Need advice on International Connection thru Newark International Airport

Need advice from you "road warriors" on connecting to different terminals within Newark Airport. I have never flown thru Newark International. Next week I am flying Charlotte-Newark-Lisbon on United Airlines. Both my domestic and International flights are in Term C, so there shouldn't be any issues connecting and I assume once I go thru Security at Charlotte, I will not have to go thru Security again at Newark. I have a 6 hour layover in Newark. My original flight from Charlotte, with a 3 hour layover, got cancelled. I went from a 737 to a small Republic Air Regional Jet. Ugghhhhh.

I need advice about my return flight. Lisbon-Newark-Charlotte. I have been tracking my flights the last couple of days. It appears International flights from Lisbon arrive in Term B where I will have to go thru Customs, Immigration. I then have to depart Term B for my flight back to Charlotte which is in Term C. What is the process?

I am hoping it is just an easy transfer by the Air Tran or Shuttle Bus without having to go thru Security again. I have a 2 hour window if everything is on time. Well, we all know how that goes. LOL. I will only have carry on bags, however, the past 3 days the flights arriving from Lisbon range from 1 - 2 hours late and one flight to Charlotte was totally canceled. I haven't flown in over 5 years and haven't flown United in a very long time. They appear to not have a good on time record. My flight to and from Charlotte is on Republic Air (under the United Umbrella) which has significant delays and cancellations. I am a bit concerned. Please advise.

Comments

  • You can only go with the flow. I avoid Newark at all costs because you do have to clear customs there and then pick up your luggage, go to the other terminal, recheck your luggage for your domestic flight and go through security again. Or at least that's how it was the last time I flew through there. It can be done. It's just a hassle. Be prepared.

  • Voikk32 - the scenario you describe is typical for most airports - JFK, LAX, DFW. You land, clear customs, pick up your bags, recheck luggage, go back through security on the way to your next gate.

  • Yes, Smiling Sam, it is typical for most of the international airports which is why I always look for my connections through Boston where I don't have to worry about a domestic flight. It can at times be limiting but so far it's worked for me. It becomes a problem when I'm flying to Asia/Australia. Then I don't have much choice.

  • voikk32 - I take it you live in Boston.

    If your final stop in the states is your point of entry into the states then you avoid the scenario you described.

    I was just trying to point out that I didn't think Newark was any different than any other airport when reentering the states at an airport that isn't your final destination.

  • We are flying from Orlando to Frankfurt connecting on to Budapest for our Danube cruise in June. We have never navigated Frankfurt before. We have a 5:00 hour layover going and a 2:00 hour returning from Praque. Lufthansa is our airline. Any comments, suggestions please. We are flying business.

  • We’ve only flown thru Frankfurt once, it’s a large nice airport. My advice is always what we do. Be prepared to walk fast when you get off the plane. Make sure you are wearing shoes you can run in if necessary. Carry a backpack instead of a roll on too. Save going to the bathroom until you get to the gate and see what the situation is and then find a bathroom. We’ve caught several flights just in time by using these methods. It’s also good exercise to get your circulation going again after a long flight.

  • You’ll have plenty of time to go thru immigration and catching your connecting flight going to Prague. Frankfurt is a huge airport and can be a nightmare. You may not land at a jet way, and have to catch a bus (which will meet your flight) to ferry you and the rest of the passengers to the main terminal. Then immigration and security and then a long walk to your gate. It’s on the return you might be running like crazy. There used to be a service (pre-pandemic) called “gate to gate”. You can hire them and they will make sure you catch your flight. There are several levels of service. Go to the Frankfurt Airport main page and you should see a link explaining how they work. I used them twice and it was totally worth the money. Especially returning from Moscow one day when all the buses and trains within the airport were not working! There is no way I could have figured out which escalator or stairs to use! My guide was able to run ahead and talk to the gate agent about holding the plane, while I was stuck going through security. Good luck. Frankfurt is an airport I try to avoid. Heathrow isn’t much better, but they are the gateways to that part of the world.

  • After you clear customs/immigration at Logan airport you can drop your bags off after you clear customs and walk to the appropriate terminal. Your bags will be sent to the appropriate airline.

    All foreign flights (except pre-cleared ones) land at Terminal E, domestic airlines are in other terminals and there is a fair amount of walking or you can use a bus.

  • Been thru Frankfurt airport 4 times on Tauck tours and found it always busy but not too hard to navigate. The signage is very helpful. Twice we did have to take bus from plane on tarmac to terminal but it was easy. Just make sure you have at least a 2 hour layover to avoid stress.

  • Thanks everyone

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