ron-val-ron

hi folks -

i'm a refugee from the aa boards. just booked a cheapo ticket from ewr to savannah for next friday at 330 pm. this will be my first flight since 9/11 and am hearing wildly varying reports on the check-in/security process - from four hour lines to none at all.

i'll have a paper ticket and a carry-on wheelie bag. do i need to hit the ticket counter? how long should the whole security thing take me at ewr?

many thanks...

eastwest

Last weekend at EWR I checked in about an hour early and had no problems. Security is tight, but pax loads were light and there were plenty of security folks on hand to keep things moving.

I am a tall white guy with a shaved head and was wearing combat boots and dark sunglasses. The US Marshalls played 20 questions with me, but I guess I answered them all okay. I don't know if I was picked out at random or not -- but even with that delay an hour was enough time.

JonNYC

Cool! The Matrix look!


just FYI, this is from an email that Continental sent out this evening (and via fax a weeek ago):

Would they lie?

joebeenyc

I flew today from EWR-DTT. Got to the airport 30 mins before the flight and flew through security with time to spare. I did carry on though and was flying business first.

ron-val-ron

am pushing this one back to the top because i just had a stunning conversation with two successive phone reps

one said that i should pay no heed to anything except what she says because she's worked every day since 9/11, and that if i have a paper ticket and no bags to check i can go straight to the gate and skip the lines at the ticket counter at ewr (i'm not elite on continental and would like to avoid a long wait)

the next one said that the first one was wrong, that i should listen to *her*, and that everyone has to go through the ticket counter, no exceptions, and no one is allowed to go straight to the gate

these phone reps also introduced a new wrinkle - i'm flying on on regional jet and won't be able to carry my wheelie on and thus will have to gate-check it. but they didn't know if gate-checking still exists, or whether i'll be sent back to the ticket counter, will miss my flight, ruin my trip, etc etc

so my questions for those who have actually traveled from ewr in the last few days and might have a clue:

can i go straight to the gate if i have paper tickets and no bags to check that wouldn't pass muster on a normal 737?

can i gate-check my wheelie before i board an rj?

thanks...

[This message has been edited by ron-val-ron (edited 10-04-2001).]

Platinum Blonde

Ron,

I flew into EWR from IAH last weekend. Gate checked my wheelie for the jet to Syracuse with no problem. No problem getting through the security lines. I had an e-ticket and used e-machine for boarding pass, so can't guarantee that your paper ticket will get you through security, but I believe it will. Actually, security was not as stringent as I expected. Good Luck!

Paulo

Gate checking in existence last Monday EWR-CVG. Same as always.

I used the eService machine to print my boarding pass before going through security, although I overheard the CO agt standing at the head of the security checkpoint to say that a paper ticket or even printed eTicket itinerary is acceptable, but it must be accompanies by an ID. Incidentally, don't put that ID away - I was checked by no fewer than 4 people before boarding.

I'm flying again tonight on an eTicket and was planning to give it a try - will keep you informed.

duxfan

paper ticket and a photo i.d. is enough to get you thru security. i did it earlier this week here in CLE, went to the P-Club to get my boarding pass.

doc

AT EWR a boarding pass is SAID to be required, as I understand it! My first three attempts, bearing an E-ticket, I was compelled to show a boarding pass. No checkin at the airline club lounge was permitted or so I was told. At the club, I was greeted with a "Have you checked in already?"

Perhaps it's not absolutely essential for the more "glib" among us!