United just changed our connection time. Our flight from Rome arrives in Newark, and now we have 1 hour 49 minutes before our flight home. I've not gone through passport control/customs in Newark, but had a terrible experience through Dulles (I'll NEVER return from Europe through Dulles again!) Your thoughts on this connection time? Should I be as worried as I am? Is less than 2 hours enough time to make it to our domestic flight after passport/customs? Who knows if our flight from Rome will be delayed?? We will have checked bags, as we will have our tandem bike cases with us, we will have to pick up our luggage and recheck!
Posted by
2081 posts
hi, on my trip early last year to Europe, i had the opportunity to go thru Newark. iirc, it took about an hour to get thru. But you may want to walk fast since they only had one checkpoint open and from the lined that formed, it appeard that there was more then one plane that landed. worse case, what i do, is i would jump to the head of the line and tell the security people in a not so quite tone that i have flight to catch in x amount of minutes. They havent stopped me yet! happy trails.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
I wouldn't stress about it. Newark is a hub for United Airlines; in addition Denver Airport is also a hub for United. So there should be lots of direct flights connecting the two airports. If you miss your original they should be able to put you on a later flight. All bags have to be picked up and rechecked. I use the airport a lot and it's never taken me more than 30 minutes to get through immigration. Bag are usually already an the carousel by the time you get to customs.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5850 posts
Have you considered signing up for Global Entry? On my last trip into Dulles, I was through immigration (using the electronic kiosk) in about 2 minutes. You just scan your passport, put your fingers on the reader, and answer 4 customs questions. It is $100 for 5 years and you do have to fill out a questionnaire for a background check and go to an airport for an interview, but I love not having to wait in the immigration queue when I get home.
Posted by
Magyarország / Rep of Texas
20226 posts
And what Laura didn't tell you is that there is generally a separate no line Customs line for GOES as well. But we don't like to advertise this because we don't want to many to join and create lines. Typically, prior to GOES I wouldn't do any layover less than 2:15 when entering the US. Your flight is a mere 30 minutes late (not bad on a 9 hour flight) then 15 min to get off the flight and reach passport control. 45 minutes at passport control and customs and recheck of the bags - on a average day and average port of entry. The domestic flight is always in the other terminal; another 15 minutes minimum. wala, in a perfect flight world you hare at you next gate 30 minutes prior to flight time. Even with GOES I plan a two hour layover and just walk slow and smile a lot.