Transit Time at EWR
 

I am looking at arriving at EWR on a BA flight at 1745. I need to catch a Con flight to CHS at 1905. Is this reasonable/possible? Thanks for any information.

On Jan 6 (with 2 little kids) we flew into EWR from LGW. Made it through immigration, baggage claim, customs, baggage recheck, and security the fastest I've ever been able to do so - 53 minutes from arriving airplane to door of departing airplane. Of course, this was all in the same terminal, C, security line was nearly empty, and we knew where we were going. The biggest bottleneck was baggage claim in which our suitcases arrived about 30 minutes after we landed. So, you have about 22 minutes of padding. Good luck!

If memory serves, you will clear US immigration and customs when flying from the UK at your first port of call in the US (EWR). You will also need to reclaim and recheck your baggage.

Connection time will probably be tight enough. Maybe someone who has flown this route recently can verify\rubbish(!!) what I'm saying?

Hmmm.... I'm only an observer to this process, but here's my impression:

BA arrives in Terminal B, and your Continental flight will depart out of Terminal C. That alone requires a monorail ride, and a separate trip through the TSA security line.

Before you get to that point you will have to deplane, stand in the line in the Customs Hall, reclaim your luggage, and then re-check it with CAL, at which point you'll start the journey on the monorail between'st B and C.

Seems rather tight to me, but sometimes you arrive early.....sometimes you don't. I would probably suggest sitting as close to the exit door as you can...that would immediately place you in front of about 200 people in the Customs line. Although if you then have to wait half an hour for your luggage to exit on the carousel it might be a moot point. Then there's always the chance that your connecting flight will be delayed (EWR, Express, PM....)

Good luck....

It's possible, but I would pad in more time, especially if this is on two tickets. (I prefer 150-180 minutes of connection time generally, particularly if that's the last flight for the day to your destination.) (Also, there's the near-term potential for an upcoming BA strike.)

If possible, I'd check in for the CO flight even before leaving the UK, just in case it gets close.

I get nervous with any connection at EWR under two hours, more so if a change of terminals is required and I connecting to the last flight of the evening to my destination.

I wouldn't risk it. That is a very tight connection, especially considering the security/monorail issue and luggage recheck. And if it is two different itineraries then I definitely wouldn't do it. Even if BA/CO protect you on the next flight, it means an overnight at EWR, with the next flight out around 9am the following morning.

One thing I forgot to mention is that the headwinds were terrible going from LGW to EWR - we landed about 1.5 hours later than scheduled purely due to slower flying speed. So, I'd suggest calling CO about a later flight or BA about an earlier flight. At least the return trip will be fast!

Thats a great point about the winds - they have been causing a lot of delays as of late.

Transit Time at EWR
 

Thanks to everyone for the information. I will start with an earlier flight from LHR and leave a much longer gap to the CHS flight. Thanks again.

On a similar note, a schedule change just made a 2:25 connection from LGW-EWR-MCO into a 1:30 connection.

However, 1/2 of the party is BF/FC the other half in the Y elite section. Should we wait till May (flight is mid-June) to make changes to the itin (I'm a Delta flyer so used to many schedule changes) or call up to increase the connect time or take a 1:30 connect time.

Do you have to transit EWR? You can route BA to another airline via any of the east coast gateways: EWR, JFK, BOS, IAD, etc.

Sorry didn't make it clear that I am on CO metal on a reward ticket. :-D

That sounds rather tight to me. There may be another schedule change between now and May, but you should probably at least look into your choices now and call to try and change. It seems to me like it always takes a long time for bags to come off in the international arrivals area. You might make it to the gate of the connecting flight before scheduled departure, but they're likely to have already decided you won't make it and given away your seats.

Tight.
30 minutes Terminal B immigration
15 minutes additional Terminal B bag reclaim and customs
10 minutes monorail to Terminal C
10 minutes security at Terminal C
10 minutes to get to your gate.
However it is a regional jet flight so boards fairly late. You could make it.

a) if you travel without luggage you'll save the waiting-for-bag-at-Customs bit
b) if you OLCI 24 hours before your flight, you save time at Terminal C
c) if you're elite on BA, you may get your bag sooner at Terminal B
d) if you're elite on CO, you may get through security faster.

Alas this is the last flight of the day so if you miss it you're stuck overnight. Unless you can get them to rebook you to Hiltonhead, Columbia or other airport an hour or more from Charleston.