CMK10

EWR doesn't have enough runways, I've had many lengthy taxi times there stuck in a long line to use a runway. I also find going through security in the UA terminal to be a frustrating experience.

Plus as others have said, the lounge situation isn't good and it is far from parts of NYC. That said, it's not really any worse than JFK or LGA...just not any better either.

sbm12

EWR has three compared to two at LGA and four at JFK.


Which terminal? Most concourses have access to a lounge in one form or another. Just like LGA/JFK.

CMK10

Sorry I should have clarified. While EWR has lounges, the lounges are not very good. The two United Clubs in C are some of the most crowded lounges I've ever seen and they have a dated feel to them. The Admirals Club in A is awful, one of the worst AA lounges in the system. The Delta Skyclub is old and small.

My mistake on the runways btw, I didn't realize EWR had three.

Nugget_Oz

This is mainly an airline problem is it not, DL are removing 50-seat RJs from it's regional partners and they don't have any props.

Nugget_Oz

This, there really isn't any real difference between the 3, each has their pros and cons with not one outweighing the other.

Long Train Runnin

I actually think the AA club at EWR is one of the better ones. It's quite large for the number of flights that actually fly through there. It has the same limited snack foods as the rest and some decent bartenders. As an AA EXP out of EWR I feel lucky that there is even a club there to begin with.

I also think that the LH Senator Lounge at EWR in B is pretty decent. Certainly the best lounge at the airport.

PsiFighter37

Forget LGA - if there's no public transport option, I will only fly out of there if it's early morning. The construction stuff sounds like an absolute nightmare.

As a UA flyer, I don't go to JFK anymore, but one thing that I did read about on Second Avenue Sagas (a very neat website/blog about NYC-area mass transit) is that the JFK AirTrain frequency has been reduced to the point where you could end up waiting 10-15 minutes if you miss it. Say what you will about EWR's dump of an AirTrain, but it runs much more frequently than that.

I also feel that I am in the minority (at least when it comes to FTers in the UA forum) in liking Terminal C. The OTG improvements are on much more solid footing now than they were previously, and it actually feels like a modern terminal. Terminal A is a dump, though, and now that they've temporarily shut the UC there, I will be getting familiarized with the airside shuttle - absolutely not interested in spending time in that dumpy A2 pod.

If they can make the AirTrain more reliable (like using both sides for departures from the train station - I have seen it on the left side once in the several years I have been more actively flying post-college) and somehow convince NJT to have better-timed frequencies on the weekends, my overall EWR experience would be much more pleasant. But paying $45 for Uber ain't terrible either, for a 25-30 minute ride with no traffic. EWR gets a bad rap because it's Jersey (and I'm no great fan of NJ in general), but I enjoy flying out of it. YMMV

Analise

Of course there is public transport. Here is one example: Take the E,M,R,7,F to 74th/Roosevelt and take the Q70 Limited. Done.

I've taken the Airtrain early morning, midday and early evening in the past 2 months all on weekdays. When I've missed one, another has come within 5 minutes. Perhaps you're just unlucky.

Good luck with that one.

andrewesque

Port Authority-published schedules (picture here, top is 2009 schedule, bottom is current/2016 schedule) indicate a 15-20 minute headway during late nights and early mornings and 10-15 minutes midday, with trains every 7-12 minutes during the peak.

It's probably better on an automated system, but very short headways during time when trains/buses are not scheduled to come that frequently usually are a harbinger of very long waits for the next train/bus, e.g. when buses bunch and come at 5:00, 5:03, 5:05 and then 5:45.

AMflier

This plus where your origin / destination is in NYC.
From home, JFK and LGA are practically equal so I base on airfare. I'll only consider EWR if I'm working in Manhattan near Penn Station or the Port Authority.

Clubs and amenities don't really enter the equation for me.

That said, for the next couple of years JFK will have a slight edge over LGA.

RooseveltL

Clarity on runways - while there are three runways (one intersects the other two) and significantly smaller so rarely used except for occasional RJ landing while congestion elsewhere as the two parallels have high-speed on-off ramps allowing more traffic vs. hard turns requirement for 11/29.
Runway 4L/22R = 11000 ft
Runway 4R/22L = 10000 ft
Runway 11/29 = 6800 ft

If you want comparison to two runways at LGA are 7000 & 7003 ft respectfully which explains why no jumbo jets/aircrafts at LGA but abundance of heavy birds at EWR.

Both EWR & LGA have two active runways (which equates to ATC clears plane queue for take-off after another aircraft successfully lands). EWR arguably doesn't have intersecting runways so could have landing/takeoff in parallel but runways are too close if landing aircraft requires a go-around or aborted landing so must wait for successful touchdown before clearance of departing bird.
The key difference between airports is volume - LGA has a cap on # of aircrafts per hour (which makes it more ideal during heavy traffic/rush hour) vs. EWR which is almost at capacity in evening rush (heavy European bound birds plus regular US traffic) so add any weather condition or ATC issue and the entire scheduling derails. E.g. maybe 50 total landings/takeoff between 1701-1800 but low clouds changes that to 30 because each landing/takeoff needs more spacing and that accumulates to an already max out 55 landing/takeoffs scheduled for 1801-1900 so EWR delays when bad are REALLY BAD and only get worst even if weather conditions evaporates.
Anyone bound for EWR in evening rush on an ontime aircraft which leaves it gates ontime but put into holding for take-off in your origin city basically means you are waiting until they can land the 1701-1800 scheduled flights before they let you take-off which can be 1825 or 1925 depending how bad the domino effect.

guv1976

"If you want comparison to two runways at LGA are 7000 & 7003 ft respectfully which explains why no jumbo jets/aircrafts at LGA but abundance of heavy birds at EWR."

Well, we're getting a little OT here, but LGA's runways are long enough and strong enough to handle some heavy birds. AA required that the DC-10 be designed to be able to operate in and out of LGA, and that aircraft did so for many years. And both 767s and L-1011s operated out of LGA too.

I recently flew a Hawaiian A-330 out of OGG (where the main runway is actually a few feet shorter than LGA's two), and we made it nonstop to LAX.

I think the reason we don't see jumbos out of LGA these days is the same reason we don't see jumbos very often on trans-cons out of EWR or JFK anymore: the traveling public -- and especially the business traveler -- prefers more frequent service over larger aircraft.

RooseveltL

I agree the length isn't the factor but it does factor in based on surrounding.. I was of hte impression (and can be wrong) it isn't always about minimum runway length but also the approach and cushion room. We have heard/seen enough aircrafts end up in the drink or over compensate because they didn't touch down soon enough (approaching from highway or over bay) resulting in heavy reverse-thrust or QUICKLY decide to abort and takeoff. Almost, every incident at LGA in recent decades has been pilot error.

I do agree I'd rather frequent hourly service to ORD, DFW vs. a heavy in front/behind slowing down take/off landing frequency (especially if I'm on a regional) and clogging already congested gate area.

764toHI

Having split my travel between UA and B6 this summer (living in lower Manhattan), I think I prefer EWR for a couple of reasons:
- 1 hour gate to door on public transportation via NJT during weekdays between 5am-8pm and the bus all other times. I think the quickest I've gotten home from JFK was 75 mins or so. I'll admit I prefer the reliability of the LIRR into Atlantic Terminal/Penn Station vs. NJT.
- T5 is a horrible layout especially when accessing via Airtrain
- The JFK conga-lines in the late afternoon are horrible

I'll use LGA if I'm feeling cheap and I don't want to pay up the extra ~$15 for NJT/LIRR/Airtrain/Olympia Trails.

I've definitely landed on 11/29 (29 specifically) in mainline jets when the winds are strong out of the west.

JimInOhio

I have a vague recollection of Northwest ordering their DC-10's with the extra center landing gear because it was required for that aircraft to land on the bridged LGA runways. But we're talking ancient history now so....