10 Reasons to Avoid Newark Airport at All Costs

Newark Airport opened in 1928, making it older than both John F. Kennedy and LaGuardia. Newark is consistently at the bottom even though none of the three airports fair well when ranked on global airport lists. Passengers dread taking a flight out from that airport, and rightly so. After all, it seems that countless travelers experience at least one thing wrong before, during, or after getting off their flight. Even though some people think Newark gets an undeserved bad reputation, it’s clear there’s a lot of things wrong at the airport. These are the top 10 reasons to avoid Newark Airport at all costs.

10. I have to fly out of where?

Before you even look at the airport, the work Newark evokes a certain sense of dread. People hear the city name and associate it with crime, corruption, homelessness, and a myriad of other issues. Many of the worst problems happen near the airport, so you’re already on guard when you go there. Anything that happens in the airport undoubtedly magnifies its a bi-product of a city that many still have negative opinions about since it has had a lot of social unrest over the last half-century.

9. Faulty equipment

Another thing that gives Newark airport a bad reputation is that planes often have problems opening doors so passengers can deplane or, worse, so they can take off. When this happens, the plane has to be towed to another terminal to complete ascent or descent.

8. Unmaintained

Even though some airports have a historic charm, Newark airport is aging and often not very clean. Yelp has many reviews from people who noticed that much of the airport doesn’t look well maintained, including trash on the floor and filthy bathrooms. We’ve all been guilty of leaving a stray receipt on a seat while waiting for our flight. However, the porters’ job is to clean those things up and ensure people have a clean area. Nonetheless, another review noted that the regions had trash everywhere. Moreover, charging stations often didn’t work, and seating was minimal, leaving passengers no other option than to stand while waiting for their flights.

7. You have to go this way

Newark airport is similar to a maze without an apparent reason why the level layout is like it is. For example, the hotel shuttle drops passengers off two levels and a short walk from ticket counters, and once you get to the level, it’s still tricky to find where you are going.

6. Could you answer my question?

Let’s face it, after September 11, 2001, airport security tightened, as it rightly should. However, all the security measures can often create added headaches for people trying to make their flight on time. If something goes wrong or a breach in security, it can cost valuable time. Newark airport has all of these issues and workers who feel like it isn’t a problem. According to NJ1015, one traveler got stuck in the security lines, and “the TSA workers stood barking orders in a manner that should only be reserved for an induction in prison.” Another passenger got lost when going from a domestic to an international terminal and, while trying to ask for help, got a clipped answer that never answered the original question.

5. Busy isn’t better

Newark is the fifteenth busiest airport in the United States. However, being that busy has its downfalls. Some feel they overuse Ground Delay Programs, implemented if the airport overbooks its flights. Newark is notorious for overbooking flights without regard for its passengers. These protocols are also necessary because of the poor configuration of the runaways. According to Reuters, the tarmac is under construction this year after almost a decade with no repair. United Airlines has canceled many of its flights because of the delay and wants federal action taken. Since Newark Airport has yet to take decisive action, they feel that the FAA needs to regulate all the congestion, especially now that part of the tarmac is under construction.

4. Bad facelift

According to USA Today, in 2015, The Newark Airport received a $120 million dollar makeover on United Airways Terminal C. The airport added fifty-five new restaurants, including a barbecue place called Notorious P.I.G. Rockwell Group, which calls itself a “travel restaunteur,” headed the project. In addition to the restaurants also added 6,000 iPad terminals scattered throughout the bars and restaurants so people waiting for their flights could keep track of delays and departures. However, it was all in vain. Three years later, travelers still felt the Terminals were outdated, including the one that had the makeover. It seems that the only thing accomplished was giving people somewhere fancy to wait during excessive delays.

3. Dark ages of flying

Preflight check-in is one of many modern conveniences. Since Newark Airport is one of the busiest in the United States, it would make sense to have TSAPreCheck at each gate. Unfortunately, this is not the case at Newark. Many gates have long lines, and that creates lengthy backups, something extremely evident at Terminal B.

2. Getting to the airport

Several frequent flyers mentioned the Airtrain monorail, citing it is never working as it should, especially in the summer. The problems with the Airtrain started when Von Roll, the company that built the system, went out of business. Although Bombardier now oversees it, they are not able to work with the antiquated system. When this happens, passengers are left stranded in areas of the airport that don’t have air conditioning. People concerned about this should take a train to Penn Station and opt for the airport shuttle.

1. Flight delays

Even though you can expect unpredictable weather since Newark Airport is in the Northeast, there are no precautions to ensure this doesn’t happen. Instead, they book the maximum number of flights they can handle and hope for the best—unfortunately, it’s quite the opposite. Newark is notorious for late flights all year long. According to the New York Post, Only 64% of flights leave on time.