Full report from Terminal A on Saturday 1/14, my first time there after it opened on Thursday 1/12:

- TL;DR version: The EWR operations exec should be fired. I know the labor situation, I run several operating businesses, so I don't want to hear that. With the resources of the PANYNJ and how delayed the opening was to begin with, I can't believe they are open if this is how it's being run, and I can't believe how inconvenient this all is.

- PARKING: For the last several months, EWR has given parkers (and especially those of us who use the short-term/terminal lots) the option of either a) prebooking parking or b) robbing us blind at nearly double the price to park without a reservation. Prebooking requires you to book at least 24 hours in advance, so definitely inside the window of when your departure gate can be changed from Terminal A to C and vice versa. There is no communication about whether Terminal C prebookings are honored at Terminal A, that I've been able to find, so I assume you have to stick with your location (unlike previously, when you can enter/exit same gates for B or C, etc.). It's not like United Express where you are confident certain flights are going out of A. For my example, I was on a RT itinerary to/from MSP that always goes out of C, before A opened. We decided to prebook parking at P4, given the uncertainty of where we'd be leaving/returning.

- GETTING THERE FROM P4: Hate is a strong word but I hate - HATE the setup from a United customer's POV. From P4, we are either 1 stop away from C (easy enough) or 5 stops away from A (terrible) Including a 3 minute pitstop at the old A for some reason, it took us 12 minutes. Then you go downstairs and have the option of a 15-minute walk or a 4-minute bus ride to the terminal. Think about that parking in daily parking and taking the airtrain, just to have to get bussed to the terminal.

- SECURITY: Absurdly long lines and slow, and it was evident from the moment we saw security. I walked toward the Pre-Check side (left side) and by the CLEAR terminals (to the left of Precheck), but no one was there. No one was at the entrance to the Precheck lanes either, so I walked toward the middle where I found a red vest to ask where CLEAR was. CLEAR is all the way to the right. I asked if that was CLEAR Pre-Check and he said there is no CLEAR pre-check. (see comment above). I get in the PreCheck line, and either because of the security guys' incompetency or the new equipment or both, it took 25 minutes to get through it, for about 30 people ahead of me. Total joke for noon on a Saturday.

- INSIDE: No TVs are working at any restaurant location -- so forget about catching a game, etc. And as noted, we shouldn't expect any club to open until at least summer, and based on everything I saw and have seen about the completion, we shouldn't bank on that. I ate at the italian cucina place, and both service and food were terrible (the drink was fine), though I fully expect that out of a F&B outlet on its third day. The terminal huge, and the United gates seem to be the furthest walk from security. Some objective POSITIVE notes - the terminal is gorgeous, and there are several restaurants/bars open, and plenty of retail outlets.

- GETTING THERE FROM C PARKING: I had a friend flying out the same day, coincidentally also in A but a later time. He had booked Term C ST parking, not knowing A was opening. I let him know how bad my plan turned out, and told him to go thru security at C, then take the bus over from 71. They did that and seemed to have a far easier time. They were also able to watch some of the playoff games in C before going to A. This will definitely be my plan going forward, if I park .. the only problem being how to return to C since they won't allow an A arrival on the bus without a boarding pass departing A. I will likely be switching toward more ubers and car services in lieu of parking, which isn't great because so many of my departures are 6:30am and earlier, when ubers in my area are unreliable.

It's frustrating that they had all this time to get ready and it's a complete you-know-what-show. I can't believe the positive reviews this has gotten (other than its appearance, which is beautiful, but I'm pretty sure most of us care least about that). If I ran PANYNJ whoever was in charge of start up operations would definitely no longer be.