Newark Airport

Customer Reviews

No Skytrax Rating
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Queuing Times 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
Customer rating from 417 reviews
2/10
No Skytrax Rating
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1/10

"No food. No retail. No newsstand"

(United States)

It is a crime that the greatest city in the world has the worst airports on the planet. Here are some examples: - At Terminal C (United), there are no services outside the TSA checkpoints. No food. No retail. No newsstand. Once inside security at Terminal C, United has done an admirable job providing a decent array of distractions while heading to your gate or waiting for a connecting flight. They earn a 1 out of 10 for that. - If you are unfortunate enough to be waiting for an arriving passenger at terminal C, you have a choice. You can stand, or you can sit on the steps between level 2 and level 3. Until someone wants to actually use the steps to get from level to level. Then you have to stand. I bring a beach chair when I'm meeting an arriving passenger. - Terminal B is a smidgen better. Not much, but enough to show how bad terminal C really is. At least there is a fast-food court and a few couches and lounge chairs outside security. - Until very recently there was no cell phone lot, so cars (mostly car services) lined up along the shoulder of Interstate 78 waiting for their arriving passengers, right in front of sign that reads "Emergency Stopping Only". Usually a New Jersey State Trooper shows up and gives tickets. When the first cell phone lot was created it was so far away from the 3 terminals that you might as well have stayed home. - The on-airport long term parking is so poor that an entire industry has been created, providing off-site parking with free shuttle buses to and from the terminals. But since there is no official waiting area at each terminal for the shuttles, when you call to be picked up upon arrival, you are instructed to meet them in a manner more akin to some clandestine bag drop. "Meet me to the left of door 1 on the lower level in 10 minutes." Somehow these off-site companies manage to make money charging $9/day, including the shuttle. One would think it would be possible for the Port Authority of NY and NJ, the bi-state agency that runs the airports in NY, to do the same. Many other airports have found a way to provide long term parking immediately adjacent to the terminals. What a concept. But the on-site long-term parking at Newark, run by the Port Authority charges $18/day for a lot that according to the airport website is "approximately 3 miles from the terminal area." So, to go away for a long weekend and park your car for 4 days on-site will cost you $72 and have to take a shuttle bus to/from the terminal. Or you can use an off-site private company and pay $36 including the shuttle. If you want to park adjacent to the terminal, Newark Airport does offer short-term parking options for $4 per 1/2 hour up to a max of $33/day. - The good news is that you can pay with EZ-Pass. The bad news is that if you choose a lane that allows payment by cash, credit card OR EZ-Pass, you actually have to take the EZ-Pass transponder off the windshield and hand it to the attendant. Not very EZ. You can't make this stuff up. - Newark Airport is actually wonderful compared to LaGuardia. See my review of that airport. My advice to first-time visitors to NY is to get here anyway you can except by air.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitJanuary 2016
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"real decline in the past two years"

(United Kingdom)

The experience from leaving security to departing at the gate was dreadful and a real decline in the past two years. The airport staff I interacted with were consistently very rude and made me feel like it was my fault they had to work there - short answers and a lot of sighing and eye rolling. Once particular gentleman approached me while waiting at one of the food court stalls to ask if I understood (which the answer was yes) and he then made fun of 'dumb tourists' to his colleague while I was still within earshot. That being said, the food court interactions are unnecessarily complicated since the introduction of the self service tills, and none of the other restaurants/bars accept cash money of any kind (as well as the majority of SS tills), which is totally unacceptable when I am leaving a country and want to use my leftover currency. There is also confusion with signs about which security C area to go to form the lower level if you need to the lower security verification queue (needless to say the staff were once again rude or didn't know when asked).
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitDecember 2015
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
2/10

"avoid at all costs"

(United Kingdom)

Staff unhelpful and only made problems worse. Security signage is misleading and indicates you can enter through C1, C2 or C3 but in fact they all have certain gate numbers, and surly staff tell you you can't enter and send you to another area where the staff say the same thing. Dubai airport is easier to navigate and 10 times the size. Avoid using this airport at all costs.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitNovember 2015
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
3/10

"modern and airy, but I'm unimpressed"

(United States)

1st restroom full, 2nd was filthy and unusable. Each is undersized with only 3 stalls. Very difficult to find the shuttle from C to A when it's hidden behind working area and there are no signs for A until you leave the area and turn around. Food choices try to be modern/stylish but completely miss the basic needs. I'm not a big McD fan but there's a lot to be said for a quick egg mcmuffin on the run, as opposed to having to navigate an iPad to order eggs to receive a mediocre plate of food for $19. I feel robbed. The iPad cleared the instant I completed the order, leaving me with no receipt, and not knowing if the order would be received until coffee appeared. And not least of the issues, employees in the way everywhere, strolling slowly, stood in restroom doorways, weaving a cart between two employees and being impossibles to pass. I see a WiFi reading in the survey, should there be working WiFi? There's no sign of it. It's modern and airy, but I'm totally unimpressed.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitNovember 2015
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
10/10

"managed to get on the plane"

(United Kingdom)

I was amazed that we arrived from Las Vegas and because of our flight delay only had minutes for the connecting flight to Manchester, we ran through the airport and managed to get on the plane. We thought that when we got to Manchester we would have no luggage, how wrong could we be as our suitcases were on the plane.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitNovember 2015
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages N/A
Airport Staff 12345
yes
3/10

"more employee surliness and filthy restrooms"

(United States)

I've traveled through this airport numerous times over the years with basically no real problems or incidents other than airtime delays. However, during my latest venture just two days ago, I noticed more employee surliness (more than usual), filthy restrooms, and the one issue that upset me the most was the iPads in every restaurant/bar I walked past in Terminal C. Because my flight home was (of course) delayed, I attempted to order at one of the restaurants. I didn't understand how to operate the electronic "menu". It took some time before an employee appeared to help me. I don't know if they can be called a waitress/waiter because they don't really wait on anyone - little to no interaction with the customer. She told me to swipe my credit card after my selection, then disappeared. The stools lining the bar area had the electronic menus as well. Very restrictive and designed to make one "disappear" into the internet, which is sporadic on those iPads. Prices were, of course, quite high but I didn't expect anything cheap.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitNovember 2015
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"the bathrooms were filthy"

(United States)

We arrived at terminal A. There was no signage to indicate we needed to take ground transport to Terminal C. Upon arrival to Terminal C we quickly noticed the lack of convince for handicapped, and the elevator ride took 5 minutes. One restaurant and the bathrooms were filthy. I will avoid this airport and spend extra money to fly through a more accommodating airport.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitNovember 2015
Type Of TravellerBusiness
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
7/10

"never had an issue"

(United States)

Despite many people claiming to have problems with Newark, I have never had an issue with it. The international concourse is clean and airy, with a reasonable selection of restaurants. I only have two complaints about the airport. Firstly, the domestic terminal is small and looks as if it would have been considered outdated even in the 80s. The second complaint is the security checkpoint. It has a capacity of about 20 scanners, but usually they only open 2 or three, with staff sitting idle at the closed checkpoints. Overall however, it is a good airport if you don't want to spend 2 hours in traffic driving to JFK.
Experience At AirportTransit
Date VisitMarch 2015
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Staff 12345
yes
4/10

"only time I ever have any issues"

(United States)

I truly wish this airport was not only 30 minutes from my home otherwise I would go somewhere anywhere else. I have flown, a lot thru almost every major hub in America and the EU and the only time I ever have any issues is at this airport. It's like the staff and or employees just absolutely hate their job. With their snerky responses to just looking like they hate their life. This was the only airport with TSA agents who send people back to the ticketing counter because they think their carry on bags are too big, even after it fits in the little thing to measure it. They would probably charge you for the air if they could.
Experience At AirportDeparture Only
Date VisitOctober 2015
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no
1/10

"very poor signage and information"

(United States)

Very congested airport with long lines. No TSA precheck or priority boarding facility. TSA staff as usual were uncaring, bored and disgusted. Only two TSA staff for gates for American Airlines departures. When you come off the airtram there are no American Airlines screens to tell which gate flights are leaving from. Found United screen but no American Airlines screen. Very poor signage and information for even a seasoned traveler like me.
Experience At AirportArrival and Departure
Date VisitOctober 2015
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Queuing Times 12345
Terminal Cleanliness 12345
Terminal Seating 12345
Terminal Signs 12345
Food Beverages 12345
Airport Shopping 12345
Wifi Connectivity 12345
Airport Staff 12345
no