Originally Posted by
whitesock
Edit: I poked around some more, and it looks like this is because the EWR-XXX flight got cancelled and the next one is a few hours later. The long layover is worth it to me, so I will simply say so when I call.
Assuming that 'long' is more than four hours, the layover makes the transfer in EWR a stopover, which is why you're having a hard time getting it booked. I suspect that it's no longer a valid transfer point on a through fare to your destination, as UA doesn't allow stopovers on most domestic fares.
It's theoretically possible to stay on it, but it's going to take an agent willing to override what the computer is doing and force it through.