rkkwan

Since I believe just a few days ago, CO has started "officially" assigning international arrivals to EWR Terminal B. Before, they just happened when they needed to. But now, you can check arrivals information on co.com for next day's flight and they will have B gate assignments.

And when my dad checked-in at HKG this morning, they gave out little maps of EWR, and told them they'd be arriving at Terminal B.

Overall, it's better this way. Immigration line is shorter, bag drop line outside customs is shorter; and people getting off the AirTrain from B to C won't all pile in to the C-3 security points.

These following flights all arrived B today (Tuesday, 6/19) and are all scheduled to arrive B in the next two days:

51 FRA
41 FCO
19 LGW
45 MXP
98 HKG
57 CDG
79 ZRH

They all arrive EWR between noon and 2:05pm, all 764 or 777, and these planes don't have departures until later in the day. [Unlike the 752s, which often have to depart to Florida soon.]

njshawn

I was surpised when I flew home from LGW last week and we came into Terminal B and I was not too happy about it. I planned on using the PC after we landed in Terminal C but I didn't feel like getting on the airtrain with all my bags. I usually flew through JFK on VS for travel to the UK, did CO fly into C for international at some point? I assumed that was where I would be going to.

rkkwan

Until very recently, all CO international flights supposed to come into C, though frequently in the afternoon, a flight or two will use Terminal B when there are no immigration gates available at C. But now, they pre-plan the above flights I listed to come in B.

BTW, you mean you will arrive in the US and then go back through security just to use the PC?

bostonbali

I've been tracking the CDG flight (CO57 on a 777) for the past week or so, since I'll be taking that flight soon. It has been arriving into Terminal B every single day since I started tracking it.

From what rkkwan writes, I guess this is a good thing, with lesser immigration lines (my primary concern, as I won't have checked luggage, and I won't be continuing on another CO flight that afternoon).

Bostonbali

njshawn

Yes I can say when I fly into B from LGW was off the plane and in my car in about 20 minutes. It was really amazing but I am sure it can be more busy at other times.

tvx

I was on the 777 flight (CO 57) from CDG on the 13th and we came in to Terminal B. Took a while for luggage but immigration and customs were a piece of cake. I needed to get over to A for my flight to DCA so no problem with the P-Club. Terminal B is surprisingly nice based on my short time there.

Unrelated -- it was 777 ship #19, so I got the full AVOD treatment back. Very nice.

njshawn

Lucky you. I have been on a bunch of 777's in and out of LGW and I have not gotten any of the new AVOD planes. The old AVOD is so bad I don't even mess with it when I am on the plane.

Weatherboy

This kind of stinks ...because when returning from a trans-oceanic adventure, I'd often want to go to the PC to shower up and change before continuing my day.

You need to re-clear security anyway when coming in through C, but dealing with the airtrain to get over to C just for a shower discourages this.

KENNECTED

Agreed.

Just a thought, but maybe a B to C terminal shuttle bus is in the works OR the current (A-C) shuttle can be re-routed (A-B-C) to accomodate passengers on flights that arrive at the B Terminal.

rkkwan

Even if this means shorter wait through immigration and baggage claim, and getting to the PC faster?

sbm12

No chance. You have to clear customs/immigration on arrival, so you're outside security already. There's no way that the security folks at terminal B are going to let you reclear with an inbound CO boarding pass just to get to a CO bus.

rkkwan

Well, unless they decide to tell connecting customers to re-enter security at B, and then bus them over to A/C. But I don't see that happening either. There is already the AirTrain right there running between the terminals. Why go through the trouble to add another stop on the bus route?

Maddy

My flight the other day, 1731 from Cancun, scheduled to arrive ~ 6:30 pm, also went to Terminal B. The pilot said we'd come into C if there was space, but this flight had been arriving at B the past 2 weeks and that's where we ended up.

With no connections/checked bags, arrival at B was a breeze. Immigration and taxi lines are much quicker and the shlep from the gate isn't as long, (though I guess that last part depends on which gate you come in).

rkkwan

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

So far, I have only seen those 6 flights I listed that is planned officially to come to B.

entropy

It would be rather interesting, I think, if CO were to start to take over EWR B for some international departures as well. They could only use it for int'l and then put in a special BF lounge...

They're doing it with IAH, every terminal has CO (borg) activity. EWR now. Perhaps CLE will join in.