CLEHillbilly

This has been going on for at least 2 months. When we arrived in terminal B about 2 months ago I questioned the FA on it and I got a rude "We have always landed BRU-EWR in terminal B". Yeah right was my response.

The only good thing about landing in B was my bags did seem to come out a little faster then Intl C arrivals.

CO 1E

Total lie by the FA.

Maddy

"1731 is still officially coming into C. If you check flight status for Friday and Saturday, both have C gates assigned."

Yes you're right. That flight was definitely scheduled to arrive at C. The pilot made the announcement shortly before landing so people could contact anyone picking them up and to advise about taking the airtrain back to C for connections. A sizable number of people on this flight were making connections, and there was quite a bit of grumbling about the change, as well as some confusion about where to pick up baggage. Some people were under the impression they had to take the airtrain back to C just to get checked baggage.

I did find it unusual that this has been going on reguarly for a flight that lands after 6 pm. I didn't realize there were that many intl flights arriving to C that late in the day.

rkkwan

People shouldn't grumble until they understand what they're grumbling about. There's really very little downside in coming in to B for international flights. Chances of these people making their connections are better than they would have if the flight comes in to C.

There weren't that many international flights coming into EWR after 6, but most of the C gates with the walkways to the immigration/customs area are still occupied by the aircrafts ready to go out to Europe at that time.

gary_nj

Last Friday (15 June) I was at EWR at gate C135 for my flight to SFO. The incoming aircraft was arriving from the Dominican Republic, so it was a standard international arrival into the C Terminal.

At the next gate, though, there was a flight that was delayed due to a late arriving aircraft from Cancun. The gate agent made an announcement that the incoming flight had landed but the departing flight would be delayed "a little while longer since the aircraft is going to Terminal B and will have to be towed over here." Since there was an empty gate at Terminal C, I guess the reason for the Cancun flight to arrive in B was either some load balancing among the immigration/customs service or CO's desire not to make a last-minute change of arrival gates.

Bottom line - one potential drawback to CO's using Terminal B for international arrivals is not felt by the arriving passengers, but could result in longer delays for pax who are departing on those aircraft.

cruisr

Its funny as many people do not even know where they are when they deplane and go the C & I. People never listen to annoucements and they just assume they are coming into C as they always have.

I loved having CO have their own facilites in C. I literally was off the plane and out of C & I in 10 minutes as there was never anybody online in front of me.

Not so with Terminal B Intl. arrivals especially in the late afternoon. People on line last month were a bit miffed when they realized their connecting flight was in another terminal....

dmbfan222

I had the pleasure of using Terminal B today on CO 860 SXM-EWR. Luckily I had no connections.

STT757

CO used to have their London flights depart from Terminal B, you can use the Virgin Atlantic clubroom.

I've used both the Terminal B and Terminal C IAB/FIS facilities, my favorite is still Terminal B.

I think CO should work with the Port Authority to set up an elevated connecting airside corridor from Terminal C to Terminal B, to supplement the Airtrain. Also move DL, NWA, YX from Terminal B to Terminal A and that way CO could consolidate all their operations at Terminal B and Terminal C. Makes connections easier.

Xyzzy

I've arrived at B too. I think the last time was returning from MBJ. The flight got in very late and the C&I facility at terminal C was closed.

rkkwan

Were you unhappy that you came into B? If so, can you explain why?

dmbfan222

Actually, I didn't care. Other then the extra stop to go to P4 to get my car (not a big deal at all) it didn't matter to me. There was a little bit of a line to get through immigration, but I have no idea what it was like at C. I was just surprised because it sounded like only the larger international flights went through there for CO and not a 737 from SXM.

Wiirachay

Was a result of poor capacity planning when terminal C was constructed? Did CO foresee this when terminal C was being built?

cptlflyer

You have to re-clear security coming in off any international flight anyway... so I don't see the big deal... what's a few extra min on the monorail?

star_world

Arrived in B today on CO19, it's far, far better than the normal line in C at that time. The only problem was they somehow managed to deliver most of the EliteAccess bags last - they've been good at getting this right in EWR recently.

rkkwan

No way anybody at CO, EWR or PANYNJ would imagine there are daily non-stop flights from EWR to so many places in the world on CO in the year 1999-2000 when the expansion of Terminal C started. If somebody says he/she did, that's a lie.

The airline business changes much faster than planning and construction of an airport or terminal. Look at DFW. It was a nightmare to change plane at the largest hub of the world's largest airline until the new train opened 2 years ago. Why? Nobody had even heard of "hub and spoke" when the terminals were designed in the early 70's.