Connecting flights at Newark airport on United.

[terrydtx]

We are flying to Rome from San Antonio in August to catch our Celebrity cruise 2 days early. Untied just changed our connections in Newark for the flight to Rome. We now have 40 minutes to get off our flight from SAT to catch the Rome flight. We are flying first class to Newark then Business to Rome so we will be the first off, the flight from SAT. What is anyone's experience flying through Newark? On the map it looks like all United flights are in one terminal and close together.

[maggieq]

I’m going to say fly to ewr earlier in the day.  40 minutes doesn’t give you much time at all.  

[RichYak]

24 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We now have 40 minutes to get off our flight from SAT to catch the Rome flight.

This would concern me greatly.

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, maggieq said:

I’m going to say fly to ewr earlier in the day.  40 minutes doesn’t give you much time at all.  

We do not have an earlier flight option except for a flight to Houston with a 45 minute layover for a flight to Newark. I know Houston is terrible to get around in with less than 1 hour.

 

United has screwed around with all their flights to Newark starting on Aug 1. When I called United, they claim this is a legal connection and will not make changes to our flights. Our original flight departed SAT at 10:42 and left us almost a 2 hour layover to catch the 5:35 flight to Rome, it now departs at 11:56.

Edited March 26, 2022 by terrydtx

[-Lew-]

I'm seeing the Minimum Connection Time at EWR as follows:

 

Newark (EWR): 1 hour (Domestic–Domestic or International–International), 1 hour and 15 minutes (Domestic–International), 1 hour and 30 minutes (International–Domestic)

 

40 minutes is just too tight.  I suggest you take an earlier flight to EWR and spend some time in United's fantastic Polaris lounge between flights.

 

 

[terrydtx]

6 minutes ago, -Lew- said:

I'm seeing the Minimum Connection Time at EWR as follows:

 

Newark (EWR): 1 hour (Domestic–Domestic or International–International), 1 hour and 15 minutes (Domestic–International), 1 hour and 30 minutes (International–Domestic)

 

40 minutes is just too tight.  I suggest you take an earlier flight to EWR and spend some time in United's fantastic Polaris lounge between flights.

 

 

I agree it seems to be too tight, but why would United even schedule flights this close?  We do not have an earlier flight option except to fly to Houston then Newark but the connection in Houston is only 45 mins. We will be the first off the plane in first class so if the Rome flight gate is close we should be able to make it. We would also have priority luggage so hopefully it makes it on our flight. There are 4 of us flying together and my sister, a retired TA, told me that United would be more inclined to hold the Rome flight for 4 instead of 2 passengers.

Edited March 26, 2022 by terrydtx

[-Lew-]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I agree it seems to be too tight, but why would United even schedule flights this close?  We do not have an earlier flight option except to fly to Houston then Newark but the connection in Houston is only 45 mins. 

 

There are other flight combinations you might be more comfortable with.  Click here for some other options on Google Flights.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

United does not always use the same terminal.  We've flown into one terminal but our connecting flight was leaving from a different terminal.  To get to our connecting flight we had to go outside  the terminal, and wait for a get a shuttle to the other terminal. The shuttle ran along the tarmac side of the airport. This took about 20 minutes from the time we deplaned until we got to the next gate. Since you are coming from Texas and flying internationally you would not necessarily run into this situation.  Our connecting flight was a short 45 minutes to Pittsburgh.

[baggal]

Just as important, I would worry about my luggage making the connection. 

[-Lew-]

2 minutes ago, baggal said:

Just as important, I would worry about my luggage making the connection. 

 

Very good point!

 

More flight combinations can be viewed on the ITA Matrix site:

 

[Fred321]

Even if you are connecting in the "same" terminal you may be hard pressed to get from one gate to another. United's main terminal is actually three different spokes coming off a main hub. Even a brisk walker is going to have a problem getting from one end to the other in the time you have. In addition most of their overseas flights leave from the very end of each spoke because of the size of the planes so depending on where you come in that could be quite the trip.

 

If you can't change your schedule you may want to try and get the airline to arrange someone to meet you guys with a "golf cart" to move you to the connecting flight. They have these in the United terminal. Last time I was there I almost got run over by one trying to get Alec Baldwin to a flight departing to London.

[TMLAalum]

Looks like you can keep the 11:56am out of San Antonio but take the later flight from EWR to FCO that gets you in late morning.

Call UA again and again until you get the needed change!

[jwlane]

If you don't make the connection, they'll be on the hook to get you on the 8:35pm flight.

[39august]

Does United have a chat or message option on line? Delta does and I have used it to contact an agent to make changes.  No long wait times on the phone.  I wouldn't accept that short layover. I would also be very concerned about my luggage not making it to Rome with me. 

[-Lew-]

8 minutes ago, 39august said:

Does United have a chat or message option on line?

 

I see they accept PMs on Twitter.  Although I've never PMed United, I find it to be an excellent method of getting service.

[Cruising89143]

United has now changed our flight six times. We’re flying into Naples and home from Rome. Just received an email this morning that our LAX-EWR route has changed. Second time in two weeks. We now have a one hour and thirty-eight minute layover in Newark. Unfortunately there are no earlier flights that day. They are allowing us to change so we may go in a day earlier. I worry that they will continue to tighten the time in between flights as we get closer. My other issue would be the plane not leaving LAX on time. 

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, jwlane said:

If you don't make the connection, they'll be on the hook to get you on the 8:35pm flight.

That is true but since we are flying business class there may not be any seats available on the later flight in business class by the day we fly and there will be 4 of us in our party. The later flight gets to Rome 4 hours later and we would lose at least half a day in Rome.  I am beginning to think I will try to get United to switch us to a 7:45 flight from SAT to Houston to Newark which will give us 1 1/2 hours of layover in Houston and 2 1/2 Newark so we can still take the earlier flight to Rome.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, 39august said:

Does United have a chat or message option on line? Delta does and I have used it to contact an agent to make changes.  No long wait times on the phone.  I wouldn't accept that short layover. I would also be very concerned about my luggage not making it to Rome with me. 

I can't seem to find one for United, I have used the one for Delta and it works so much better than waiting for hours online. American also doesn't have a chat option.

[DaKahuna]

Ask the gate agent at your departing airport if a cart could be arranged to meet your flight upon arrival and take you to the gate for your international flight.  The worst that could happen is you would be told No.  You could also ask the gate agent when you arrive in Newark for a cart.  

 

[jwlane]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

 7:45 flight from SAT to Houston to Newark 

I'd do the 6:41 to EWR---the more connections you include, the more possibility of something going wrong.  Long layover, plenty of time for a leisurely lunch.

[terrydtx]

8 minutes ago, jwlane said:

I'd do the 6:41 to EWR---the more connections you include, the more possibility of something going wrong.  Long layover, plenty of time for a leisurely lunch.

My wife is NOT a morning person, it was a miracle I got her to agree to a 7:45 flight, no way she will agree to one a 6:41. She would risk the missed short connection over having to leave our house at 4:30 to be at our airport by 5:00.  I agree about the fewer connections, our original flights had one stop to Rome, our return flights from Venice on Delta also have only one stop with over a 3 hour layover in Atlanta, but so far Delta has not made any changes.🛬

Edited March 26, 2022 by terrydtx

[Loracpin2]

My husband has almost 2 million miles on United and every international trip he (me too) has ever taken, with the exception of one nightmare out of Newark, has been out of IAD - Washington Dulles. 

You might have to fly earlier of San Antonio but you might want to consider this option as well.  

 

[Mr. Click]

There is a lot of good advice here TerrydTx.  I flew in and out of Newark for many many years and the one constant was delays. Weather, ATC, crew issues.  As others have said, the airport is big, very big and running between piers is not easy, relying on an electric cart is not easy either.  I am assuming you are a main line flight from SAT to EWR so it is very likely you would arrive and depart in  Terminal C. Terminal mostly handles UA Express flights.  The harsh reality is trying to do a  domestic connection in Newark in 40 minutes is tough, doing domestic to international, impossible.  If an early AM flight is an issue then go the night before, there is a Marriott hotel right at the airport and lots of other options nearby.  Starting a big, fun trip being stressed out trying to make a next to impossible connection will put a damper on the whole trip.  Oh, if a UA agent tells you it is a legal connection, ask for a supervisor or just hang up and call again.  One last thought, consider the 6:41am flight and spend the night before at SAT in a hotel so you don't have to get us so early.  Yes, it costs money but it sounds like you are spending a lot of this trip so don't make the start a nightmare of stressing.

 

 

 

 

 

[goofysmom99]

I've personally never had a good experience to FCO on UA thru EWR (both missed flight and luggage being delivered a day late).  Now I pack my carryon as though my luggage won't make it.  Conversely, never had a bad experience thru IAD.  I'd pursue that option.

[Covepointcruiser]

If you paid for your Business Class tickets and need to take the later flight you should be okay.   The passengers who were upgraded don’t have a right to keep a business class seat if a paid business class passenger needs the seat.   Many times 90% of those in Business/First are upgraded.   When we flew home on United from Europe only 11 out of 48 passengers had actually purchased a Business/First ticket.