Newark Immigration/Customs Queues

[sparkymarky]

I'm planning to be passing through Newark on a Continental flight arriving on a Tuesday around lunchtime.

How much time should I allow to make a connecting flight? The Continental website will allow me to book connections down to around an hour, but I found a thread on PPRuNe from May last year that wasn't too optimistic about the immigration/customs processes.

No point paying extra for a flight with a shorter connect time, if I've got no chance of making it in time!

Has the situation improved in the last year?

[Avman]

How long is a piece of string?

My last experience arriving with COA on a B767 was a good one. Roughly an hour from blocking on to driving out in rental car. However,

1) there were no other international arrivals at the time we arrived.

2) I was one of the first off the aircraft.

It's a fairly long walk from the gate to immigration if I remember rightly.

I would never go for a connection under 3 hours. If you have a flexible ticket you can always change your flight subject to availability. If you are on a restricted ticket, play safe and give yourself plenty of time to avoid any stress.

Finally, a one hour transfer time is possible (but not advisable) domestic to international but definitely not international to domestic.

Hope this may be of some help.

[groundhand]

If you are transiting up to Canada ex Newark be sure to put 'in transit' in the space for your US address on your Visa Waiver. If you don't you can be in for a long, long question and answer session with a member of the homeland security department who has absolutely no concept about International transit.

[cavortingcheetah]

:ooh::hmm:

Came through Washington DC yesterday, landing at 15.30. Joined tail end of immigration queue at 15.45. We were through everything by 17.00. The situation has improved but you still need probably three hours on the ground to ensure that you make a connection.
Also, now in the States, if you have not checked in at least one hour before departure, they will not let you fly at all. No last minute check ins any more.
Happy journey. It is nothing like as bad as people make out and in fact was a lot more civilised than Heathrow or Gatwick any morning or afeternoon.:uhoh:

[eastern wiseguy]

Pity you weren't flying from DUB. It is all done before you leave and you just stroll past the folks from the rest of Europe.:)

[sparkymarky]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll plan accordingly.