our plane. But people took it as a blanket statement, which I guess is how it came across.
There is no doubt that the lines are not always so bad. There is no doubt that there are better airports and that there are worse airports. I agree that Terminal C beyond the checkpoints is really pretty pleasant and mentioned above that I had a hand in its construction.
The split-level nature of the terminal leaves precious little room for the screening operation as configured. Remember that even the renovations were designed and nearly completed pre-9/11, so such extensive screening was not anticipated. We re-cut the ribbon on Terminal C in the Spring of 2002 after air traffic had plummeted. Talk about unfortunate timing...
It is clear that the lines are quite variable. Sure would be nice if TSA staffed the checkpoints based on demand, which should be easy enough to predict given known departuring passenger loads.
Also seems like a redesign is in order. 2 departures levels always seemed like overkill. Seems like you could handle check-ins on one level and expand the security operation on the other level.
The Port Authority seems more willing to invest in the airports now. Hope they do so at Newark.
Terminal A, which is really where the need is, is scheduled to be replaced by a totally new terminal in the PA budget commitment. Terminal C is a palace compared to A. The renovation of Terminal C after TSA is being paid for by United. As noted there is likely room in C to create a better TSA area. But C is not bad.
There is simply no room in the area to build one of those huge, sprawling airports you see elsewhere. And those have their own issues due to their size.
I had a horrible experience getting through security in Terminal A. That's the drawback of flying Southwest.
security lines have been really bad at Orlando our past few trips. But Disney gets you there 3 hrs early anyway so it's been ok but it has taken well over an hour to get through.
conandrob240 said:
security lines have been really bad at Orlando our past few trips. But Disney gets you there 3 hrs early anyway so it's been ok but it has taken well over an hour to get through.
When we flew out of Tampa, it was a breeze... with 2-3 kids' play areas in the terminal.
mbaldwin said:
max_weisenfeld said:
or perhaps those herein saying Newark is not that bad are suffering from Stokholm syndrome.
If you travel with any regularity, you see airports that are much worse and much better than EWR.
Newark is perfectly fine, IMHO, but I also don't think air travel is a "nightmare."
Generally uncomfortable, sure, but it gets me from here to someplace I want/need to be very quickly, usually efficiently and at a reasonable price.
It's a hell of a lot better than transferring through LHR or arriving at FRA.
LHR was a bloody nightmare for us as a transfer from Dublin. The distances we had to travel to get through Customs, then security (again), and then to our connection were absurd. We took a bus, we took two trains, and we topped it off by running and barely made our flight. It was (almost) comical. Had a similar transfer in FRA to Venice, and actually missed our connection completely. The only other flight I have ever missed (and I travel a lot) was at EWR Terminal C. Not because of security, but because I underestimated the distance between the place I stopped for breakfast (I was quite early) to my gate at the far distance end of the terminal and they had promptly closed the door 10 minutes before the departure time.
Mileage Plus.
Regarding TSA-Pre, there have been a few times when I've seen far fewer people in the regular security line than TSA-Pre line and they won't let TSA-Pre people switch.
sac said:
yahooyahoo said:
The problem is Security. The terminal is fine once you get through Security.
I don't understand why Mileage Plus members can't go through any of the 3 gates. TSA sends them all over to Gate 1 and it's a sh&t show
Mileage Plus or TSA-Pre? I've never been sent there for being a Mileage Plus member (which is probably pretty much everyone who flies on United.) TSA-Pre tends to have fewer spots in all airports, although I agree that it would be good if they could add another one in Terminal C. They also could do TSA-Pre better in Terminal A. Right now the only advantage is that you don't have to take off your shoes, but you still have to go through the same line as everyone else.
LHR is truly a horrible airport. You have to walk 1000 miles to get anywhere. Closed in, low ceilings, dark tunnel-like corridors. Now, that is a bad airport
yahooyahoo said:
Mileage Plus.
Regarding TSA-Pre, there have been a few times when I've seen far fewer people in the regular security line than TSA-Pre line and they won't let TSA-Pre people switch.
sac said:
yahooyahoo said:
The problem is Security. The terminal is fine once you get through Security.
I don't understand why Mileage Plus members can't go through any of the 3 gates. TSA sends them all over to Gate 1 and it's a sh&t show
Mileage Plus or TSA-Pre? I've never been sent there for being a Mileage Plus member (which is probably pretty much everyone who flies on United.) TSA-Pre tends to have fewer spots in all airports, although I agree that it would be good if they could add another one in Terminal C. They also could do TSA-Pre better in Terminal A. Right now the only advantage is that you don't have to take off your shoes, but you still have to go through the same line as everyone else.
How do they even know that you are Mileage Plus? I would be surprised if there are more than a handful of passengers going through security in Terminal C who are NOT Mileage Plus members, so that makes no sense.
it says it right on your ticket and when they see it, you are directed to the security area they want you at
conandrob240 said:
it says it right on your ticket and when they see it, you are directed to the security area they want you at
Hmmm - I've never been sent to another checkpoint except for TSA-Pre. Sometimes a different line if I'm with my spouse who has elite status.
Just trying to figure out who is left once they do that? Aren't most United customers in Mileage Plus?
sac said:
conandrob240 said:
it says it right on your ticket and when they see it, you are directed to the security area they want you at
Hmmm - I've never been sent to another checkpoint except for TSA-Pre. Sometimes a different line if I'm with my spouse who has elite status.
Just trying to figure out who is left once they do that? Aren't most United customers in Mileage Plus?
There's a difference between being a general member of Mileage Plus and a member with some level of Premier "status." We could be mixing the two things. Premier status (or the UA credit card, or simply buying the service) gets you into the Premier Access security line. Simply being a Mileage Plus member doesn't do that.
conandrob240 said:
LHR is truly a horrible airport. You have to walk 1000 miles to get anywhere. Closed in, low ceilings, dark tunnel-like corridors. Now, that is a bad airport
Huh, I think LHR T2 is quite nice and has a fantastic United Club. Open, airy, good shops and restaurants, rarely feels crowded. That said, it's a longish walk to the UA gates, but helped along by moving sidewalks.
Are you talking about another terminal at LHR?
I mean Premier status, not standard Mileage Plus.
mbaldwin said:
sac said:
conandrob240 said:
it says it right on your ticket and when they see it, you are directed to the security area they want you at
Hmmm - I've never been sent to another checkpoint except for TSA-Pre. Sometimes a different line if I'm with my spouse who has elite status.
Just trying to figure out who is left once they do that? Aren't most United customers in Mileage Plus?
There's a difference between being a general member of Mileage Plus and a member with some level of Premier "status." We could be mixing the two things. Premier status (or the UA credit card, or simply buying the service) gets you into the Premier Access security line. Simply being a Mileage Plus member doesn't do that.
Prior to switching to the "new" security scheme I found that more times than not when I went looking for the premier access lane, I was told they weren't doing one that day.
That and the massive, massive length of the "boarding group 2" line relative to all others makes me think they've been a bit too liberal in handing out frequent flier status levels.
I also find the terminal itself to be just fine. The club at EWR is weak, but domestically they're all pretty weak.
As far as Terminal A goes- who doesn't love the Earl?
yahooyahoo said:
I mean Premier status, not standard Mileage Plus.
Well, if they sent you to a different checkpoint completely for Premier status, then that's a recent change. Previously there were Premier lines at the checkpoints at each end. I'm not sure about the one in the middle as I never seem to end up there. I think TSA-Pre is only at the far left end, as you face the gates, nearest the 120-up gates. That was the case when I last flew out of C in January anyway.
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