danwer930

Hi friends, I'm an AA Platinum Pro flyer based in New York City who flies to Seattle a lot, which means I'm now flying AS a lot. Most of the time I use JFK because of the Alaska lounge, but for Christmas I'm flying out of EWR because both timing and pricing was better.

Now that the beautiful new EWR Terminal A is open, I find Terminal B to be hands-down the most miserable terminal left in the entire New York City area. And the rotunda that AS flies out of only has a depressing and usually-overrun sit-down restaurant and a pretty lousy half-baked food court.

I'm planning to arrive early bc of holiday travel craziness, and I'm just wondering: has anyone cracked the code on how to make flying out of EWR B less awful? Is there an airside shuttle to one of the other terminals to pass the time pre-flight? (I have an Admirals Club membership). Is there a landside restaurant or bar that isn't as sad as the airside one near the Alaska gates?

Any ideas would be very welcome! Thanks, Daniel

AKLifetimeFlyer

Assuming you aren't driving to the airport, have a few drinks before you leave to dull the senses. Kidding aside, isn't there a Vino Volo wine bar at EWR B? I used to imbibe that the SEA location, but heard it recently closed.

danwer930

LOL - I just checked, and it looks like there is one in another one of the rotundas so I guess I'd have to go through security twice. Which is doable time-permitting - if only to avoid the sad options in the Alaska area.

RedPanda5

just be aware this terminal only has pre-check light (give you a paper that says you don't need to take off shoes/jacket etc) so you'll still be stuck in the extraordinarily long security line with people who don't normally travel

elCheapoDeluxe

Oh you're assuming you leave out of the GOOD rotunda. Wait until you get stuck going out of the OTHER pier which doesn't even have pre-check and you are clearing security with people on the oddball foreign carriers.

Edit: Looks like they no longer have EWR-PDX leaving out of B55. Thank goodness. That was miserable. And they may have added pre-check. But they still only have one REALLY AWFUL restaurant over there. 100% agree that EWR is the worst terminal in the entire Alaska system.

danwer930

Did Pre-Check and CLEAR go away when Delta left?

djp98374

Pay the extra and fly out of a different airport……

Repooc17

Precheck comes and goes, even during normal Precheck hours. No CLEAR. Delta and United are cutting checks to CLEAR, so no. Same apply to JFK.

I don't arrive until just prior to board time. No check luggage, and just a small back pack usually, so I am in no rush getting on board, and this method would guarantee spending the least amount of time in terminal.

Personally I don't find EWR Terminal B that bad, but I don't hang around at any airports for long anyway.

hpmh

The gate 40-47 pier in EWR terminal B which is mostly where AS departs from has CLEAR and a dedicated pre-check line. The pre-check line is sometimes closed though, basically when the feel like it and without specific hours (I've asked).

TalkingPoint

Until you’re delayed and find yourself checking out all those picnic tables just to discover they’re all broken and on the verge of collapse.

Repooc17

I think we are saying the same thing about Pre.

Where is CLEAR? I was just there last month, and didn't see it.

hpmh

It should have been there, CLEAR has been at 40-47 pier for years. The machines are right next to the pre-check line, you can't miss it.

Bretmd

I’ve been flying sea-ewr a lot lately and terminal b is just awful. Spending the minimal amount of time there is the best advice but you may need more time in security than you think.

tomorrow I’m flying ewr-sea on UA and it looks like I’m in terminal A which is gorgeous. The difference is stark. If UA consistently used A for the SEA flight it would be enough reason to switch carriers altogether.

_fx

AS at EWR is miserable and there’s no good way around it. I just arrive as close to boarding as possible. If in Y and security is slow, that sometimes means bag gets gate checked boarding with Group D, but honestly waiting 15 min at SEA baggage claim is preferable to spending time in Terminal B.

mediator

Slightly out of topic but why the gates used by AS are always terrible on the East coast? Remember years ago when AS started BOS, it was moved to a tiny holding area with only three gates with very limited amenities.
BOS Operations to Move (Again) to Terminal B Gates 35A-36 (10/16/2019)