EWR764

I understand it is due to TSA staffing issues, but this problem has been going on for months. The Precheck line typically extends down into the midlevel and there is just a mass of humanity there with people walking around without a clue as to where to go.

It's really, really bad. United's blue-jacketed contractors in that area (Airway, I believe) are rude and have no information to assist customers. They are not TSA staff.

The TSA staffing problems (your tax dollars and 9/11 fees hard at work!!) resulting in closed checkpoints at peak travel times are beyond United's control, but United needs to do a better job informing customers and their contractors about this now-routine charlie foxtrot.

In the meantime I strongly recommend adding an extra 20-30 minutes to your usual practice to clear security in Terminal C at peak hours.

VivoPerLei

I went through around the same time on Wednesday. Absolutely horrendous. In the real world somebody would be held accountable for such a disaster

Often1

Even though TSA staffing is beyond UA's control, every person inconvenienced at EWR ought to complain to EWR every time.

UA is in a far better position to compile this and exert pressure on TSA than individuals and the more pressure on UA from its customer base, the better.

Sawasdee

Same situation last Friday when I landed from Madrid and connected to Denver. There were many long lines causing a lot of confusions to which one for what. It took me 40 minutes around 2pm for pre-check.

edcho

EWR is not the only airport with these issues. ATL is planning to switch to private contractors (like SFO) and I remember reading about DEN having similar issues too.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel...-out/80605396/

I was flying out of EWR last week and remember why I hated the airport compared to LGA with long 1 hour precheck lines, trying to run to the gate with giant bars in the middle of the concourse, long preboarding lines that block your path, etc etc etc. I may or may not have ran over several people running to the gate cause there was no room to run!!! Uber was banned at EWR (and Newark Penn Station) today too. *sigh* LGA looks like crap but atleast I can get through security pretty fast.

mauld

Wow, this is the new 'normal' now?? I had the same experience on Sun Feb 14, and assumed it was due to bad weather the day before (with many cancelled flights). C Terminal was a mess, the center security lanes were only open for wheelchairs (of which there were none), the lines for the other 2 areas were down the escalators and wound around the mid level for at least 45-60 minutes. Both TSA precheck and PA were affected as well to the same degree.
What is going on ?

LarryJ

Was this at the C-3 checkpoint? An hour is terrible.

My wife went through C-3 PreCheck this morning in less than ten minutes. There ought to be some consistency.

A complete overhaul of the C-Terminal checkpoints is planned. The result will be one large screening checkpoint instead of three separate ones. Haven't seen the planned layout yet.

eajusa

I have never had a problem at EWR, certainly easier compared to JFK and LGA. Perhaps it's just a matter of luck as many fly much more often than me.

cerealmarketer

I usually come in from upstairs (the premier checkin area).

A couple of times this year doing that I noticed lines forming at the lower level, and an agent at the top of the escalator.

The agent didn't say anything and I went into the precheck or premier line of my choice as usual. Was I cutting in line by doing that? I had assumed it was just the Economy line down there, but reading this thread appears that's not the case.

Seemed to me anyone who wanted to could go on the elevator to the top level, and come down.

Or are they now telling people to go down to the lower level?

The whole 'lets close off C2' is maddening. Not that JFK is a picnic....AA is a disaster in the evening and whenever Precheck is closed.

But staffing is the key - on the day before Thanksgiving had the fastest, most coordinated security I've ever experienced - massive presence.

fjfv19

The blue coats are clueless, useless and rude. For close to three years now, I've been pretending I don't speak English to bypass their idiocy. This is what Newark has become. The lines are out of control and there doesn't appear to be a good solution on the horizon.

Kacee

When is an EWR departure not chaos?

naumank

Yes, it was C-3. They limited C-2 to wheel chairs only.

PV_Premier

I refuse to fly in and out of EWR anymore regardless of the airline. It's 40 minutes from family, while PHL is 1:30, but between the attitudes and unpredictable security theater, I'm willing to sacrifice 70-80 minutes in the car for a better experience.

DA201

This has happened to me before and I have no idea why it happens. It is very annoying.

riphamilton

i lol'd.

not to make this devolve into another p.s. thread, but it never took more than 10 minutes to step off the airtrain, get through security and up to the gate or the UC once "full blown" pre check was opened at JFK T7.