So last night's 45 minutes or so between pushback and takeoff wasn't so unusual. In CW it isn't so much of an issue if you expect it, just factor it in to the flight time. Compared with EWR, I gladly put up with the congestion at JFK (and we had to wait half an hour after landing for a free stand on the flight there) for the lounge on departure and the almost-absence of immigration queues on arrival.

Special thanks to Sarah in UD on the BA176 (she who looks rather like Phoebe out of "Friends") - friendly, helpful, chatted about the new AVOD of which she'd seen a demonstration, etc. ^