I was just at EWR today and have some ideas that might explain this situation. Terminal B at EWR has three distinct piers, all of which have their own separate security checkpoint, which are often fairly backed up. From right to left across the arc of the terminals, the three piers have gates numbered in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, respectively. (Terminal B is in the middle of the three terminals, likewise lettered (oddly) from right to left.) I *believe* that all international arrivals other than Continental (which come in at Terminal C, serving CO practically exclusively and home to its lounges, of course), arrive at Terminal B gates in the 50's or 60's. Some of the aircraft are then towed (assuming my belief is correct) over to the 40's for departure. DL and NW use the 40's gates, and AF and KL use them as well for departures. AF sends its J/F pax to the DL CRC, and KL sends its J pax to the WorldClub, which are across the hall from one another *inside* the security checkpoint for the 40's gates. Alitalia flights leave from the 50's and the 60's gates, so it makes sense for them to avoid the DL and NW lounges in favor of the VS Clubhouse, which is outside of all checkpoints in the main terminal (between the 50's and 60's pier), so that pax need not clear one checkpoint for the lounge and another to board the aircraft.

On a Saturday night shortly before Christmas last year, I heard an El Al pax complaining loudly in the security line for the 60's gates that he had to clear security once to use whatever lounge El Al contracts with (SAS???), only to have to leave and clear again to board his flight from the 50's gates. The TSA staff (who had exacerbated the backup by closing one screening line down because a shift ended while more than 100 pax were waiting in line) rightly gave the guy a piece of their mind. As they pointed out, that soandso was complaining about lounge access while other pax behind us in line were perilously close to missing their Alitalia flight (the last of the night). They told him to take it up with El Al, not make a nuisance of himself in the security line. I think the AZ pax made it, but they might have had to hold the aircraft to get everyone from the line through security.

Security at EWR takes time; plan to have plenty of it.