Everyone loves to hate on EWR (they keep ranking it as “worst large airport” or whatever) but it’s honestly not that bad. Personally, I’ve never had major issues flying in or out of EWR. Some of my worst experiences returning to the country have actually been flying into MIA & JFK.

EWR is busy but I think arriving 5 hours early is excessive, even considering that you’ll be traveling around thanksgiving. You’ll be fine arriving 3 hours early, but if you wanted to hit up any airline lounges then I’d say arrive 5 hours early. Wait times have been really poor lately with long lines and strict capacity limits.

Depending on your departure time EWR isn’t the worst airport to wait around in. There’s even a nice new terminal - I hope your flight departs from that one!

I’m genuinely surprised by these comments cause I fly 2 times per year on average (United) and I think Newark is very efficient. I’ve never had a holdup but of course you will need to budget extra time for holidays

Five hours early? No.

I traveled 3 times this year and EWR's fine.

Then again, I'm only speaking for TSA Pre-Check vs the normal TSA lines.

People love to complain and if you're not used to Newark or Elizabeth or NYC flavors of employees, I guess it's off-putting.

I had a flight last Friday at 940 pm with Spirit and I got there around 8 and there was 1 family in front of us for TSA, literally got into the airport and sat down to wait at the gate in around 15 minutes. I never have an issue but maybe my flight times help a bunch and thanksgiving is a heavy time so leave much earlier. better to be safe than sorry

The key questions:

1. What Airline
2. What Terminal
3. What time is your flight
4. Do you have PreCheck (or any other equivalent)

i just left EWR yesterday lines were busier because of thanksgiving crowds but not too insane. i'd say 2-3 hours

Newark Airport's website has security wait times. If you're checking in bags you go to a kiosk and do it yourself, so the wait is very short. 5 hours early is a hell no unless you're going to be chilling in a nice lounge and getting drunk at the open bar.

It's not great, and I would expect it to be even worse with airline issues and holidays.

I've flown five times within the last few months, one international. Literally each one has crazy lines. Thank God for pre screen and Clear.

It's not great but I've been to worse. I thought it was bad until I returned leaving out of Dublin and Newark seemed a dream compared to it. Give yourself time but 5 hours seems a little excessive lol

If you’re flying internationally and on thanksgiving weekend I’d get there about 4-5hrs early and buy passes to a lounge if you don’t have access to one already. It’s free food/booze and space to hang out and plug in your devices to charge. About $50 per person.

Give yourself 3 hours. 2.5 if you have tsa/global precheck. Given it's a holiday weekend, it's going to be insanely busy.

I don't find the airport to be inherently bad in terms of moving you through in an orderly manner. TSA is an annoying process but they're very quick. Never had to wait long in passport control or customs.

I hate United Airlines and everyone who works there so so much. I am a very chill person. I never freak out, I never even get more annoyed than an eye roll but the people there have brought me to red faced rage on multiple occasions.

I once saw an obviously foreign teen girl crying by herself and I was like, "Are you okay? Do you need help?". She was an exchange student trying to fly home but the airline said she couldn't fly unaccompanied. (She was 17) She didn't know what to do and they literally TURNED HER AWAY. Like no offer to help, no advice, no looking out for her so some trafficker doesn't grab her, NOTHING. She was trying to call her mom but her phone didn't work here. So I was like, okay you're travelling with me then.

THAT was when someone from United came over to chastise me. I was like, "She's trying to go home and you're not letting her. I'm on this flight anyway, if you won't take care of her I will." Then they acted like a was a kidnapper. JFC.

It got ranked as the worst of the 20 largest airports in the US, just behind JFK. Reliability was the worst performing indicator by far.

You're flying on thanksgiving weekend. Usually I'd say 5 hours is a bit extra, even for newark, but all bets are off on thanksgiving or christmas periods. So maybe 5 hours isn't outlandish at all.

The last couple time I flew out of Newark recently I got super lucky and they opened a new line right as I was entering tsa. Take that for what it’s worth. There were still a lot of people.

If you’re flying out of terminal A, get there early and enjoy the new terminal. It’s huge!

Newark is pretty good these days..I mainly fly domestic and get there an hour before boarding and have had too much time every single time

Ewr is my home airport and I fly out of it several times per year. It really depends on the day/time/holiday but tge vast majority of the time I get from my uber to the gate in less than 45 minutes (more like 15 with precheck). International flights I usually make sure Ive got an hour and a half to two hours and it's often too much time.

2 hours in advance should be enough due to heavy traffic for the holidays, EWR has become very efficient and well staffed.

i have flown out of EWR 4 times in the last few months. 3 of those were for international. no issues at all. if youre that worried, get TSA pre-check (and Global Entry for the way back) and pay for Clear. with all of those things i spend maybe 5-10 minutes in line tops. usually very fast. ... also consider time of day. morning flights always least likely to get delayed, but lines will be longer bc everyone opts to travel in the early AM

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It's really not too bad. I never check bags and I have TSA Pre, but even the regular line seems to move at a decent rate. I also fly United 99% of the time, which means I'm almost always going out of Terminal C. I've flown three times this year (once internationally to London) and have zipped through security (10 mins from entering the airport to getting to the gates). Five hours early is definitely overkill.

The big issue I have with EWR is food service. If you're planning to eat at the airport, even if it's a food court meal, leave yourself plenty of time as their operations are horrible. Like 45 mins for a food court pizza horrible. It's also overpriced as hell, more so than other international airports its size — so bear that in mind.

Worst part about EWR is getting your bags after you land. Shit takes forever.

What airline? A lot of them won’t let you checkin that early. Especially international carriers that only have one or two flights a day. For example Icelandair only opens their checkin counter 3 hours before their one flight a day and British only opens theirs 3 hours before their first flight in the evening.

Even if they are open, some won’t let you checkin that early. I flew from JFK to Madrid on Friday on Iberia and they weren’t going to let me checkin for their second flight until the previous one was done with checkin. Fortunately I have very good OneWorld status and only had carry on so the lady at the desk did it.

5 hours may be a bit excessive, 3 or so should be fine. Terminal B where a lot of international flights leave from is trash with super limited food and stuff to do, so getting there too early will leave with nothing to do

5 hours seems like a lot, I generally do 3. I tend to arrive early as a stress relief thing. It's easy to kill time in an airport, and if I wasn't there I'd be sitting at home fretting over whether I should have left already.

3 hours has been fine for me thus far, and I've flown in/out of EWR 6 times this year from/to the UK. Never got 'squeaky bum time' for any of them, and this was getting in at around 6pm for a 9pm flight on Friday or Saturday each time. The way the lines snake around makes it seem like they're longer than they actually are.

Just got back from Costa Rica last week. It was fine with United. Did the standard 3 hrs prior for international with no issues.

American/Jet Blue terminal is awful due to the construction. United is hit or miss (TSA line).

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I went there at 4am to catch a 6am flight and it was a breeze.

Honestly, not that bad. I've flown internationally twice recently, on red-eyes (not sure what time your flight is) and it was beyond smooth sailing. Both flights were direct with United FWIW. Given that it is one of the largest travel holidays, I would def recommend some extra time, but shouldn't need more than 2-3 hours prior to departure.

For travel with the USA (this includes going to Alaska and Hawaii) you should arrive at the airport at least two hours before your scheduled departure time.

For international travel (including Puerto Rico, even though it is a US territory) you should arrive at the airport at least three hours before your scheduled departure time.

Those are recommendations all travelers should abide to, whether they travel out of an airport with only three or four scheduled flights a day or a hub like EWR. During the holidays and any other busier travel time (like now) I would add at least another hour on top of that.

This part will generate controversy... make sure when you arrive two or three hours before your scheduled departure time that we are talking about the moment you walk into the terminal, not the moment you drive up onto airport property and then spend 5-10 minutes looking for a place to park (and then there's also the shuttle to the terminal, if needed). You need to give yourself enough time if you need to check any bags, go through security, etc.

Depends on the terminal.

C is great, B depends what time of day you are flying at.

A is a shitshow as it always is, but the new A opens up in like 2 weeks, and addresses all of the big issues with the existing A. I'd expect there to be kinks as it comes online like everything else, especially during the holidays (I really don't know why they didn't wait until the new year to switch).

Later next year once the new rental car facility is up and running, it should eliminate a bunch of other big complaints about EWR.

B & C need some upgrades to deal with lyft\uber pickups, its a pain in the ass right now when getting one, but not all of that is EWR's fault. I usually just spring for a car service on my return trip, its usually just a tiny bit more, you know the price for sure ahead of time, and so much better than rolling your dice with random ewr uber guy.

Edit: also i was in one of the new LGA terminals 2 weeks ago, and HOLY SHIT, did they knock that place out of the park. I honestly couldn't find something to complain about. Had I not just stepped off a plane that landed there, you wouldn't have been able to convince me it was laguardia.

I flew to Europe twice this year and both flights ran smoothly. Waited no longer than 15 minutes in the security line. I still get there 3 hours before just in case.

I’ve flown out of Newark 4 times this year, terminals a, c and b twice. Never been on line at security for more than 45 minutes. With all that being said if you’re at EWR 3 hours early for an international flight you’ll be sitting for awhile. 1.5 you could be cutting it close if it’s a heavy travel day or you’re at the airport at peak times. I’d arrive sometime between the 1.5 to 3 hours early depending on what time your flight takes off. If it’s an early morning flight though you can arrive an hour before and you’ll be fine.

I went through Newark last year around Christmas time. I would recommend five hours for a domestic flight. I missed my flight twice. I was two hours early the first time and three hours early the second. I just BARELY made the third one and I was four and a half hours early.

Check the line estimates before you go. 2 hours domestic, 3 hours international and you’re usually golden, I’ve almost never had a bad experience at Newark if I had a little bit of buffer.

5 hours early? That's insane tbh. Even during the holiday.

Are you traveling Thanksgiving weekend???

The biggest problems at Newark generally happened because of weather, even somewhere else, because it is a major hub. My flight to Vegas in June ended up being canceled, rescheduled, delayed, and eventually took off 19 hours late because of thunderstorms.

I travel for work and am literally in terminal c writing this comment. I’m on dozens of flights a year and i park in a more expensive lot that’s close by (work pays) and have TSA Pre… my point is your results may vary without some of the conveniences I have. That being said Newark is no problem. For a busy airport I’d say it runs pretty well. The best thing about Newark is I can get a direct flight pretty much anywhere and coming home there are often multiple flight options so I often am able to get on a earlier flight standby. Looking forward to the new terminal A. Food options are ok but not great. Terminal B I think has the best and the terminal A that’s open now is the worst fit everything but it’s getting replaced in a few weeks I understand

Busiest Travel day of the year. Good luck

Go like 3 hours early, Newark Airport is fine not bad at all

I’ve traveled a lot in the past 2 years internationally out of ewr it’s fine you won’t need more then 2 hours if that

Just took international flight Thursday. Unbelievably organized. United giving them a 5. Happy.

Came through Terminal B yesterday and it was fine. It can be improved but nothing was horrible. Honestly, get there 3 hours early. You will probably be sitting at the gate longer than needed but 5 hours is extreme.

I’d say it all depends on which terminal you’re flying out of. Terminal C is just fine, even more so if you have pre-check or Clear. I’ve made it from the curb to the beginning of the post-security terminal in under 20 minutes almost every time in the last couple of years, and the only time in recent memory it exceeded that was no more than half an hour.

I've only done domestic flights recently but of all three trips I've done this year have been problem free. I always show up 2 hours before my flight (well, I schedule the ride service 2:30 before my flight as it's about 20 minutes away).

I'm always flying for vacation and tend to end up with early morning flights as a result, but we've always had time to eat a sit-down breakfast and have a little time to get any snacks or whatever for our flights.

Nah get there 3 hours early to be safe if you’re worried and you’ll be fine. The more annoying thing about EWR is picking people up there.

Just a heads up it is the Holidays so it can get very hectic. EWR is solid imo, I fly out out twice monthly domestically

Do you have clear, tsa pre check? It’s a game changer normally but not sure during thanksgiving

It’s not even that bad. I’ve flown out and into EWR multiple times and never had an issue. The most stressful part can be the pickup areas during peak hours and holidays.

Still ranked worst airport in the US

https://www.nj.com/news/2022/09/despite-upgrades-newark-airport-still-ranked-worst-in-survey.html

I flew twice this year and had one minor delay of 45 min. Terminal B is really spacious and nice with restaurants and stores. Terminal C is cramped with one tiny little stand that sells literal garbage. I bought combos for my daughter for lack of any other better/ real food and they were expired.

I flew jet blue international both times and got there 3 hours early it was plenty.

I was there yesterday coming in from Sarasota. It was ok. I heard they’re making a new terminal

Its a nightmare, don't let em downplay it. What airline are you flying?

I fly through EWR frequently. It’s a very good compared to a lot of airports i’ve been. Definitely ranks higher than JFK for me. But also factor in which airline you’re flying

Depends on the airline and the terminal/gate. Can be painless, can be awful. Better than LGA worse than jfk in my opinion. Especially for international flights. Long term parking is still a mess. Other than that, everything is great at ewr.

imo. ewr is better than lga or jfk.

flew out of ewr with my wife and 2 kids (5 and 7) to cancun for a recent trip to tulum. was through and at out gate in 20 mins. 1020 am flight on a weds.

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waited 20-30mis for our luggage at cancun, walked right out to our private prebooked shuttle to our resort.

I travel out of Newark a few times a year and honestly never really had much of an issue, it was actually a damned delight during COVID because the crowds were small. I will add that I usually fly during the week on business hours and it really is a different flying crowd full of more frequent fliers who just want to get there. The few times it was a pain in the ass was when I'd leave on the weekends. You tend to get more family travelers/lesser experienced travelers who can indeed hold you up when it comes to things like checking in or security.

EWR is nowhere close to the other international airports but still a good airport. As someone who flies approx 3 times a month, look for lounges thru priority pass or free access if u have certain status or if u r flying business class or buy a club pass. If you r flying international then you ll probably board from Terminal B. Research your lounges accordingly. 3hrs prior to your flight time is enough. Since u r going on a vacation after a long time, ignore the distractions and enjoy the experience. Load up on movies/shows on iPads. Enjoy the family time.

This past Monday I had an early domestic flight - the traffic leading up to the drop-off at terminal C was insane - took 20+ minutes to get to the drop-off area. Pick-up at the same terminal on Friday was just as bad.

Otherwise, security was completely fine and my flight was on time. Just give yourself a lot of time to actually get there if you're not driving yourself there or taking public transport, imo.

We just flew out of there/back in over the last few weeks. Had a great experience. Everything was easy-breezy on the way out and our time from getting off the plane, going through customs, getting our bags and onto our airport parking bus was 45 mins! It was all so fast and efficient!

♫♩♪ These are the days ♬♪♫

It just received the "Worst Airport in the USA" award so let that be some indication of what it's like these days.